Political aide cut from job with lottery vendor

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005 | 10:19 a.m.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A political aide to House Speaker Jim Black is no longer working with a gambling company that may be interested in becoming a vendor for the new North Carolina lottery.

Scientific Games Corp. hired Meredith Norris earlier this year to monitor legislation related to the lottery, which Black pushed hard for passage. Norris said the company fired her after her position was made public two weeks ago.

Company officials "don't like negative publicity," she said.

Norris is a former legislative aide to Black who continues to help him politically by organizing fund-raisers and other campaign events.

Her employment was not disclosed during the legislative session because she said her role monitoring legislation did not involve lobbying Black or other lawmakers on the lottery.

Lobbyists and their clients must register with the state if the work involves influencing lawmakers.

Alan Middleton, vice president of governmental relations at Scientific Games, said budget cuts prompted Norris' dismissal.

"It's not been a pleasant thing to do," he said.

Gov. Mike Easley signed the lottery bill into law on Aug. 31. Easley, Black, D-Mecklenburg, and Senate leader Marc Basnight, D-Dare, named their nine appointments to the new North Carolina State Lottery Commission last week.

One of the members, Kevin Geddings of Charlotte, is a friend of Middleton. Geddings led a pro-lottery campaign in South Carolina before a 2000 referendum that allowed creation of a lottery there.

The owner of public relations firm, Geddings has said he once performed some focus-group research for a company, portions of which are now part of Scientific Games.

Geddings said last week he has no ongoing financial relationship with lottery vendors. He also said there's nothing in his business work that will make him favor one company over another.