Posted on 04/14/2006 6:58:24 AM PDT by John Geyer
Former House Co-Speaker Richard Morgan on Wednesday took legal steps to shut down the independent political campaign being waged against him and like-minded Republicans by his GOP rivals.
Morgan, a state House member from Moore County, formally asked for an investigation by the State Board of Elections into whether several groups with strong ties to former state Rep. Art Pope, a Raleigh retail executive, were using illegal corporate contributions to help defeat Morgan and his allies.
"I see that my colleagues and I are attacked unfairly through the use of corporate dollars that for a long time have been illegal in North Carolina," Morgan said Wednesday. "I'm tired of it and I want to do something about it."
Morgan is asking the state board to stop negative ads and mailings that are paid for with corporation contributions connected to Pope, who is a former Republican nominee for lieutenant governor and a major funder of conservative causes.
But Pope said his company, Variety Wholesalers, and the nonprofit groups that have been sending out mailings against Morgan and his allies, had carefully complied with the law.
"There is no truth to it," Pope said of Morgan's charges. "This is simply a publicity stunt by Richard Morgan who is afraid to answer to Republican primary voters in his own county and would rather try it in the courts to stop his voting record in the legislature with Democratic Speaker Jim Black from being told to the public."
GOP House lawmakers have been bitterly divided since 2003, when Morgan joined with Black to form a co-speakership after the House was divided 60-60 between parties.
Some in the House Republican caucus viewed Morgan's coalition government as a betrayal -- and have criticized Morgan's action on a range of issues involving taxes and redistricting.
The state Republican Executive Committee, the GOP's ruling body, has voted to work to oust Morgan.
Pope has helped bankroll the effort to purge Morgan and his allies. His company, Variety Stores, contributed at least $460,000 in 2004 to defeat five Republican House members including Rep. David Miner of Cary and nearly defeated Morgan.
This election cycle, Pope-connected organizations have once again sent out at least four mailings that attack Morgan and GOP Reps. Rick Eddins of Raleigh, Robert Grady of Jacksonville, Julia Howard of Mocksville, and Stephen LaRoque of Kinston.
The case could test the limits of the use of corporate money in state political campaigns.
"You have over half million of direct corporate money put in by a CEO millionaire to buy legislative seats," said Michael Weisel, an attorney and former Wake County Democratic chairman who is representing Morgan.
North Carolina law prohibits the use of corporate contributions in election campaigns and limits individual contributions to $4,000. Pope says the law allows corporate contributions as part of an issue advocacy effort.
Morgan's complaint argues that the corporate contributions crossed the line from advocacy into trying to defeat or elect candidates -- particularly when viewed in the broader context of a coordinated effort to defeat Morgan.
But Pope says his attorneys carefully reviewed what was allowed under state law.
Pope said it was "hypocritical" for Morgan to complain about using corporate contributions. Morgan was connected to the N.C. Republican Main Street Committee, which raised money in 2004 from corporations with business before the legislature.
Morgan said he set up the Main Street committee because "many of my colleagues were under attack and we had to fight back." He said it has since been disbanded.
I would like to thank Richard Morgan for making my departure from the GOP that much more satisfying.
Mine too other than supporting a few good conservatives.
what is {RINO}?.
RINO = Republican In Name Only
MORGAN is the standard archetype of a RINO.
The NCGOP does not have the power to oust Morgan from the NCGOP, but they did pass a resolution ousting him from party leadership.
Therefore the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party finds that Richard Morgan's political agenda is different from and injurious to the North Carolina Republican Party, and
Further the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party finds that Richard Morgan's political agenda and his position on the NCGOP State Executive Committee are in conflict and thus his service on the Executive Committee is therefore grossly inefficient under Article VII.A.7. of the NCGOP State Plan of Organization, and
Further the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party finds Richard Morgan culpable of disloyalty to the North Carolina Republican Party, and
Further the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party orders Richard Morgan's immediate removal from the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party pursuant to Article VII.A.7. of the North Carolina Republican Party State Plan of Organization.
Lastly the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party declares that Richard Morgan is ineligible to serve in any Office under this Plan of Organization for a period of five years pursuant to Article VII.E.2. of the North Carolina Republican Party.
Be it resolved that all members of the Meck. Rep. Party who are members of the NCGOP Exec. Comm., should sign & vote for " Resolution of the Executive Comm. of the NC Republican Party to Order Richard Morgan's Immediate Removal From the Executive Comm. of the NC Republican Party".
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