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| Luther Strange |
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange received a $100,000 campaign contribution from the Poarch Creek Indians in 2010 and now seems to be making sure that the tribe's investment pays off.
Strange's office in late July seized electronic-bingo machines in Houston County and threatened similar raids on VictoryLand if it reopens in Macon County. In a not-so-subtle way, Strange seems to be wiping out the Poarch Creek's competition. And that raises this question: Are Strange and the tribe engaged in an illegal quid pro quo ("something for something" deal) that would be a violation of federal bribery laws.
The cozy relationship between Strange and the Poarch Creeks is at the heart of recent articles in The Montgomery Independent, and Editor/Publisher Bob Martin suggests a multi-pronged investigation is needed. From Martin's September 27 editorial:
A question which has been circling around Goat Hill in recent weeks is whether or not the State Ethics Commission or the U.S. Attorney's office will initiate a probe into the documented evidence that the Attorney General Luther Strange campaign received a $100,000 donation from the Poarch Creek Indians in 2010 and is now facing pay-back time.
The suspected quid pro quo is that the attorney general would lay waste to the Poarch Creek gambling competition in Alabama. Sure enough, in recent months Strange has conducted raids closing electronic bingo operations in Houston County and continues to threaten the reopening of VictoryLand in Macon County.
Substantial cash took a roundabout trip from the Poarch tribe to the Strange campaign in 2010. Martin spells it out in a September 6 article:
Some have suggested that Strange, in going after the non-Indian gambling houses in Alabama, is attempting to give the Poarch Creek Indian gambling operation the ability to further monopolize gaming in our state. Indeed, the Poarch Creek tribe laundered $100,000 to the Strange Campaign for Attorney General in 2010.
The money trail for that $100,000 contribution went like this: from the Poarch Leadership Committee to the Republican Leadership Committee on July 15, 2010; from the Republican Leadership Committee to the Alabama Republican Party on July 22, 2010, then from the Alabama Republican Party to the Luther Strange Campaign on August 4, 2010.
Bribery, money laundering, ethics violations? All apparently involving the man who is supposed to act as Alabama's chief law-enforcement officer?
The contribution to the Strange campaign took a circuitous route, much like the one described in the Don Siegelman/Richard Scrushy criminal prosecution. The U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals broke with legal precedent in the Siegelman case and found that a jury could "infer" an illegal quid pro quo, based on the fact a campaign contribution took an indirect route from donor to recipient.
In fact, Siegelman currently sits in a Louisiana federal prison because of this novel interpretation of federal bribery law--and the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to review the ruling.
If that version of the law applied to Don Siegelman, it surely applies to Luther Strange.
The Alabama Attorney General's office is emitting a foul smell under Luther Strange. The stench will grow even stronger if the U.S. Justice Department and the Alabama Ethics Commission fail to investigate.
As usual, you invent a theory to support your narrative.
ReplyDeleteDon obfuscated the source of the healthsouth donation and didn't report it until asked. Luther never hesitated to report this donation. It was plainly disclosed on his campaign finance records. Any idiot, including you, could ascertain that the poarch creeks gave him this money. Don, on the other hand, hid it until Eddie curran and criminal investigators asked him about it.
And god forbid the chief law enforcement officer actually enforce the laws in this state. He can't go poarch creek land, but enforced the law everywhere else.
Why do democrats like you think we shouldn't enforce Alabama gambling laws? We don't let drug dealers off when they are caught. Why should gambling be different.
The problem for these people is, the genetically modified organisms.
ReplyDeleteGMO. Don Siegelman needs to have his family demand the food, water, air, and any and all "cans" that are "lined" tested.
He is incarcerated in a system which is addicted to poisons. GMO destroys the brain, thyroid, and on the truth goes. I'm readying to provide the "video" proof of what is happening to "Don," et al., all the innocents that are being experimented on.
Obviously there is a seriously dangerous and deadly agenda.
