Alabama: Lobbyist testifies

Alabama casino lobbyist testifies against casino owner, state senator in gambling trial
PHILLIP RAWLS Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A casino lobbyist who pleaded guilty to bribery testified Friday that Alabama's largest casino owner participated in a scheme to buy a state senator's vote with a multimillion dollar offer.

That senator was wearing a recording device for the FBI, and one of his tapes was used by prosecutors Friday to back up the testimony of Country Crossing lobbyist Jarrod Massey.

Massey said he arranged a meeting between his boss, Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley, VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor, and Republican Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale at his Montgomery lobbying firm on Feb. 18, 2010.

On the tape, McGregor told Beason that he had borrowed $200 million and needed to pass pro-gambling legislation to protect his electronic bingo casino in Shorter, which was the state's largest until it closed last year.

Gilley was taped offering Beason a public relations job with the company that handled publicity for Gilley's casino in Dothan and his Bama Jam outdoor music festivals. He also talked about giving Beason campaign money that he could use for himself and could distribute to other Republicans to help build Beason's stature in the Republican Party.

McGregor was recorded saying: "I am in 100 percent agreement with what you just said."

He also told Beason: "Ronnie and I are just alike in that we've got a bad habit of supporting our friends."

Massey said he met with and called Beason later to explain that the offer was worth $1 million a year and to assure him the two casino owners would stand by their offers even if the pro-gambling legislation failed.

He said he began to suspect Beason was recording him. "If I was ever recorded I knew it wasn't going to go over well," he testified. But he said he carried on because the electronic bingo games were producing millions.

Gilley testified earlier in the 5-week-old trial that he had promised Massey a portion of the revenue from his casino's games in Dothan.

Gilley and McGregor were pushing a proposed constitutional amendment to protect electronic bingo machines from raids by state police. The legislation passed the Senate on March 30, 2010, without Beason's support, but it died in the House after the FBI revealed it was investigating Statehouse corruption.

Massey and Gilley pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe legislators and are helping prosecutors in the trial of McGregor, two of his lobbyists, four present and former state senators, a former County Crossing spokesman and a former legislative employee. They are accused of buying and selling votes on the pro-gambling legislation.

McGregor's lawyers portray Massey and Gilley as the real culprits who are now trying to incriminate others to try to shorten their sentences.

Massey testified Friday in a red jailhouse jumpsuit but without the handcuffs and shackles he wore when he began his testimony Thursday afternoon. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson told jurors that he ordered the restraints removed because Massey would be handling many documents in his testimony, which is expected to continue through Monday.

Beason began helping the FBI with its investigation of Statehouse corruption after attending a dinner meeting with Massey, Gilley, country singer John Anderson and other Country Crossing backers at an upscale Montgomery restaurant on March 4, 2009.

Massey testified that indicted state Sen. Harri Anne Smith of Slocomb helped organize the dinner to try to get the votes of Beason and Rep. Benjamin Lewis of Dothan, another Republican who traditionally opposed gambling legislation. Country Crossing was in Lewis' and Smith's legislative districts.

Massey said campaign donations and votes are not normally discussed together to avoid any questions about engaging in illegal vote selling, but Smith mentioned several times that Country Crossings' backers could help candidates.

"She acknowledged these guys can be helpful to you. They can raise a great deal of money," Massey testified.

Smith voted for the gambling legislation when the Senate passed it in March 2010.

Massey testified against several other defendants Friday.

Massey said McGregor's indicted lobbyists, Tom Coker and Bob Geddie, coordinated the large team of lobbyists representing casino owners.

He said indicted Country Crossing spokesman Jay Walker came up with the idea of offering to buy trucks from the Talladega dealership of indicted Sen. Jim Preuitt in order to secure his vote for the gambling legislation.

Preuitt voted for the bill, but no trucks were ever purchased.

Preuitt may have been helped by a recorded phone call between Massey and Walker that was played in court. In the call, Massey said Preuitt "is an odd bird. It ain't about the money with him."