Alabama: Gilley discusses bribes

Gilley discusses bribes, McGregor money on witness stand
By: Lance Griffin Dothan Eagle

MONTGOMERY – Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley said during testimony Friday in the gambling corruption retrial that Milton McGregor was intertwined in the bribe offers Gilley said he made to multiple legislators.

The McGregor defense, however, insinuated through cross examination that McGregor was detached.

Gilley said Friday McGregor gave him more than $13 million in 2009 to be used for several areas related to Country Crossing, including those areas related to the passage of pro-gambling legislation.

McGregor attorney Walter McGowan attempted to distance McGregor’s money from any bribe offers, claiming Gilley had millions of dollars from other sources that could have been used as well.

Under questioning from McGowan, Gilley acknowledged several groups and individuals invested in Country Crossing and other Gilley-related projects. Among the amounts and investors were:

» $33 million: The Miami Pro Group (professional athletes)

» $21 million: Lord Abbett Municipal Income Fund

» $17 million: IGT and Multimedia (Game manufacturers)

» $15 million: Dr. Bob Wright and Russ Wright of Columbus, Ga.

» $15 million: Ronnie Gilley

» $14 million: Milton McGregor

» $4 million: Boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Gilley also acknowledged that most of that money was gone by December of 2009 when Gilley hosted a fundraiser for Sen. Harri Anne Smith. During the first trial in the summer of 2011, Gilley testified that McGregor’s money was not used to pay for the fundraiser because “that money was gone.”

Gilley testified that his current ownership in Country Crossing is less than one percent.

Also Friday, a recorded conversation between Gilley and McGregor on April 1, 2010, revealed an angry McGregor reacting to word that an investigation into vote-buying at the Statehouse was underway. McGregor blamed then-Gov. Bob Riley, an outspoken opponent of electronic bingo in Alabama.

“This is unbelievable Riley would go to these extremes. Riley would do everything above the law, against the law,” McGregor said.

“Yeah, I mean are we in America?” Gilley replied

“Riley is destroying this state. He has already destroyed our industry and now he is destroying our state. He is a sick runaway thug,” McGregor said.

Gilley also said Friday he placed $20,000 in cash in a cell phone box and gave it to former Rep. Terry Spicer in 2008 after Spicer requested money from Gilley through his lobbyist, Jarrod Massey.

Gilley outlined the bribe under direct questioning from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Day.

Gilley said his lobbyist, Massey, told him in 2008 that Spicer was feeling “left out” because Gilley had made a sizeable contribution to an Alabama senator. Gilley said Massey told him that Spicer felt he deserved $50,000 because of the work he did in helping pass legislation to create a special “enterprise zone” for the BamaJam property in Coffee County.

“I told Jarrod that Spicer wasn’t even running for re-election and that I couldn’t even write a check to his campaign if I wanted to,” Gilley said.

“Jarrod told me that he didn’t want it in a check. He wants it in cash,” Gilley said.

Gilley said Massey went on to tell him that he should pay the money because Spicer was a powerful member of the House and that pro-gambling legislation would never pass the House without Spicer’s support.

Gilley said Spicer later came to his office and Gilley gave him a cell phone box with $20,000 in it.

“He said ‘I was needing a new cell phone anyway. Thank you very much,’” Gilley said, adding that Spicer never asked for an additional $30,000.

Spicer pleaded guilty last year to a single count of bribery.

McGowan also played a recording of a phone conversation Gilley had with his wife while Gilley was incarcerated in April of 2011. On the recording, Gilley said the government instructed him what to say during his plea hearing and that his “entire sentence” rested on his testimony bringing others down.

During testimony Friday, Gilley acknowledged saying that and expressed an interest to explain the comments, but was not able to during cross examination.