The "prison" system is to be sued, for the GMO deliberate poison to the human being, like the Strange bedfellow with the Poarch Creek Indians, must be sued as the Attorney General who may or may not ingest and certainly NO digestion, GMO. No genuine brain indicates the evil cannot be other than hurting "dogs," for example and then the harm to a human is very easy.
Why is there a faction in the U.S., which is what the U.S. appears to only be: Indians have been kept intentionally, as though a separate people than what this country should have, could have and would have, enlightened into in the event not so much poisoning.
GMO, this is the common denominator of the zombies.
see email RS the LS, your work is America's "Looking Glass" for our salvation in the aughts. TX!!!!
John Cell:
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you don't know what you are talking about.
The Eleventh Circuit said a jury can "infer" that a quid pro quo existed based on the circumstances under which a donation went from Point A to Point B. It doesn't have anything to do with whether someone did or did not report a contribution in a timely fashion. It's up to the jury to decide whether a crime took place or not, and the Eleventh Circuit imposes no boundaries on what a jury can "infer."
You apparently missed it, but this post was written somewhat tongue in cheek because the law that was misapplied in Siegelman now stands to be misapplied against Luther Strange--at least it would be if the DOJ were an honorable institution, which we know it isn't.
Without an investigation, no one knows what kind of communication might have gone on between the Strange campaign and the Poarch Creeks.
As I've stated before, and you obviously are incapable of grasping it, the actual law is about an explicit "something for something" deal, regardless of what path a check might have taken. The record shows there was no quid pro quo in Siegelman, but there might be with Strange. We won't know without an investigation.
I'm sure you support an investigation on this matter, right? You seem confident that Big Luther has nothing to hide, so let's lay the cards on the table.
Speaking of Eddie Curran, why isn't he and/or his friends at the Mobile P-R investigating Big Luther?
And why do you take such steps to hide your identity? Why don't you tell us who you are? That might give you at least a hint of credibility.
Seems pretty clear that Big Luther is just a Riley robot, doing whatever the Riley clan wants done.
ReplyDeleteJohn Cell seems to ignore the fact that Macon County has a constitutional amendment that allows all types of bingo.
ReplyDeleteCount me as one Democrat who wants the gambling laws enforced properly. And these games are allowed under the Alabama Constitution in Macon County.
In 2010, I voted for Anderson. And I voted for Troy King. When Strange won, I thought it was a fluke
ReplyDeleteI see John Cell is back.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans like Ralph Reed certainly thought it necessary to enforce Alabama gambling laws?
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/wtf-meet-press-ralph-reed-casts-doubt
Jeffrey:
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the link about Ralph Reed. I hope folks will check out that Crooks and Liars piece as a reminder of who Ralph Reed is and how he has corrupted our politics--in Alabama and elsewhere.
Here is a reminder of just how badly the Alabama Supreme Court has screwed things up on the gambling issue. They've contradicted themselves time and again, overturned their own precedent, and there is substantial evidence that Bob Riley unlawfully manipulated the high court. The whole process has been a sickening miscarriage of justice, and John Cell should know that, except that he appears to have a horse in the race:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=12535379
LS . . . I went back into the way-back machine on your blog and found a post called "Was Monkey Business Involved with Alabama Supreme Court's Bingo Ruling?" Here is the link, and your readers might check it out as a reminder of how badly this whole process stinks. Even though Bob Riley is gone, Luther Strange is acting as his surrogate, and we still have a corrupt Supreme Court:
ReplyDeletehttp://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2010/02/was-monkey-business-involved-with.html
Hopefully this leads to an investigation into the bigger picture. A 100k to Luther is nothing compared to the pay-off made to certain previous administrations. 13 plus or minus million forced our otherwise fairly popular Governor to go against the general populations wishes and forcefully shutdown constitutionally protected businesses. Protected at least until there is a definitive ruling in a court of law - and no, not the ridiculous six point test- there are machines in the state that comply with all six points, but of course it is still an opinion and it all depends on who you ask. As we all know, they would never allow this to get to a court because of the slight possibility they might not have complete control over the outcome, which is why criminal charges were/are never filed, that would have forced a trial. Their only motive was to destroy the operations financially and contractually through harassing vendors to force a shutdown. So hopefully we someday find out why a Governor with seven good years in completely destroys his legacy in his last year - Quid Pro Quo?
