Ethics proposals unlikely to curb influence of money in Npolitics
Monday, February 27th, 2006
By Chris Fitzsimon
RALEIGH, N.C.
The Associated Press
Whether it’s to score points on the campaign trail or hold onto a position of power _ or genuinely be interested in reform _ it seems that everybody in Raleigh has an idea for curbing the influence of money in North Carolina politics.
In recent months, no fewer than eight groups, elected officials or party leaders have offered proposals aimed at improving the state’s lobbying and ethics laws, changing campaign finance rules, or streamlining the legislative process in the General Assembly.
At least five have arrived in the past two weeks. There’s little doubt that’s a direct response to the unflattering testimony House Speaker Jim Black gave to the State Board of Elections, which has forced his attorneys to defend the powerful Democrat against accusations made by a board investigator that his actions violated state campaign finance laws.
The testimony spotlighted a campaign process in which legislative leaders such as Black raise millions of dollars for their political allies, often with the assistance of lobbyists and industry officials.
"The speaker says that he’s constantly receiving checks and passing them back out," said Bob Hall, of the campaign finance reform group Democracy North Carolina. "That’s part of what I’m saying is corrupt about our system now. Money is the commodity that dominates politics."
Among the most popular suggestions so far: Beefing up the state ethics board, further restricting gifts from lobbyists and formally banning the practice of collecting checks from donors with the payee line left blank, allowing for their later distribution to candidates without donors knowing exactly where their money ends up. (more…)
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