A former teacher from Walkertown, North Carolina, Decker served 10 terms in the state House, ending with the 2003-2004 session.
In August 2006, Decker pleaded guilty in federal court to receiving $50,000 in cash and checks as well as a legislative job for his son, all in exchange for supporting Democrat Jim Black for the Speaker of the House position (although Black was not mentioned by name in Decker's federal plea deal).
[3] The bribe was made in the form of an envelope containing $38,000 in blank checks from Black's fellow North Carolina optometrists, plus $12,000 in cash from an undisclosed source.
The envelope was transferred to Decker by a Democratic member of the House, at a Salisbury, North Carolina, IHOP restaurant.
[citation needed] Black maintained that the $50,000 was campaign funding support from the House Leader to a new Democratic Party member.