The state Attorney General's Office and a legal adviser to Gov. Mike Easley have given House Speaker Jim Black permission to charge the state up to $30,000 in legal fees for complying with federal subpoenas seeking hundreds of records from Black's legislative office.

Dianna Jessup, Black's legislative legal counsel, made the request Oct. 20 to the Attorney General's Office, shortly after Black's office was served with the subpoenas. They ask for a variety of records pertaining to Black's former political director, Meredith Norris, the creation of a state lottery, the video poker industry and former Rep. Michael Decker.

Grayson G. Kelley, the chief deputy attorney general, recommended the $30,000 cap with an hourly rate not to exceed $300 per hour. He said any of the lawyers representing Black who make less than that could only charge their normal rate.

Kelley also said that if Black, a Mecklenburg County Democrat, is convicted or pleads guilty to a criminal charge, he would have to reimburse the state in full for the legal fees.

Black has hired Kenneth Bell with the Charlotte office of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, an international law firm with its U.S. headquarters in Chicago. Another lawyer in the Charlotte office is Bob Cordle, who is a Democratic member of the State Board of Elections.

Cordle said Tuesday that he has recused himself from any political matters involving Black that might come before the board because of the firm's representation. Last week, Cordle assisted Black in tracking down campaign contributions that Michael and Helen Ruth Almond made from mid-2004 through January 2005 while she was seeking a state tourism job.

Portrait goes to museum

Former State Auditor Ralph Campbell donated his portrait to the N.C. Museum of History on Tuesday.

Eventually, Campbell's portrait will hang in the auditor's headquarters alongside paintings of other former auditors.

Campbell commissioned the portrait and paid for it with private funds.

"It makes me feel like I'm looking in a mirror," Campbell said of his portrait. Campbell was auditor from 1993 to 2005 and was the first African-American elected to the Council of State.

Kenneth Rogers, director of N.C. Central University's art museum, painted the portrait, which was first unveiled in September at a reception connected to the Aggie-Eagle Classic football game.

Campbell suggested Rogers paint him clutching a computer keyboard or some other technology-related object, but his hands are not in the portrait.

Tribe seeks live games

Gov. Mike Easley said Tuesday that negotiations with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians about adding live table games and a new casino building on its reservation in the Great Smoky Mountains are ongoing.

Easley, in an interview with reporters, said the request from the tribe seems straightforward: Instead of having a computer show cards in blackjack, he said, it wants a live person to deal them out.

The tribe argues that live games will help create a full-fledged casino that attracts a new type of gambler.

Easley joked that he might have to send a staffer to the tribe's video-game-only casino to check out the situation.

The tribe has said that Easley's approval of live poker, craps, roulette, blackjack and other casino games would add at least 430 new jobs. Easley indicated that the state wants to also look into whether it can share in the casino's revenues as part of allowing the changes. Some states get a cut of tribal casino revenues, but North Carolina does not.

Honoring Broad

Nearly 400 people are expected to attend a black-tie dinner tonight in Chapel Hill to honor retiring UNC President Molly Broad. On the guest list: past and present leaders of the 16 universities, student and faculty representatives, legislators and members of the state's congressional delegation.

The event at the Carolina Inn will include musical performances by campus groups and a video tribute to Broad, who has led the university system for eight years. The gala is estimated to cost $30,000 and will be financed by private and corporate contributions, UNC officials said.