ReplyDeleteGood research there, TLR.
ReplyDeleteWe have one possibly non-corrupt justice on the Alabama Supreme Court, and his name is Tom Woodall. His dissent in the John Tyson case against VictoryLand is a classic as far as summing up the mess in Alabama over gambling. The case is called "John M. Tyson, Jr. v. Macon County Greyhound Park, Inc., d/b/a VictoryLand," and you can check out Woodall's dissent at this link:
http://law.justia.com/cases/alabama/supreme-court/2010/1090548.html
Anon at 10:54--
ReplyDeleteThanks for a well stated comment. Here is the money quote from the AL Supreme Court's 2010 ruling in Tyson v. VictoryLand:
"Tyson contends that the Macon Circuit Court does not have subject-matter jurisdiction over an action seeking to enjoin the enforcement of criminal laws of the State of Alabama. We agree."
Woodall's dissent shows how preposterous that is, based on legal precedent. Here is one key part of the dissent:
"I am aware of no authority that would allow one party to a dispute to seek a resolution of that dispute through a declaratory-judgment action, while denying that same right to the other party to the dispute. In other words, if Tyson had that right, so does VictoryLand."
Here is another money quote from Woodall's dissent, citing established Alabama law:
"In this case, VictoryLand seeks, in pertinent part, preliminary injunctive relief preventing the task force from interfering with the bingo gaming it operates pursuant to licenses issued by the sheriff of Macon County pending a judgment declaring whether its machines meet the definition of bingo adopted in Cornerstone and applied in Surles. This is the same type of relief sought by the plaintiffs in both Barber and Cornerstone. In other words, VictoryLand, faced with a disagreement between the Macon County law-enforcement officials and the task force as to the legality of VictoryLand's operation, merely seeks to preserve the status quo until the Macon Circuit Court resolves the issue. In my opinion, allowing it to do so is consistent with the authorities I have cited and is the only means of resolving this dispute in a manner that is fair to all concerned."
Finally, Woodall nails it in his conclusion:
"Today's decision casts a cloud upon this Court's prior decisions, as well as numerous trial court judgments addressing the legality of various bingo operations. What has been an orderly process, I suspect, will soon resemble a three-ring circus."
I think I like Tom Woodall.
ReplyDeleteThe AL Supreme Court has acted corruptly, and at least one of its members has the cojones to admit it. Good for him.
Did the Alabama Supremes decide a couple of years ago that the governor was the chief law-enforcement officer of the state?
ReplyDeleteIf so, what makes Luther Strange think he can shut down these bingo operations? That's Robert Bentley's job, isn't it?
Lots of new executives (including Governor Bob Riley when we both arrived on Goat Hill in 2003) tell their people to continue the policies and directives of the prior administration until otherwise instructed. That's pretty much what Don Siegelman did. Scrushy's first appointment to the board was from Guy Hunt (a Republican). Governor Fob James (also a Republican) saw fit to leave him on the board. Siegelman, like two Republican Governors before him, appointed Richard Scrushy to the Certificate of Need Board. Don Siegelman wasn't doing anything covertly. He overtly continued the policy of two previous Republican Administrations.
ReplyDeleteThe Poarch Creek Indians have transfered theit gambling land to US Dept. of Interior to be held "in trust" for for Poarch Creek Indian tribe. US Supreme court ruling makes clear that Poarch Creek Indian are not legally qualified tos do this.
ReplyDelete2. The Poarch Creek Indian originally operated their casinos under a Alabama nonprohit called Creek Nation East of the Mississippi. Now they used the name PCI Gaming. No record can be found estashing PCI Gaming as a legal endity or in any way related legally to the Poarch Creek Indian tribe.
All of this should indicate that Big Luther does have legal authority over these bingo casinos.
