Ex-N.C. House speaker admits giving cash

Former North Carolina House Speaker Jim Black was fined $1 million Tuesday after admitting in court that he gave $10,000 to a former lawmaker whose vote helped him remain in power.

Black also was ordered to serve as many as 10 months in prison, a term that will run simultaneously with the five-year federal corruption sentence he began serving Monday.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens said that the federal government had taken care of taking Black's power and influence, and that his sentence was to "take away the money."

Prosecutors have said Black, a Democrat, gave former GOP state Rep. Michael Decker thousands of dollars to switch political parties in 2003, including money Decker got after casting the deciding vote in the speaker's election.

"I believe it was after he had voted," Black said. "I don't know exactly where I got that cash. I have always had cash on hand."

Black has denied bribing Decker, though, and he insisted in court Tuesday that he didn't give the money to Decker in exchange for his vote, telling the judge the money was a gift because Decker was destitute and living in a van.

Stephens also said he would sentence Black in December to an additional 19 to 23 months behind bars on a bribery charge in the Decker case. Should Black pay the fine on time, the sentence will run concurrently to his federal time. If he fails to pay, it will not start until after Black completes the federal sentence.

In February, Black, 72, pleaded guilty to a federal felony charge of illegally accepting more than $25,000 in cash from several chiropractors during a period when he was pushing their agenda in the state Legislature.

"It was the most foolish and stupid thing I have ever done. It embarrassed my family and the Legislature," Black said Tuesday. "It was improper and I knew it was improper."

When asked what he did with the money, Black was ambiguous: "Nothing in particular. I go to dinner, play golf, leave tips for kids who work at the golf course, tips for people who work in the yard. I have always been very generous with my money."

Black, once one of the most powerful politicians in North Carolina, pleaded guilty in February to federal charges of illegally taking thousands of dollars from chiropractors while pushing their legislative agenda. He resigned from the Legislature the day before that plea and later entered an Alford plea in state court, agreeing that evidence could result in his conviction but not admitting any guilt.