Alabama: No charges from alleged payoff in gambling trial

No charges from alleged payoff in gambling trial

By PHILLIP RAWLS
Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Two key government witnesses in Alabama's gambling corruption trial have testified that a state senator asked for $25,000 to kill an anti-gambling bill. But that senator and the bill's sponsor say the testimony is untrue.

Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley and Country Crossing lobbyist Jarrod Massey said state Sen. Bobby Singleton asked for the money to stop the bill. The proposal by Sen. Harri Anne Smith would have blocked electronic bingo machines at the Dothan casino.

They said Smith wanted to scuttle her own bill in Singleton's Senate Tourism Committee because she had changed her position on gambling. They say Singleton wanted to approve the bill to embarrass her.

No one has been charged in connection with that accusation, and no $25,000 check has been produced during the trial.