November 8, 2010 •
Governor-Elect Sets Sights on Ethics Reform
Promises come in response to scandal connected with gambling legislation.
Alabama Governor-elect Robert Bentley wasted no time in declaring ethics reform a top priority when he assumes office in 2011. Bentley stated his preference is to hold a special session of the state legislature within the regular session, scheduled to convene in February, because it would save the taxpayers money.
Bentley’s goals for the special session include increased frequency of reporting political contributions and online publishing of the contributions. The promises of sweeping ethics reform come on the heels of a scandal in which state senators and lobbyists have been charged with bribery and corruption in connection with pending gambling legislation.
This photo of Robert Bentley is is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license by Zwilson14.
October 6, 2010 •
Lawmakers and Lobbyists Indicted in Alabama Vote-Selling Scheme
Federal investigators have unsealed an indictment against four Alabama legislators, three lobbyists, two casino owners, and two others for their participation in an alleged bribery and kickback scheme.
The indictment, the result of a months-long joint investigation by the FBI and the Alabama Attorney General’s office, accuses the business owners of hiring the lobbyists to conduct “a full-scale campaign to bribe and coerce state legislators and others into supporting pro-gambling legislation that they favored”, according to Alabama Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer in this CNN article.
The state senators named in the criminal complaint are Larry Means, James Preuitt, Quinton Ross, and Harri Anne Smith. Several of the charges levied carry maximum penalties of significant prison time and fines of up to $250,000.
Photo of a casino by Raul654 on Wikipedia.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. provides research and consulting services for government relations professionals on lobbying laws, procurement lobbying laws, political contribution laws in the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting stateandfed.com.