Here is an article that says V'Land has been taking job applications for some time. Also, has a threatening quote from Big Luther.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wsfa.com/story/19423039/victoryland-taking-job-applications?clienttype=printable
Please continue to cover this story. The attorney general office went all the way down to Mobile to get a Riley appointed Judge to sign a warrent to raid Center Stage in Houston County while there was a Judge in the Houston County Court house that same day. Judge Conway also has refused to rescuse himself from the case even though Riley a anti-bingo apponent appointed him.
ReplyDeleteThe Poarch Creek Indians and all of the natives in the U.S. have been conned into being the "straw man" for the racketeers of gambling.
ReplyDeleteRomney is all about gambling, his life has been nothing but, gamble and the game is rigged, Adelson in Nevada was able to put together a dinner in Israel, for Romney in the best interest of 'gambling.'
It's not a joke, brains aren't able to think through the problems.
Corruption at this level is a gamble with time.
Anon at 6:37--
ReplyDeleteThat's very interesting about the judge from Mobile, a Riley appointee, getting involved. Has that been reported in the press? I wonder if that is even legal, from the standpoint of jurisdiction.
Yes, here is an article on Judge Conway's appointement and the case.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.internetbingoblog.com/2012/09/alabama-judge-refuses-to-recuse-himself-in-bingo-case/
The judges all know what is going on, and so do all the attorneys that are "IN" in this time.
ReplyDelete"IN the know": "Resource Wars."
Afghanistan was about the "opium" alright, but that was already a set-up long ago, 1979 & earlier.
"Resource Wars," and China and Russia are "IN" too, and the U.S. was partners until the recent wind farm take back.
Judges in the U.S. are willingly using the best drugs for free, happily drugged and well informed about the "wars that are ongoing in our lifetimes."
The resources to operate the INTERNET AND but of course, the technology of the future WHICH has been remarkably discovered by "Betray US," the General in charge of Afghanistan.
Gambling is a racket and it pays for the rackets of war, and other forced slavery.
Well controlled globally.
Solution? We must get our law license in the international and specialize in intellectual properties or else we are definitely handicapped in the aught years of no rule of law and no due process for other than the "judges." International law these goons are not ready to be confronted with, and a large team of international lawyers 'self representing' would work well.
An excellent discussion at naked capitalism about war with Iran.
ReplyDeleteHere is the key with gambling and why the "Native Americans" have been used in this gigantic ponzi scheme, casinos have been sold to the "Indian" populations on the "Res," to make them rich. Now Wall Street did not miss any of the human consumer class in the "Global War On Terror," that was to do exactly what has been done.
America no rule of law, no due process and the criminal class licensed with B.A.R.s do not love this getting rich!?
The "mortgage brokers" that were criminals did real well too, the housing bubble and before that dot com and before that savings and loan. Whew, count the ways and means of how we got here.
LS, how good luck the public has been gifted via your being fired. Sorry you were treated by the "mud people" as though lesser than a civilized human being.
What would the people in America do here, now, should we not have been able to receive your reporting to awaken before the final nail in the coffin.
Wilkerson, a name IN the military "know" says it is about Saudi Arabia collapsing, as the biggest deal and thus, why the Bush family was determined to do what has been done to US, to save SA and thus, the State of Israel.
Anon at 10:43--
ReplyDeleteThanks for the article about Judge Conaway, and the fact he is a Riley appointee. Hope readers will check out that link.
Who is the judge from Mobile who signed the warrant? He also was a Riley appointee, and Strange's office went there to get a warrant?
y'all, in a word, globalism.
ReplyDeleteprotocol is there are no boundaries and this style is here to stay unless we 'can' do something about the corruption.
extraditions from the UK to the US and the standard operating procedure can be whatever the 'money' dictates.
welcome to 'globalism,' as a consumer and not citizen.
"... Horrendous as it was, the murder of over 2000 civilians on 9/11 was not the only major crime of that day.
ReplyDelete.. 9/11 also initiated a series of on-going onslaughts on both international and domestic U.S. law.
