Alabama Vote Buying Trial: Lobbyists testifies

Attorney for Milton McGregor tries to distance client from lobbyist Jarrod Massey in bingo trial
By Brendan Kirby, Press-Register

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — An attorney for VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor tried this afternoon to distance his client from prosecution witness Jarrod Massey, who worked as a lobbyist for another casino owner.

Massey has testified that he and his client Ronnie Gilley, developer of Country Crossing, conspired with McGregor to bribe state senators to support legislation that would have given voters a chance last year to legalize electronic bingo machines at several sites across the state.

Attorney Bobby Segall told U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson that he expects his cross-examination of Massey to last another two to three hours before lawyers for the other eight defendants in the State House vote-buying trial get a chance to question him.

Under questioning from Segall today, Massey acknowledged that he did not know at the time the state Senate voted on the bingo bill in March of last year whether VictoryLand was operating. Segall posed the question in an attempt to demonstrate that his client had only the most casual relationship with McGregor.

Massey also acknowledged that he told Houston County Commissioner Mark Culver in a phone conversation that he called McGregor their own “worst enemy” when it came to the legislation. Massey told Culver that he wished McGregor would get out of the state for about a month.

At another time, Massey told a confidant that McGregor and his team had been ineffective lobbyists in support of gambling legislation.

Also, Massey acknowledged that he never received a check from McGregor or his company. Instead, he stood to gain $500,000 a year from Country Crossing if that enterprise had stayed open in Houston County, according to his testimony.

Segall also challenged Massey’s credibility, pointing to the lobbyist’s admission that he had lied repeatedly.

“You have been a dishonest person for years and years and years,” he said.

When Massey answered that he agreed with that statement, Segall asked, “Why should anyone believe a word you tell them?”