Alabama Vote Buying Trial

Beason Set To Open Testimony In Gambling Corruption Trial

The first witness in the gambling corruption trial is set to testify this morning in Montgomery.

Senator Scott Beason of Gardendale is expected to be the first witness. Beason represents Blount, Jefferson and St. Clair counties in the 17th district.

Beason is alleged to have wore a wire for the federal government in order to tape alleged deals being offered in exchange for a positive vote to electronic bingo legislation.

The hearing is set to begin on Monday morning at approximatley 9:00 a.m.

More On Beason
Beason is serving his second term in the Alabama Senate. He was elected to two consecutive terms in the Alabama House of Representatives. Senator Beason received a Degree in Geology from the University of Alabama He is a successful businessman and owner of Custom Renovators and Old South Construction. The Senator and his wife Lori, and their three children, Keller, Merritt and McCalan are members of Gardendale's First Baptist Church.

He is a member of the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee and the Alabama Republican Executive Committee in addition to the Senate Committees that he serves.


Sen. Beason testifies for third day

By PHILLIP RAWLS, Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A defense attorney for Milton McGregor is trying to show the indicted casino owner had nothing to do with how an indicted legislative employee wrote a gambling bill.

Republican state Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale testified Wednesday that he asked the Legislature's bill-writing service for a bill in early 2010 that would ban all gambling. He said he got back a bill to ban electronic bingo.

McGregor is accused of paying legislative employee Ray Crosby to help him.

Under questioning by defense attorney Bobby Segall, Beason acknowledged he didn't talk to Crosby initially about the bill he wanted. He also acknowledged that when he said the bill was wrong, Crosby promptly provided the right bill.

Segall asked the senator if he blamed McGregor for what happened. Beason said, "No sir."



Bingo trial: Defense attacks Beason's credibility
Birmingham Business Journal


The defense attacked the credibility of Alabama Sen. Scott Beason in the ongoing gambling corruption trial in Montgomery.

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, a defense lawyer for VictoryLand Owner Milton McGregor portrayed Beason as a politically ambitious Republican who wanted to bring down McGregor because he makes political contributions to Democrats.

In his testimony, Beason, who worked with the FBI to record a lobbyist offering him $1 million to support gambling legislation, said that wasn't part of his plan when he contacted the FBI.