It's the question that has been whispered around the state legislature for years: What kind of relationship did House Speaker Jim Black have with former staffer and lobbyist Meredith Norris?

As a legislative aide to Black, Norris trumped senior staffers in his office when it came to political duties and access to the speaker. When she became a lobbyist, he allowed her to use his state-issued laptop computer and help write legislation that assisted her clients.

None of this has gone unnoticed by federal authorities, who have been examining Black's legislative and campaign activities for more than a year. Aggressively and publicly, they are seeking an answer to a question that few had been willing to ask aloud.

Last month, prosecutors at the federal trial of former state lottery commissioner Kevin L. Geddings asked Black whether he had a "close personal relationship" with Norris.

Before Black took the stand, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Bruce said the relationship affected government decisions and could cause "extreme embarrassment." He said it spoke to Black's motive and bias in putting Geddings, a consultant to lottery vendor Scientific Games, on the state lottery commission. Scientific Games was a lobbying client of Norris'.

Black, 71 and married, testified in the trial and has said in interviews that his relationship with Norris, 32 and single, was strictly professional. He also testified that he did not know of Geddings' ties to Scientific Games. A jury convicted Geddings of five counts of mail fraud.

Bruce has not offered further explanation of his comments about the relationship between Black and Norris, leaving some of those who have worked closely with Black over the years scratching their heads.

Former Rep. Phil Baddour, a Goldsboro Democrat, roomed with Black when Norris worked for him as a legislative aide. Baddour said he saw nothing to indicate anything unusual between the two.

"During the time that I served in the House with Jim Black, I never saw anything that would lead me to believe that his relationship with any member of his staff was anything but professional," said Baddour, who served four terms before losing his seat in 2002.

Black, a Mecklenburg County Democrat and four-term speaker, declined to comment for this story. His spokeswoman, Julie Robinson, said in an e-mail message that Black was spending time with his family over Thanksgiving and "isn't going to take time ... to talk to you about untrue rumors and gossip that shouldn't appear in a grocery store tabloid, much less the News and Observer."

An uncertain future

The outcome of Black's Nov. 7 re-election bid remains undecided. A recount last week showed him with a 30-vote lead over his Republican challenger, but the count was complicated by 446 ballots cast in error by voters from outside Black's district. The State Board of Elections is set to meet Tuesday to decide what to do about the race.

If Black is ruled the winner, his return to the speaker post is not assured. Several Democrats have expressed interest in seeking the job when the legislature reconvenes in January.

Norris also declined to comment. In a September 2005 interview, she said that Black helped her career as part of an effort to help young women gain entry in a field that is dominated by older, white men.

"He sees females, and also just young people in general, as facing a lot of disadvantages," Norris said at the time.

A review of thousands of documents, and interviews with former and current legislators and others involved in Black's legislative activities, show that Black and Norris had a close working relationship that stretched from morning to night. Many of the documents are e-mail messages Norris sent to Black staffers and other governmental officials as part of her lobbying work.

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