Meg Scott Phipps
Encyclopedia
Meg Scott Phipps was the Commissioner of Agriculture
for the state of North Carolina
from 2001 to 2003.
Bob Scott
and former First Lady
Jessie Rae Scott
, as well as the granddaughter of former U.S. Senator and North Carolina Governor W. Kerr Scott
. Phipps is a 1978 graduate of Wake Forest University
and a 1981 graduate of the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
at Campbell University
.
, replacing a longtime vendor, who filed suit against the state. In May 2001, allegations emerged of inappropriate use of campaign funds from her 2000 campaign.
and one pleaded guilty to federal fraud
and extortion
charges, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley
asked Phipps to resign her position, which she held fast to through a month of additional investigations. She finally resigned her position on June 6, 2003, and was replaced by interim commissioner Britt Cobb
.
In October 2003, Phipps was tried and was found guilty in state court on perjury
and obstruction of justice
charges; soon afterwards, she pleaded guilty to five of the original 30 federal charges against her, including fraud
, conspiracy
, and witness tampering
. In March 2004, she was sentenced to four years in federal prison and served her sentence at Alderson Federal Prison Camp
in West Virginia
.
News & Observer reported that she would become director of Christian
education at Hawfields Presbyterian Church, her family church, in Alamance County
.
North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture
The Commissioner of Agriculture is the head of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as well as chairman of the state Board of Agriculture. As an executive officer elected statewide, the commissioner is also a member of the North Carolina Council of State.Leonidas L....
for the state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
from 2001 to 2003.
Early life
She is the daughter of former North Carolina governorGovernor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
Bob Scott
Robert W. Scott
Robert Walter "Bob" Scott was the 67th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1969 to 1973. He was born in Haw River, North Carolina.The son of North Carolina Governor W...
and former First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
Jessie Rae Scott
Jessie Rae Scott
Jessie Rae Scott was the First Lady of North Carolina from 1969 to 1973 and the widow of former North Carolina Governor Robert W. Scott....
, as well as the granddaughter of former U.S. Senator and North Carolina Governor W. Kerr Scott
W. Kerr Scott
William Kerr Scott was a Democratic Party politician from North Carolina. He was the 62nd Governor of North Carolina from 1949 until 1953 and a United States Senator from 1954 until 1958.-Biography:...
. Phipps is a 1978 graduate of Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
and a 1981 graduate of the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law is a private law school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1976, the law school is one of six graduate programs offered by Campbell University...
at Campbell University
Campbell University
Campbell University is a coeducational, church-related university in rural North Carolina, USA. Its main campus is located in the community of Buies Creek; its law school moved from Buies Creek to a new campus in the state capital of Raleigh in 2009. Campbell has an approximately equal number of...
.
Career
A Democrat, she was elected to the position of Agriculture Commissioner in November 2000. Controversy erupted less than a month into her term when she selected a new midway vendor for the North Carolina State FairNorth Carolina State Fair
The North Carolina State Fair is an annual fair and agricultural exposition held in Raleigh, North Carolina, and organized by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services....
, replacing a longtime vendor, who filed suit against the state. In May 2001, allegations emerged of inappropriate use of campaign funds from her 2000 campaign.
Resignation and criminal charges
After two campaign aides were indictedIndictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
and one pleaded guilty to federal fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
and extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
charges, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley
Mike Easley
Michael Francis "Mike" Easley is an American politician who served as the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 2001 to 2009. He is member of the North Carolina Democratic Party and became the first North Carolina governor to admit to a felony in a deal that halted a lengthy...
asked Phipps to resign her position, which she held fast to through a month of additional investigations. She finally resigned her position on June 6, 2003, and was replaced by interim commissioner Britt Cobb
Britt Cobb
W. Britt Cobb, Jr. is the chief of staff for North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue and the former Secretary of Administration ....
.
In October 2003, Phipps was tried and was found guilty in state court on perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
and obstruction of justice
Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
charges; soon afterwards, she pleaded guilty to five of the original 30 federal charges against her, including fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
, and witness tampering
Witness tampering
Witness tampering is harming or otherwise threatening a witness, hoping to influence his or her testimony.-Witness tampering in the USA:In the United States, the crime of witness tampering in federal cases is defined by statute at , "Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant"...
. In March 2004, she was sentenced to four years in federal prison and served her sentence at Alderson Federal Prison Camp
Alderson Federal Prison Camp
Alderson Federal Prison Camp, also known as Federal Prison Camp, Alderson or FPC Alderson, is a Federal Bureau of Prisons minimum security prison for women in the United States in unincorporated Monroe County and Summers County in West Virginia...
in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
Later life
On April 23, 2007, Phipps was released from prison. She wore an electronic ankle bracelet and was able to leave her house only to go to work through August. The RaleighRaleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
News & Observer reported that she would become director of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
education at Hawfields Presbyterian Church, her family church, in Alamance County
Alamance County, North Carolina
Alamance County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It coincides with the Burlington, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.