Inside the ’08 Expulsion: Former Reps Rick Glazier & Skip Stam on Process & Duty

With Rep. Cecil Brockman’s recent resignation amid questions of possible expulsion, attention has turned to what that process actually looks like in the NC House, and how rare it is for legislators to remove one of their own.

In 2008, the NC House took an extraordinary and historic step — voting 109-5 to expel Rep. Thomas Wright of New Hanover County for ethical misconduct. It was the first time in more than a century that lawmakers had removed one of their own.

In this episode, former Reps. Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland) and Skip Stam (R-Wake) — who chaired and vice-chaired the House Select Ethics Committee that investigated Wright — join us to reflect on that solemn moment in legislative history.

They walk us through the bipartisan process that led to Wright’s expulsion, the “super due process” afforded to him, and the difficult moral and political questions facing the House as it balanced fairness, accountability, and public trust.

It’s a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how North Carolina’s legislature handles its gravest internal matter — the removal of one of its own members.

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.