Guilty Plea in Party Switch (1 Viewer)

[Captain America]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A former state legislator who changed parties in 2003, enabling Democratic House Speaker Jim Black to stay in power, pleaded guilty Tuesday to taking $50,000 in campaign contributions to make the switch.

Prosecutors said Decker supported a particular candidate for speaker in exchange for the money. The prosecutors did not mention Black's name in court or in a document that detailed the charges, and did not identify those who were extorted.

Decker switched to the Democratic Party just before the 2003 legislative session after 18 years as a GOP legislator. His switch turned a one-vote Republican majority into a 60-60 tie, allowing Black to share power with his GOP counterpart in the House chamber. Black later regained the speaker job outright.

Decker switched back to the Republican Party after the session but was defeated in the 2004 primary.

"This kind of public corruption undermined our democracy and the legitimacy of legislative bodies," acting U.S. Attorney George Holding said.

<snip> http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NC_SPEAKER_PROBE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

Man ya gotta watch those Republican....er....Democrat....er....Republicans. Hell, who can keep up? There is a fine line between crooks and politicians and there has always been I suppose. Florida, Ohio, Texas.....our sacred elections are being manipulated without conscience these days.

 

[danarhea]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A former state legislator who changed parties in 2003, enabling Democratic House Speaker Jim Black to stay in power, pleaded guilty Tuesday to taking $50,000 in campaign contributions to make the switch.

Prosecutors said Decker supported a particular candidate for speaker in exchange for the money. The prosecutors did not mention Black's name in court or in a document that detailed the charges, and did not identify those who were extorted.

Decker switched to the Democratic Party just before the 2003 legislative session after 18 years as a GOP legislator. His switch turned a one-vote Republican majority into a 60-60 tie, allowing Black to share power with his GOP counterpart in the House chamber. Black later regained the speaker job outright.

Decker switched back to the Republican Party after the session but was defeated in the 2004 primary.

"This kind of public corruption undermined our democracy and the legitimacy of legislative bodies," acting U.S. Attorney George Holding said.

<snip> http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NC_SPEAKER_PROBE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

Man ya gotta watch those Republican....er....Democrat....er....Republicans. Hell, who can keep up? There is a fine line between crooks and politicians and there has always been I suppose. Florida, Ohio, Texas.....our sacred elections are being manipulated without conscience these days.

Just every day Republicrat politics. Another piece of evidence showing why we need a third party.

 

[Gibberish]

...There is a fine line between crooks and politicians...

People get so locked into partisan views they forget that all politicians have the ability to be corrupt and most are in some scale. Most people would be at least a little corrupt given that much power and access to that much money.

 

[jamesrage]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A former state legislator who changed parties in 2003, enabling Democratic House Speaker Jim Black to stay in power, pleaded guilty Tuesday to taking $50,000 in campaign contributions to make the switch.

Prosecutors said Decker supported a particular candidate for speaker in exchange for the money. The prosecutors did not mention Black's name in court or in a document that detailed the charges, and did not identify those who were extorted.

Decker switched to the Democratic Party just before the 2003 legislative session after 18 years as a GOP legislator. His switch turned a one-vote Republican majority into a 60-60 tie, allowing Black to share power with his GOP counterpart in the House chamber. Black later regained the speaker job outright.

Decker switched back to the Republican Party after the session but was defeated in the 2004 primary.

"This kind of public corruption undermined our democracy and the legitimacy of legislative bodies," acting U.S. Attorney George Holding said.

<snip> http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NC_SPEAKER_PROBE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

Man ya gotta watch those Republican....er....Democrat....er....Republicans. Hell, who can keep up? There is a fine line between crooks and politicians and there has always been I suppose. Florida, Ohio, Texas.....our sacred elections are being manipulated without conscience these days.

Some one could easily mistake this for a Bush Bashing thread "Guilty Plea in Party Switch"