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Reports have surfaced that gambling money linked to a 2010 GOP takeover of the Alabama Senate allegedly was laundered.
From the Alabama Political Reporter:
Just a few weeks ago it came to light that Senator Del Marsh (R-Anniston) requested and received at least two campaign contributions from the Poarch Creek Band of Indians (PCI) in Atmore, Alabama. In June, Marsh, who served as the Chairman of the Alabama GOP Finance Committee, solicited $100K from the tribe (although it wasn’t reported by the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) until July 15, 2010) and on October 8, 2010 Marsh requested and received $250K from the PCI. These facts have been confirmed by Robert McGhee, who serves on the Tribal Council and Governmental Relations for the PCI. The Tribe was told that the funds they contributed would be used to finance state senate races.
These funds were then funneled through the RSLC then to the ALGOP before being handed out to candidates.
The GOP leadership used the PAC-to-PAC transfers to disguise the real contributors from the public and its party members.
The paper also suggests that, by following the timeline of money flowing between various operatives, it could eventually be traced to 11 different senate races.
The largest contribution of gaming money appears to have landed in the campaigns of Senator Phil Williams, Senator Shadrack McGill, Senator Bryan Taylor, Senator Gerald Allen, Danny Joyner and Ray Robbins.
Williams, McGill, Allen and Taylor all won their campaigns Robbins lost to Democrat Senator Jerry Fielding and Joyner was defeated by Democrat Senator Marc Keahey.
The exact figures were provided by the Alabama Political Reporter:
Senator Gerald Allen $38,500
Senator Phil Williams $35,000
Ray Robbins $43,000
Danny Joyner $20,000
Senator Bryan Taylor $23,200
Senator Shadrack McGill $18,900
On October 10, 2010 the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) reported receipt of $250,000 from the Poarch Creek Indians See Open Secrets
Alabama is no stranger to gambling controversies involving political figures.
Just this summer, a federal judge sentenced a casino developer and his lobbyist to more than five years in prison after they pleaded guilty to trying to buy votes on a bingo bill in the Alabama Legislature.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson sentenced Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley to six years and eight months in prison and his lobbyist, Jarrod Massey, five years and five months. Former state Rep. Terry Spicer, D- Elba, who admitted to taking bribes from the men, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.
Gilley and Massey had pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges that accused them of offering lawmakers millions of dollars in donations and campaign assistance to get votes for gambling legislation in 2010.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
