The latest development in the corruption case against VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor has come to light when Alabama state representative Barry Mask helped the FBI investigate the Statehouse corruption. He testified last Monday that indicted casino owner Milton McGregor tried to buy his vote for pro-gambling legislation by promising significant campaign contributions from his friends.
I guess my first question is, was the vote for sale?
Not to make light of the situation, but by now everyone knows that money is thrown about in mass amounts from lobbyists of all sectors. McGregor is caught on tape offering Mask financial contribution and campaign support for Mask’s re-election in return for Mask’s vote for a proposed constitutional amendment to protect McGregor’s electronic bingo casino from raids by the governor’s gambling task force.
Really, you can’t really blame McGregor for not wanting illegal task force raids to be conducted on his electronic bingo casino.
Mask, who has always voted against gambling legislation, says he would be hurt politically if he reported campaign contributions from McGregor on his campaign finance reports, which are public records.
McGregor’s defense attorney, Joe Espy, sought to discredit Mask’s testimony by getting him to acknowledge that he was the first one to bring up campaign contributions and the fundraising dinner in the first phone call to McGregor. He also got Mask to acknowledge that he enjoys playing poker with friends even though he traditionally opposes gambling legislation.
It is interesting then that a man who opposes gambling legislation, routinely gambles himself.
The FBI seems determined to bring McGregor down for this one, as a gambling man, even though Mask is only the second witness called to trial, I wouldn’t bet on McGregor beating this one.
