Court Wars: For people interested in following the politics of advancing an independent, yet accountable judicial system in the United States, we recommend you subscribe to GavelGrab. Recent entries range from the call for a judge to recuse herself in the Rahm Emanual residency dispute, to a review of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s speech to [...]
Kudos to the Independent Weekly for dissecting the octopus that is K & L Gates, the most powerful law firm “the Triangle has never heard of [and] one of the region’s most formidable and pervasive forces in development and politics.” Operatives with this global firm are behind dozens of projects in the Durham area and [...]
Remember Tom DeLay, aka “The Hammer” – one of the most powerful men in Congress when George W. Bush was president? A judge sentenced the former US Representative from Texas to three years in prison for an elaborate scheme to funnel $190,000 in illegal corporate contributions into state elections. The money helped Republicans win a [...]
For better or worse, a gaggle of “firsts” this year will have a lasting impact on North Carolina politics. Here’s the Top 10 list from Democracy North Carolina. Happy New Year!!
Remember the corrosive effect on NC politics of video poker and the lottery? Alabama is the latest state where gambling interests have upturned the political establishment - with federal indictments of state legislators involving six- and seven-figure bribes. The confession of a top lobbyist is awesome reading. You have to wonder how eager Gov. Perdue [...]
Ten years ago this week, the US Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore turned over the White House to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, the losers of the national popular vote. The blatantly political decision to stop the Florida recount launched a new era of anti-social ideologues undermining the rights of real people in [...]
This is a level of corruption that we don’t often see: The new government in Nigeria wants to charge Dick Cheney, the former vice president and chairman of Halliburton, in connection with $180 million in bribes paid to Nigerian lawmakers. The lawmakers awarded a $6 billion construction contract for a natural gas pipeline to Halliburton [...]
Fred Hobbs of Pinehurst, a former state senator and co-owner of a civil engineering firm that boasts of its connections to high-level state officials, today paid the largest civil fine ever levied by the State Board of Elections - $150,000. After being exposed, Hobbs readily admitted he used a money laundering scheme to funnel $148,000 [...]
Another Duke Energy executive has resigned in connection with a too-cozy arrangement with a top utility regulator in Indiana, where the company has a huge operation. The regulator was overseeing approval of Duke’s $2.9 billion coal gasification plant while also negotiating a job offer with the company. Hmmm. Do you think that’s a problem? Indiana’s [...]
There’s At Least One More Fine To Pay Statement from Bob Hall, Executive Director, Democracy North Carolina November 24, 2010 Former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley walked away from court on Tuesday with the long federal and state investigation finally ended. The US Attorney and a special state prosecutor, both Republicans, agreed to let Easley plead [...]