Raleigh, N.C. — An optometrist linked to questionable fund-raising for former House speaker Jim Black struck a plea deal Tuesday to avoid going to jail .
Michael Scott Edwards of Murfreesboro entered an Alford plea to a charge of obstruction of justice. The plea allows a defendant to acknowledge that the evidence in a case could result in a conviction, but doesn't require him or her to admit guilt.
Edwards was placed on supervised probation for up to two years, or until he completes 100 hours of community service and repays the State Board of Elections $10,000 for its investigation costs.
He was indicted in September on four counts of felony perjury. A Wake County grand jury accused him of failing to file accurate campaign finance reports for the political action committee of the N.C. State Optometric Society.
A jury was seated in the case Tuesday morning, and Edwards agreed to the plea deal shortly after they began hearing testimony.
In February 2006, Edwards refused to testify at State Board of Elections hearings into whether Black, D-Mecklenburg, violated any campaign finance regulations. Others told the board how Edwards allegedly collected checks on which the payee lines were left blank. The checks came from members of the society's political action committee.
Witnesses told the Board of Elections that many of the checks were passed on to Black. They testified that Black directed where the money should go and filled in the payee on some of the checks.
"They all pretty much said that this was the way Scott Edwards had instructed them to make their contributions to the Optometric Society PAC," Kim Strach, the deputy director of the State Board of Elections, testified Tuesday.
Defense attorneys said Edwards thought the practice was legal because it predated his service as treasurer of the political action committee.
Black hasn't been charged with any wrongdoing in the case.
Black Associate Pleads to Obstruction Charge
- Reporter: Gerald Owens
- Web Editor: Matthew Burns
Copyright 2009 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
15 Comments
-
- Wake County distributing large H1N1 vaccine shipment
Updated 53 minutes ago | Slideshow |
- Raleigh among most dangerous cities for pedestrians
Updated at 12:10 p.m. - Hagan, Burr express concern over health care funding
Updated at 8:33 a.m. |
- Charlotte urban loop to be built with help of private funds
Updated at 2:00 p.m. |
- Legislative report suggests tank cleanup change
Updated at 1:44 p.m.
- Wake County distributing large H1N1 vaccine shipment
- Most Viewed Slideshows
- Families honor veterans 2009
Updated at 9:52 a.m. - Hurricane Ida
Updated at 9:02 a.m. - Photos: Cheerleading Championship
Nov. 7, 2009
- Families honor veterans 2009
-
H1N1 vaccine clinicFamilies came out to the H1N1 vaccine clinic at the Wake County health department offices on Sunnybrook Road in Raleigh on Nov. 9, 2009.
-
Photo: Fall of the Berlin WallThe 28-year-old Cold War symbol along East Germany's fortified border crumbled on the evening of Nov. 9, 1989, a pivotal moment in the collapse of…
-
Fort Bragg homecomingThe 82nd Airborne's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, or Panther Brigade, is coming home after a year-long deployment to Iraq. Families greeted 200…
-
N.C. honors veterans with paradesNorth Carolina honored veterans Saturday with annual parades in Raleigh and Fayetteville and a ceremony at the State Capitol building.
-
Photos of the weekThe snow-covered Wilder Kaiser, part of the Alps, is reflected in Lake Schwarzsee in Austria. It's among the best photos taken by Associated Press…




STORIES
VIDEOS
SLIDESHOWS


Welcome to GOLO, where WRAL.com visitors can comment on stories and create profile pages, blogs and photo galleries.
You must be a registered WRAL.com user to use these tools. Click here to register or log in.