House Speaker Joe Hackney’s announcement Tuesday afternoon that the Legislative Ethics Committee and the House will move swiftly to consider expelling Rep. Thomas Wright, D-New Hanover, made some folks wonder: Why would the House move against Wright when it never took action against former Speaker Jim Black, now serving time in federal prison?
The News & Observer reported that Joe Sinsheimer, whose digging into public records and complaints to authorities led to Black’s prison sentence for taking payoffs and to a Wake County grand jury indictment of Wright earlier this week, said that’s a problem. “They are going to have to live with that hypocrisy,” he told the paper. “But I don’t think the [answer] is to go back and do two wrongs.”
Wright was a key lieutenant to Black, and one of the most powerful African American members in the House. He now stands accused of making off with $350,000 in campaign contributions, loans and donations intended for a foundation he ran.
The obvious question is whether there’s a different standard of treatment for a white speaker versus a black legislator who both were accused of felonies. The House didn’t any take action against Black while his charges were pending. Was it race?
In the South you can never totally discount that. But in this case, it’s more likely that House Democrats didn’t move against Black not just because he was their leader and in a position of power, but also because so many members were in his debt. Black had personally helped raise a lot of money for Democratic legislators’ campaigns, and many of them owed their seats, their political success and their own share of power to Jim Black.
There’s no such allegiance to Thomas Wright.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
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8 comments:
Jack, Do you think that maybe the very reason they are moving quickly to remove Wright is the black eye they suffered for failing to remove Black?
Also, Wright has now been indicted and is refusing to step down. Jim Black entered into a plea arrangement after resigning the day before. Were indictments ever handed down for Black?
I think you're comparing apples and oranges, Jack. I don't think this is hypocrisy at all. They waited until Wright was indicted and they waited until Black entered a plea deal. Plus, many house members publicly separated themselves from Black long before his plea.
Lets really compare apples to oranges, Mr. Wright is a leading black democrat charged with ethics violations. A "special" ethics committee is formed to investigate the charges (there already exist a ethics committee). Mr, Gibson, a leading white Democrat is charged with a much more serious ethics violation and isn't sanctioned in any way. Little racisism in the Democratic party?
What was Mr. Gibson charged with?
Regardless, Black wasn't pursued because most of the House Democrats were afraid of retribution in case Black really was innocent (as he maintained all along). They chose to sit idly by and let the legal process play out. But after Black, Ballance, Miller, Decker, Geddings, Ballance Jr., McAllister, the Black Caucus, et al, I think the House Democrats finally figured out they need to start being a little more proactive in dealing with these black eyes.
Jim Black was set up by the Republican party to gain seats in the house; BUSH has People watching all over the U.S. for a 'crack in the dam'; Then Prosecutor john Bruce goes after them; Its to late the whole Governmnet has turned Democrat. Please , send Jim BLACK a Christmas card maybe stuffed with a scratch off or a little bottle of dewars for the HOLIDAYS
Jim Black was set up by the Republican party to gain seats in the house How? A Democrat goes to jail and it is the fault of Republicans? ROTFL
I agree, they were afraid of the possible political consequences if Black managed to get away with his indiscretions. Therefore, doing the right thing, or the appearance of doing the right thing while the media turned a largely blind eye would have vilified them.
Ousting Wright will still make them look like they are doing the "right thing" without ruining their political pull or losing their media favor.
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