What Meredith Norris knew when

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 10:57:59 -0400

Meredith Norris claimed this month that she didn't know lobbying laws.

But that wasn't what she said back in 2005.

In a meeting with the Real Estate Commission, the one-time aide to disgraced former House Speaker Jim Black blamed Scientific Games lobbyist Alan Middleton for not telling her she needed to register.

And in a letter to commissioners, she said state statutes were "vague and unclear" about the difference between lobbying and consulting.

But after a story in the N&O noted that she was being paid by the lottery vendor, Norris visited the newsroom on Sept. 23, 2005, and met with editor Melanie Sill and two reporters to complain. She was adamant that all she did was monitor legislation.

"I know the lobbying law," Norris said then. "So certainly would I just be dumb enough not to register when I needed to?"

Hat Tip: Dan Kane

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What Meredith Norris knew when