Wright found guilty of obstruction of justice

RALEIGH, N.C. — Disgraced former Rep. Thomas Wright was convicted Wednesday of obstruction of justice.

Jurors deliberated for less than four hours Tuesday and Wednesday before reaching the verdict. Shortly before returning with the verdict, jurors asked for a legal definition of an intent to defraud.

Wright, a Wilmington Democrat, was accused of preventing election officials from carrying out their duties and the public from learning about donations by failing to report $150,000 in campaign contributions.

Defense attorney Douglas Harris maintained Wright wasn't guilty of such a crime, acknowledging only that he made mistakes on his campaign disclosure forms.

Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens sentenced Wright to six to eight months in prison, with the sentence running at the same time as his current prison term.

Wright was sentenced in April to 70 to 95 months in prison after another jury found him guilty of three counts of fraud in the mishandling of charity contributions and fraudulently obtaining a loan.

He became the first lawmaker tossed out of the General Assembly since the 1880s when legislators found him guilty of ethics violations and voted overwhelmingly to expel him.

Wright declined to comment during or after the sentencing.

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Latest Comments

When people like this get sentenced to taking money they should serve their time in prison but still not be let out until all of the money is paid back.

murph
August 28, 2008 8:08 a.m.

"Remember we are talking about a democrat here so the phrase "'Disgraced' former Rep. Thomas Wright was convicted Wednesday of obstruction of justice." is not appropriate when the term 'disgraced' would be a state of being that most democrat politicians and a majority of the democrat voters who continue to elect these people are capable of feeling, recognizing, or understanding."

You are correct. I feel sorry for those who vote these folks in over and over again thinking that they are doing a good job, or that they think that they will bring change.

Sure they bring change. They change from being corrupt to corrupting others.

TheAdmiral
August 27, 2008 9:52 p.m.

Nope - they are not forgotten - they are no longer in office. It did not take a month of investigative reporting to get rid of them either.

TheAdmiral
August 27, 2008 9:49 p.m.

While naming disgraced democrats, you must have forgotten about Lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Congressman Duke Cunningham, Senator Ted Stevens, Senator Larry Craig, Ken Blackwell, Representative Mark Foley, Bob Ney and Tom Delay. Oh, Wait...They are REPUBLICANS!!!

pwalker2f2f
August 27, 2008 7:05 p.m.

Remember we are talking about a democrat here so the phrase "'Disgraced' former Rep. Thomas Wright was convicted Wednesday of obstruction of justice." is not appropriate when the term 'disgraced' would be a state of being that most democrat politicians and a majority of the democrat voters who continue to elect these people are capable of feeling, recognizing, or understanding. Witness the standing ovation for the Chappaquidick killer and world class philanderer Ted Kennedy at this week's convention for some insight into the lunacy that must compose the liberal mindset. Who knows? Maybe in ten or 15 years from now there will be huge video screens with a salute to Wright at the democrat convention with thousands cheering him on but then again maybe not. It's not like he killed someone after all. Surreal.....

ifcdirector
August 27, 2008 3:55 p.m.