Black took payoffs

Former speaker got $29,000 to support laws favoring chiropractors

Former House Speaker Jim Black admitted Thursday that during clandestine meetings in restaurants and restrooms he took at least $29,000 from three chiropractors who wanted him to push legislation favorable to their profession.

Tales of Black's shakedowns and his guilty plea in federal court to a felony corruption charge shocked political observers. Other scandals have swirled about the Mecklenburg County Democrat for months, from his maneuvering to create the state lottery to questionable political contributions by Black's fellow optometrists.

"It is a sad day when any public servant faces criminal charges," Gov. Mike Easley said in a prepared statement. "Unfortunately, these matters of misconduct may well overshadow his 25 years of public service."

The latest revelation suggests state and federal investigators are not finished. They now have someone who a few weeks ago was one of the state's most powerful public officials on the hook for information: Black's plea agreement requires him to cooperate.

Richard Myers, a former federal prosecutor who teaches law at UNC-Chapel Hill, said the cooperation agreement Black signed is standard, but Black's stature and experience suggest investigators will use him to find other wrongdoing.

"Given his tenure in office and his extensive political network, the agencies' investigation might be extremely wide-ranging," Myers said.

Black admitted soliciting the money in exchange for inserting legislation in the 2005 budget that prohibited insurers from charging chiropractic patients higher co-payments than what they must pay primary doctors. He also sought to pass two other bills that would boost chiropractors' business, but the bills did not become law.

Prosecutors said that between 2000 and 2002, Black approached two chiropractors and told them that cash would be more useful than campaign contributions made by check. The two agreed and later recruited a third chiropractor to give Black cash. Prosecutors did not identify the chiropractors.

Men's room cash

The payments began in February 2002 and ended in December 2005. Black got the last payment, $3,000 in cash handed to him just outside the men's bathroom of the Capital Grille in Charlotte. Black told the chiropractor, "This is just between me and you. Don't you ever tell anybody about this," according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors said the other exchanges took place in unidentified private dining clubs and restaurants in Concord and Charlotte.

The chiropractors were subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury on Aug. 16. The day before their appearance, Black told one to tell the grand jury that they gave him "a little bit of money to help [Black] with expenses along the road while [Black] was out running around the country," according to prosecutors.

Black's attorney, Kenneth Bell, said after Thursday's hearing that Black accepted the blame. "There are too few people who will step up and take responsibility for their actions like he did today," the Charlotte lawyer said.

For months, Black insisted he had done nothing illegal and had not profited from his legislative work. Prosecutors said in court that Black converted the $29,000 to his personal use. They did not detail how the money was spent.

Black faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Lawyer denies details

Bell said prosecutors overstated the amount of money Black received from the chiropractors, and denied that Black asked them to alter their grand jury testimony.

He also said Black pleaded guilty to the only crime that he committed, dismissing various other scandals that have made headlines.