CARY — In 2009, supporters of the deal to buy the ex-speaker's land claimed it would fetch at least the $500,000 he owed for a conviction on corruption charges. Instead, nearly three years later, the Town of Matthews made an initial offer to purchase it for less than $300,000.
RALEIGH — Prosecutors and the former House speaker's attorneys said the undeveloped land was worth more than the $500,000 he owed on a $1 million criminal fine, but tax records have put the value at less than 30 percent of his outstanding debt.
RALEIGH — The school board was hoping proceeds of the sale could help with the district's flagging finances. Critics say Black should have been forced to settle his criminal fine with cash.
Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens lost his cool last week. It remains to be seen what else has been lost in this latest sorry episode of the Jim Black saga.
RALEIGH – The Wake County School Board learned of imprisoned former House Speaker Jim Black’s offer to use some undeveloped Mecklenburg County real estate to settle a criminal corruption fine after the deal went through, said school board chair Kevin Hill.
RALEIGH — As jailed former state House Speaker Jim Black mounts a campaign for early release from federal prison, critics contend that the state justice system did favors for Black regarding the settlement of his $1 million fine in a corruption and bribery scheme.
RALEIGH — Wake County officials say imprisoned former North Carolina House Speaker Jim Black satisfied a court-ordered $1 million fine recently by surrendering some Mecklenburg County real estate, but questions remain about the real market value of the property, who owns the parcels, and whether the transfer was legitimate.
CHARLOTTE — Imprisoned former North Carolina House Speaker Jim Black used undeveloped land with a tax value of less than $150,000 to pay off an outstanding $500,000 state fine linked to his conviction on corruption charges, according to Mecklenburg County property records.
Elections and effective self-government are not synonymous. It might seem an odd time to say this, with elections in just two weeks, but the point is that other checks exist on politicians besides periodic balloting.
RALEIGH — Less than two months remain before the elections in November, and while Republicans nationally worry how scandals and spending could lessen their prospects for maintaining power in Congress, in North Carolina it’s the reverse — Democrats fear that corruption might be their undoing.
RALEIGH — House Speaker Jim Black told the State Board of Elections last month that former Rep. Michael Decker switched political parties in 2003 because of a lack of respect from fellow Republicans — but GOP members present at a caucus meeting have differing memories of what took place at the time.
