The N.C. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Thursday to expel a member, signaling it will take a harder line on allegations of unethical conduct following the corruption scandals surrounding former House Speaker Jim Black.

Thomas Wright, a Wilmington Democrat, was silently escorted from the House chamber by sergeants at arms shortly before noon -- a dishonor no N.C. legislator has faced since 1880, and one that veteran legislators never thought they would see. Wright pledged to appeal to the courts.

"We in the House performed a sad duty today," said House Speaker Joe Hackney, an Orange County Democrat. "But I want to say that I think it was a duty -- a duty to protect the House, protect the institution, to make it clear that the kind of conduct that the committee found to be true renders one unfit to be a member of the House."

Wright is accused of flouting ethics rules and campaign-finance laws in his handling of almost $350,000, much of which he used for personal expenses, investigators say.

The 109-5 vote to throw him out of office culminated a year of wrangling inside the House over what to do with Wright. The state elections board found in May that Wright violated campaign finance laws, leading Hackney to strip the once-powerful lawmaker of his committee chairmanships.

Following Wright's indictment on criminal charges in December, a special House committee moved forward with ethics proceedings. It recommended his expulsion three weeks ago.

In a four-minute speech, Wright urged the House not to act until after his criminal trial. He put forward no evidence.

"I am innocent of the criminal charges before me," he said. "However, I need an opportunity to prove that. This is less than the appropriate setting for me to do that."

A measure that would have led to a censure rather than expulsion failed 102-12. Supporters expressed concern about tainting the criminal trial and wondered what the House would do if Wright wins re-election.

"He should have had an opportunity to go to court without having to divulge evidence that would prejudice his case," Rep. Beverly Earle, a Charlotte Democrat who voted for censure, said in an interview.

Rep. Alma Adams, a Greensboro Democrat, asked Wright whether he would support an amendment to censure him instead of expelling him.

"It's like asking a child to go out and get a switch off a tree," he replied. "You want a beating? You're going to get one anyway."

'Major step forward'

The process stands in contrast to the support that Black, a Mecklenburg Democrat, enjoyed for two years before he resigned and pleaded guilty to corruption in February 2007. Black never faced a serious challenge to his position as one of the state's most powerful politicians.

Hackney on Thursday credited his election as Black's successor in part to a desire for tougher ethics standards.

"I think the Democrats nominated me and ... elected me to make some changes -- in the way we handle matters like this, in the level of scrutiny and in the way we proceed in the House," he said. "I think we are doing our best, Republicans and Democrats alike, to do that."

Joe Sinsheimer, a harsh critic of how the House has handled ethics cases, called Wright's expulsion "a major step forward in changing the sordid institutional culture that dominated the House during the Jim Black era."

"The residents of this state deserve full transparency and accountability from the N.C. General Assembly and we should keep demanding it," Sinsheimer, a former Democratic campaign consultant, said in a statement.

Black is serving a federal prison term after admitting that he illegally took cash from chiropractors interested in legislation.

Charge of racial bias

Wright's attorneys had argued he was being treated harshly because he is black. The Legislative Black Caucus was split on the censure proposal, with 10 in favor and nine against.

Hackney said Wright owed colleagues an explanation. An acquittal in criminal court -- where a trial could begin as early as March 31 -- would not change anything, he said.

"We did what we did based on our evidence," he said. "Explanation to this House was due long before now."

Linda Daves, chairwoman of the N.C. Republican Party, said she was sad about the vote.

"This is a scene that was previously thought impossible in our state," she said in a statement. "However, as more and more corruption is uncovered in state government, each new episode becomes emblematic of a widespread culture of corruption that has been allowed to fester in our state's capital."

Wright will remain on the May 6 primary ballot and, if he wins, would face a Republican challenger in November. But he could not return to the House unless the elections board certifies his election and House members agree to seat him.

A committee of four Democrats from the Wilmington area will choose someone to fill the rest of Wright's term.

(Staff Writer Ryan Teague Beckwith and correspondent Emily Stephenson contributed to this report.)