Alabama: Denton disputes gambling trial testimony

Denton disputes gambling trial testimony
By Robert Palmer, Staff Writer

Former state Sen. Bobby Denton has been mentioned recently in testimony in the ongoing gambling corruption trial involving casino operators and state officials, and he said some of what was presented is misleading.

Denton, a Muscle Shoals Democrat, did not seek re-election in 2010 after serving more than 30 years in the Legislature. He has not been implicated in any wrongdoing in the federal probe of alleged bribery of state officials by casino owners and lobbyists.

“I kind of felt like they were insinuating I was used,” Denton said of wiretapped phone conversations played last week in court.

Prosecutors played wiretapped calls in court between lobbyists representing Ronnie Gilley, who owns Country Crossings in southeast Alabama. The lobbyists, Jarrod Massey and Jennifer Pouncy, along with Gilley, talked about using country music stars George Jones and Randy Owen, of the group Alabama, to convince Denton to support a bill legalizing bingo.

Among the conversations was one in which Gilley said Denton asked Owen to sing a duet with him on a Christmas CD he was recording. The song was “Christmas in Dixie,” which was a huge hit for Alabama.

Denton said things happened a little differently.

“From what I gather is on the tapes, they said he (Owen) was to get me to come on board” in support of the bill, Denton said. “Randy asked me to vote for the bill, and I told him I could not do that. He was a little perturbed.”

Gilley’s development of Country Crossing was to include restaurants and theaters named for country stars. Gilley said Jones was paid to be the spokesman for the project.

Jones attended the 2010 Alabama Music Hall of Fame banquet, during which Denton was inducted. Denton recorded the first hit single to come out of Muscle Shoals, 1957’s “A Falling Star.” He had other minor hits and appeared on Dick Clark’s TV show before leaving the music business in the early 1960s.

Denton said he received few phone calls about the bill before the Senate’s vote.

“They came around to see me to see where I was on it, then left me alone,” he said.

Denton ultimately voted to release the bill from the Senate because he said it was holding up other, more important business.

“I voted for cloture” to end the debate, he said.

Denton also said he received phone calls from constituents who wanted to vote on whether to allow gambling in Alabama.

“Who are we to deny the people the right to vote,” he said.