Ronnie Gilley broke all the rules ....

Ronnie Gilley broke all the rules of political corruption fight club
By John Archibald -- The Birmingham News The Birmingham News

Ronnie Gilley's south Alabama gambling empire didn't last long.

All that audacity, all that brass and flash, gone.

Poof.

Like a quarter in some bum slot machine.

But it's still hard to see Gilley as he sees himself. He said, in pleading guilty to 11 counts of conspiracy, bribery and money laundering Friday, that he was "somewhat naive" about corruption in Alabama politics.

Naive? Are you kidding?

Is that even possible from a guy who -- according to the indictment to which he copped a plea -- purchased votes with a buffet of illegal services and bought cell phones in other people's names just to throw the feds off his scent?

Naive? How can he even say that?

Because, like it or not, it's true.

Yeah. He may have been savvy enough to employ super-secret cell phone habits. But he was naive enough to explain the whole process to a legislator who turned out to be working for the government.

This is "a very, very safe line," he said -- on a federal wiretap. "I change the phone out every three days."

D'oh!

And that really does violate the first rule of Alabama politics, the first rule, really, of Political Corruption Fight Club. What's that rule?

Don't talk about Political Corruption Fight Club.

And, boy, Gilley talked.

In a phone call he promised campaign money "until the damn cows come home" to then-Rep. Benjamin Lewis of Dothan -- who was also working for the feds -- in exchange for support on gambling bills. Later, he warned Lewis not to vote against the bills, or "we'll do everything we can to take your ass out."

How many fight club rules can a guy break?

Never talk about money in the same conversation you ask a lawmaker for support.

Gilley did it.

Never talk numbers. Period. And never talk dollar figures to a politician.

Gilley did it.

Never call up people you just bribed, just to ask if they're still in.

Never promise anything.

Yep.

And never, ever, act like you know more about the rules of Alabama politics than Milton McGregor.

And Gilley did it. Talk about naive.

Once, according to the indictment, Gilley scolded McGregor for failing to change his phone.

"They done tracked your phone ... you had it so long," he told McGregor. "You defeated the purpose about four months ago."

How did McGregor respond?

"I don't really care," he said.

And he didn't.

Because McGregor's words -- for the most part -- are not the ones coming back to haunt him.

Gilley is the one who crossed the invisible lines, who broke the subtle rules that have kept the wheels of corruption lubed in Montgomery for decades.

Which is why, frankly, his guilty plea and cooperation are so important to prosecutors who want to convict McGregor and the others.

Because they need someone, badly, who is just naive enough to talk about fight club.

And now they have him.