.. Law and freedom go together, and both had been significantly enhanced by the founding documents of the United States in the 18th Century. The world benefited; written constitutions soon appeared on every continent; and the Young Europe movements, inspired by America’s example, began the long difficult process towards today’s European Union.
.. Starting in 2001, both law and freedom have been progressively eroded.
"... Writing as a Canadian, let me say that I believe in American exceptionalism, and that at one time America was truly exceptional in its unprecedented replacement of authoritarian with limited constitutional government.
.. Today America is still exceptional, but for its percentage of citizens who are incarcerated, for its disparity in wealth and income between rich and poor (a ratio exceeded among large nations only by China), and for its wanton use of lethal power abroad.
LAUNCHING THE U.S. TERROR WAR (3/3), Intelligence cooking by the Deep State, by Peter Dale Scott
voltairenet.org/en
* Since 2004, lawmakers reported more than 3,500 outside jobs paying their spouses more than $1,000 a year. The lawmakers are not required to report how much the spouses are paid or what they did for the money.
ReplyDelete* Lawmakers’ wealth is held in a variety of ways: 127 primarily in real estate, 117 in institutional funds, 75 in their spouses’ names, 51 in essentially cash, 36 in specific stocks and bonds, 32 in high-turnover trading, 30 in business ownership and 20 in agriculture. More than 40 had reported assets of $25,000 or less.
Those wishing to learn how America's representative government continues to die a slow and painful (for most, if not all) death, can read on here:
The Great Scam: America's Richest Politicians Get Richer As Democrat, Republican Wealth Converges, Submitted by Tyler Durden on 10/07/2012
www.zerohedge.com
LS, rk here, I voted for the writer of this, "President," and it speaks about you so wanted to share with all your readers, followers, bloggers, et al, and those who troll, too:
ReplyDelete"... “Soft repression” tactics include ridicule, stigma, and silencing. I have experienced and continue to experience each one of these types of targeting. I routinely receive hate mail and withstand very active organized attempts to ridicule, stigmatize, and eventually silence me. I routinely experience strange occurrences with my computer (typing by itself) and telephone (answered by someone before it even rings on my end), and more. Strange things happen to my friends and to the friends of my friends (like police stops for nothing, and worse, calls to remote immigrant acquaintances asking for information about me).
"... At these New York Sessions so far, we have spoken of colonialism, oppression, murder, and war with impunity.
.. Therefore, I in no way want to equate the unusual events occurring around me with the violence of the situation faced by Palestinians in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, the particular focus of this Tribunal.
.. I seek merely to expose covert actions directed at me, and people close to me, that constitute bullying and soft repression that would otherwise go unnoted and whose purpose I surmise is to punish me for my values and political beliefs that favor justice and peace, and, most probably, to dissuade me from future political activities.
.. Their plan will not work. I believe in hearing everyone’s truths, especially from those whose voices have been shut down.
.. I believe that we can only achieve justice when we are willing to face everyone’s truths.
.. I believe that peace is achievable when justice is prevalent.
.. And I believe that human and planetary dignity will exist during such time as we all live together in peace.
.. My work, every day, is to advance this cause in the best way that I know, using the tools at my disposal at this time.
.. I have already received some requests for these documents that have been made available to me; I will make them available to anyone who asks.
Cynthia McKinney, Sunday, 7 October 2012, http://www.globalresearch.ca
Legal,
ReplyDeleteThe Judge that signed the warrent in Houston County was a Houston County Judge that was at a conference in Mobile, not a Mobile Judge. That is why this smells of Judge Conway is in the back pocket of the anit-bingo tribe and will ensure that all legal judgements go Luther Stranges and Bob Riley's way. Here is another recent article that gives more detail. http://dothanfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=231692
Anon at 2:58--
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information and links. That familiar smell of Riley-related corruption is in the air.
So, it sounds like Big Luther's gang could have tried to get the warrant signed by a judge who actually was in Houston County at the time, but instead they went to get Riley's appointee.
ReplyDelete