Bingo corruption tral: McGregor frustrated with Governor's task force

Bingo corruption tral: McGregor frustrated with Governor's task force
By: Lance Griffin

5:40 p.m. -- During one conversation with Sen. Quinton Ross, Milton McGregor expressed frustration toward then-Governor Bob Riley and his task force on illegal gambling.

“It’s like something you would expect 60 years ago in Nazi Germany,” said McGregor, whose casino had been closed after a task force raid. “He turned his back on Alabama and come back on us after we’ve been in business 26 years and had bingo seven.”

During the same conversation with Ross, one day before the senate’s bingo vote, Ross asks McGregor for campaign support.

Ross: “I appreciate what you’ve done with the help you’ve given me. I … actually calling to see if I can get some more help. I definitely, if you know, if you can give me some more help, that would help me out tremendously. When we get an opportunity, we can talk off line.”

McGregor attorney Ben Espy began his cross examination late Thursday afternoon by asking McEachern about the credibility of Gilley.

“Do you think Ronnie Gilley is an honest, honorable person?” Espy asked.

“I believe he has come forward and told the truth to us,” McEachern said.

3:15 p.m. – Wiretapped phone conversations indicate VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor was on the phone almost constantly leading up to March 23, 2010, when Senate leaders had hoped to make another run at a vote on bingo legislation.

Government prosecutors played several recorded conversation between McGregor and others prior to March 23, as McGregor frantically urged others to ‘work’ senators in an effort to secure their bingo vote.

“I have more invested than Gilley and Greene(track) and Lowndes (White Hall) all put together,” McGregor is heard saying during a March 22 phone call with co-defendant Robert Geddie.

During several different conversations, McGregor urges Geddie, lobbyist Tom Coker and others to reach out to various senators including Jim Preuitt, Charles Bishop, Ben Brooks, Bobby Denton, and Paul Sanford.

During one conversation with Coker, McGregor indicates that country music singer Randy Owen had been told that Bishop was a ‘yes’ vote on bingo. McGregor said Owen told that to Ronnie Gilley.

“He told Ronnie, he said ‘I have got a blood oath.’ That is the word he used,” McGregor told Coker.

During another March 22 conversation between McGregor and Coker, McGregor indicates Preuitt may be the 21st vote needed to pass the bill in the Senate. He urges Coker to press Preuitt for a ‘yes’ vote.

“I think your major assignment today ought to be to try to close the deal on Preuitt. I think you ought to just let him know,” McGregor tells Coker.

12:01 p.m. – FBI agent John McEachern is commenting on recorded conversations between Milton McGregor, lobbyist Tom Coker and Alabama Education Association Director Dr. Paul Hubbert.

During one conversation between McGregor and Coker, McGregor tells Coker that Sen. Jim Preuitt is inclined to vote for the bingo bill if McGregor can convince Hubbert to remain neutral in Preuitt’s next election.

“This is what he wanted us to do. He said considering how much money Hubbert and his organization is going to get out of our proposal, all I want Hubbert to do is tell me he will be neutral, that he won’t come after me,” McGregor tells Coker on March 16, 2010.

In a later call March 16, 2010, Hubbert tells McGregor he will consider Preuitt’s request.

“I’ve been focused on the budget,” Hubbert tells McGregor. “I haven’t thought about a lot else. Let me call him (Coker) later.”

McGregor expresses his urgency to Hubbert in wanting to see the bill passed.

“This ain’t a luxury bill for Milton. This is survival. My livelihood depends on this bill,” McGregor tells Hubbert.

11:16 a.m. – After court workers established audio in the media room at 10 a.m., FBI Special Agent John McEachern commented on several audio recordings of conversations between Milton McGregor and legislative analyst Ray Crosby.

The conversations take place March 12 and March 13 2010, nine days after a failed procedural vote that would have allowed the Senate to vote on SB380, the electronic bingo legislation in the Alabama Legislature.

Most of the conversations focus on language in the bill. At this time, bingo bill supporters do not have the necessary votes to pass the legislation in the Senate.

During the conversations, McGregor tells Crosby to write the bill in a way that guarantees 5 percent of the proposed 25 percent tax on casino revenue to all counties in Alabama.

“All of us feel like it is imperative you get the language changed to make it crystal clear that the five you added stays with the counties,” McGregor tells Crosby in a March 12, 2010 conversation. “Been working certain legislators pointing that out.”

McGregor also tells Crosby he wants language in the bill that will reduce the time necessary to appoint a gaming commission from 120 days to 60 days, in order for the casinos to open quicker.

McGregor then asks Crosby to fax him the new bill so that he can distribute it to Greenetrack owner Nat Winn, Ronnie Gilley and lobbyists Joe Fine and Robert Geddie.

During this time. McGregor has been paying Crosby $3,000 per month. McGregor acknowledged the payments, but Crosby did not acknowledge the payments in any of his filings of economic interest to the State Ethics Commission until after word of the FBI vote-buying investigation was made public.

In a March 13 conversation between lobbyist Tom Coker and McGregor, Coker suggests raising the casino tax in an attempt to gain more votes in the Senate.

Coker: “(Senator Paul) Sanford and (Senator Ben) Brooks have made mention of a higher tax.”

McGregor: “We ain’t gonna pay no higher tax. I can promise you now that can’t happen. The numbers don’t work,” McGregor said.

9:12 p.m. – John McEachern has begun testifying Thursday morning. The audio feed to the media room has failed. We may be required to be in the courtroom if we want to hear the trial. No electronic equipment is allowed in the courtroom, so tweets and blog updates will be sporadic.

8:36 a.m. – Testimony is set to begin at 9 a.m. with FBI Special Agent John McEachern on the stand. The prosecution said yesterday it plans to introduce 32 wiretapped conversations through McEachern.

Prosecutors said they hoped to conclude direct examination of McEachern by lunch. That is optimistic based on the number of conversations that still must be introduced.