Meredith Norris

Meredith Norris, law school student

DavidIngram — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:57:55 -0400

Meredith Norris is pursuing a law degree.

The former lobbyist and aide to then-House Speaker Jim Black has enrolled as a law student at N.C. Central University. The university's registrar's office confirmed to Dome on Wednesday that she is a current student.

Norris was sentenced to 75 hours of community service in 2006 after pleading guilty to violating state lobbying laws, a misdemeanor.

Since then, she has worked as a real estate agent.

Norris did not respond Wednesday to an e-mail message from Dome.

Meredith Norris, notary public

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:19:14 -0500

When state Rep. Thomas Wright needed a notary public for his campaign disclosure reports, he sometimes asked Meredith Norris.

A report from the second quarter of 2000 shows Norris as the notary public for Wright’s campaign reports. At the time, she worked as an administrative assistant for House Speaker Jim Black, a Matthews Democrat, David Ingram reports.

Rep. Rick Glazier, chairman of a House panel hearing evidence against Wright, referenced the signature Thursday.

Norris later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor lobbying law violation. She now works as a real estate agent.

Update: Jordan Schrader has posted one of the documents here.

What is Operation Double Black Diamond?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:22:06 -0500

Answer:

A long-running investigation by federal prosecutors of the video poker industry.

The probe, which has been running since 2000, has resulted in more than a dozen convictions.

It has looked into the activities of disgraced former House Speaker Jim Black and his aide Meredith Norris.

Using an investigative grand jury, it also looked into public corruption cases unrelated to video poker, including state lottery commissioner Kevin Geddings and former Rep. Michael Decker.

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

Bird on a wire

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:14:11 -0400

Bird on a wire

"My wife once saw her climb a tree to return a displaced baby bird to its nest."

— D. Lawrence Bivins, arguing that Meredith Norris should be allowed to get a real estate agent license despite her misdemeanor conviction for a lobbying law violation. In a June 22, 2007, letter, he said she was a responsible pet-owner and animal-lover.

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Norris' letters

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:50:50 -0400

Norris' letters

Character references for former Jim Black aide Meredith Norris.
Download document

Meredith Norris' defenders

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:45:35 -0400

Five people defended Meredith Norris before the Real Estate Commission.

Charlotte Regional Partnership CEO Ronnie Bryant, Prevent Blindness North Carolina President Jennifer Talbot, real estate developer Scott Hallihan and friends Tracy Parker Vollmer and D. Lawrence Bivins wrote letters on her behalf.

Several argued that her guilty plea to a misdemeanor lobbying law violation came about because of political agendas.

Bryant wrote that Norris' lobbying was "hard to get past for those who were on a mission to defeat" then-Speaker Jim Black. Bivins said "politically inspired legal and media attacks" were "part of an epic power struggle with which she had little to do."

Hallihan said it was a "minor offense" and argued "it would be tragic to allow media hype and speculation" to keep her from making a living in an unrelated industry.

And Vollmer said Norris was "swept up in an ugly political vacuum."

More after the jump.

Meredith Norris' defense

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:11:35 -0400

Meredith Norris also blamed state lobbying laws for her legal problems.

In a letter to the state Real Estate Commission, the former aide to disgraced House Speaker Jim Black said that the state statutes were "vague and unclear" at the time about the difference between consulting and lobbying for a client.

I am truly sorry for the unintentional violation of the Statute, and I can certainly attest that the entire ordeal was a profound learning experience. It has made me incredibly aware of the intricacies of the complex laws in our state — when in doubt, ask! — and gives me insight that many other real estate license applicants may not have.

Norris writes that because of the media attention around her investigation, the legislature revised the statute to make it more clear.

She also asked the commission to keep her address private, saying she has received unwelcome phone calls, visits and e-mails since pleading guilty last August to a misdemeanor lobbying law violation.

Document(s):
norris-letter.pdf

Meredith Norris' character review

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 11:44:20 -0400

Meredith Norris blames Scientific Games for her legal problems.

In panel review of her application to be a real estate license, the former aide to disgraced House Speaker Jim Black said she relied on the company's lobbyist "for expertise" on what forms to file, but the lobbyist was not familiar with North Carolina laws, according to notes from a Real Estate Commission staffer.

Norris pleaded guilty last August to a misdemeanor charge of failing to register as a lobbyist for the lottery vendor. The conviction led the commission to review her character before deciding to grant her a real estate license.

During the Aug. 6 review, she said she thought of her work as consulting, and "had no expertise in lobbying." She said she accepted responsibility for her actions and dealt with the charges "seriously and in a somber fashion," according to the notes.

She also admitted it would have been much better if she had "registered on paper," and insisted nothing was done "under the table," the notes say.

Document(s):
norris-defense.pdf

Former Black aide received license

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:41:06 -0400

Meredith Norris received a real estate license after all.

The former aide to disgraced House Speaker Jim Black appealed an initial deferral by the state Real Estate Commission based on her criminal record.

After meeting with a panel of commissioners and legal staff in Wilmington, Norris was offered a license to sell real estate on the condition that she successfully finish her probation and not face any further charges or complaints of wrongdoing.

Norris had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to register as a lobbyist.

On Aug. 13, the commission received a letter from her attorney indicating that her probation was over, and Norris was granted a license, said commission legal counsel Tom Miller.

"This is a very typical order for somebody who has one misdemeanor violation," he said.