Lawmakers, Casino Owners Face Corruption Charges

12:20 p.m. Monday
The attorney for VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor released a statement Monday afternoon describing his client as "a 71-year-old grandfather who has never been arrested for so much as jaywalking." Joe Espy denied that McGregor "chose this point in his life to engage in a criminal enterprise." (Read the entire statement here)

11:20 a.m. Monday
The casino owners and lobbyists promised Sen. James Preuitt at least $2 million in campaign support and the services of prominent country music stars for campaign events, according to page 46 of the indictment.

11:00 a.m. Monday
Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer says the federal investigation found criminal activity that was astonishing in scope. He called it "a full-scale campaign to bribe legislators and others."

WKRG.com News

The investigation was headed up by the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. In total, eleven individuals have been indicted. They are accused of conspiring over a nineteen month period of conspiring to corrupt the legislative process in Alabama. During that investigation, the Justice Department alleges that conspirators met in secret meetings and conducted phone calls they believed were not being monitored.

The indictment alleges that Milton Mcgregor who controls Victoryland in Macon County and Ronald Gilley who owns a controlling interest in Country Crossing in Houston County “formed the ‘Sweet Home Alabama Coalition’ to promote the passage of pro-gambling legislation that would be favorable to the business interests of individuals operating electronic bingo facilities.”

The federal indictment asserts that state senators Means, Preuitt, Ross and Smith conspired to enrich themselves by accepting payments, campaign contributions and offers of payments with the intent of being influenced and rewarded for supporting pro-gambling legislation.

The federal allegations also state that McGregor and Gilley offered multiple layers of bribes which included; political polls, media buys, fundraising assistance, campaign contributions as well as offering to pay money to opposition candidates in return for their withdrawal from races.

Federal authorities say the conspiracy wasn’t only pushed by the gambling hall owners but that the state senators solicited and demanded payments and contributions from McGregor and Gilley.

In one instance, one of the state senators was to receive one million dollars per year through a bogus public relations position. That money was to be used at the legislator’s discretion.

10:00 a.m. Monday
The owners of two of Alabama's largest casinos, four state senators and a handful of lobbyists have been charged in a federal political corruption investigation.

The Department of Justice is calling this a "corrupt network" to buy and sell votes in Alabama's bingo battle. (Read the full indictment here)

VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor and Country Crossing owner Ronald Gilley allegedly offered bribes to Senators Harri Anne Smith (I-Slocomb), Larry Means (D-Attalla), Quinton Ross (D- Montgomery) and James Preuitt (R-Talladega). Lobbyists Thomas Coker, Robert Geddie and Jarrod Massey facilitated the corruption along with Jarreel Walker Jr, a spokesperson for Gilley, and Joseph Crosby, a legislative analyst paid by the state, according to a 39 count indictment unsealed Monday morning.

According to the indictment, McGregor and Gilley offered the senators campaign contributions, campaign appearances by country music stars, political polls, media buys, fundraising assistance and offered to pay opposition candidates to withdrawl from races.

McGregor, Means, Massey, Smith, Crosby and Preuitt were arrested Monday Morning. The FBI is making arrangments with three others to turn themselves in. The FBI is trying to locate Montgomery Lobbyist Coker.

News Five is following this breaking news story and will have the lastest on WKRG.com and News Five.