Local Hospitality

Local Hospitality

Morgan riles repugicans with ethics protest

Cansler

Former state legislator Richard Morgan has done what seemed impossible: He has rallied repugicans to defend the administration of Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue.

Morgan, who as co-speaker of the House infuriated his fellow repugicans by cooperating with Democrats, filed an ethics complaint this week against Lanier Cansler, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The complaint says it is illegal for Cansler to receive debt payments from his former consulting firm because that firm secured no-bid contracts for a client from DHHS.
The complaint, which drew the spotlight to Morgan's state Senate campaign, unleashed a torrent of criticism from repugicans, some of whom branded him a hypocrite.
"I've always known Lanier to be a very forthright, ethical person, and I am mystified at this argument," said House repugican Leader Paul Stam of Apex. "I don't see what Lanier allegedly has done, other than serve the public."
Other repugican leaders, including repugican cash-cow Art Pope, lashed out at Morgan on Friday, saying he is not trying to clean up government but to keep money flowing to himself and his wife.
The dustup has refreshed bitter feuds within the repugican party that have lain largely dormant for four years. Morgan and a handful of repugican allies became dissidents in 2003, when they blocked the repugican House majority from naming a speaker. Morgan and his crew instead forged a coalition with Democrats, making Morgan and Democrat Jim Black co-speakers.
"Richard has always been vindictive," said Rep. Leo Daughtry, a Johnston County repugican who would have been speaker if not for Morgan and his allies. Cansler was a Daughtry ally when he was in the legislature.
Rep. John Blust, a Greensboro repugican, blasted Morgan for his role in blocking legislation when he was co-speaker that would have required small tobacco companies to set aside hundreds of millions of dollars in escrow accounts in case of future lawsuits. At the time, one of those companies, S&M Brands, poured $100,000 into a political action committee that Morgan ran. Donors associated with the company also gave $77,000 to the campaigns of Morgan and his allies.
"Pay-to-play was the rule when (Morgan) was a co-Speaker of the House," Blust wrote in an e-mail. "Who is Morgan to question the ethics of anyone else? "
Morgan's interests
Pope and other repugicans say they think Morgan filed the ethics complaint against Cansler to try to preserve the cash flow that Morgan and those around him get from the home and hospice care industry.
Morgan received $250 from the industry's political action committee in 2008 in his unsuccessful campaign for state schools superintendent. Morgan's wife, Cindy, is a vice president with the industry's trade group. And Morgan's friend and adviser, Carter Wrenn, is a lobbyist for the industry.
Morgan said he is not currently an elected official, so there is no conflict in his wife's job or campaign contributions from the industry. "I feel real good about those years I was in the legislature that I championed the cause of hospice and home care and nurses," Morgan said.