Federal agents arrested, in addition to McGregor, four state senators, three lobbyists and one legislative staffer in addition to the developer of Country Crossings, a gambling establishment, Ronnie Gilley.  McGregor is a prominent state dog track owner and operator.

The federal indictments, thirty-nine in all, focused on alleged corruption surrounding efforts to pass what became known as “Sweet Home Alabama” legislation to legalize electronic bingo.  Various charges, including bribery, conspiracy and fraud were among these indictments. 

This senario begs the question, “What is the difference in a political contribution and corruption?”  All candidates seemingly accept political contributions–completely legal—and are allowed to use these so-called contributions to their sole discretion.  At exactly what point a contribution becomes a bribe is the question that must be answered.  Bribes, of course, are contributions that cause a politician to vote a particular way or to, at least, take action that will assure the probability of a piece of legislation being passed into law or defeated.   Never doubt that “legal” contributions  do, in fact,  create a climate where the receiving politician votes a particular way on a particular bill or series of bills.  This fact is certainly not rocket science but is a matter-of-fact way of life in most all politics.

I citizen has a right to an opinion as to the “good” or “bad” of legalized gambling, mostly bingo in Alabama, but bribing a public servant to vote a particular way is beyond the pale—it’s illegal!

As will all arrested individuals, those arrested in this instance are to be assumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainly.  Having said this, it does seem unusual that so much smoke for such an extended period of time coming from Alabama’s statehouse seems to indicate a certain amount of fire.

If the accused and arrested are found guilty they should be punished to the fullest extent of the law just as would any ordinary citizen, possibly even more so.  Elected officials should maintain a higher standard than the average citizen due to the authority and power that accompanies the position.

“Scared” is an appropriate term that most probably is being spoken, or at least thought, in the minds of many more politicaians in Alabama and other states as well.  It’s long been known that morality cannot be legislated but, one thing for sure, the voters should study the candidates for each elected office and vote their convictions.  These convictions, it is hoped, will be for transparency in governemnt, voting the will of the people, and good moral decision making—something tht is foreign to Alabama politics.

Making a clean sweep of all incumbents seems to be the order of the day and may not be a bad idea.  Certainly, some honest, well-meaning office holders will be caught up in the broad brushing but such is a way of life. 

Crime is crime whether it be murder or that considered more subtle while collar and, if convicted, those found guilty to be given time to meditate upon their conduct in government provided housing more commonly known as prison.

Public corruption is a breach of trust by federal, state, or local officials—often with the help of private sector accomplices. It’s also the FBI’s top criminal investigative priority. To explain why the Bureau takes public corruption so seriously and how we investigate, we talked with Special Agent Patrick Bohrer, assistant section chief of our Public Corruption/Civil Rights program at FBI Headquarters.

Question: Why is public corruption so high on the FBI’s list of investigative priorities?
Answer: Because of its impact. Corrupt public officials undermine our country’s national security, our overall safety, the public trust, and confidence in the U.S. government, wasting billions of dollars along the way. This corruption can tarnish virtually every aspect of society. For example, a border official might take a bribe, knowingly or unknowingly letting in a truck containing weapons of mass destruction. Or corrupt state legislators could cast deciding votes on a bill providing funding or other benefits to a company for the wrong reasons. Or at the local level, a building inspector might be paid to overlook some bad wiring, which could cause a deadly fire down the road.

Q: Can you describe the kinds of public corruption that the FBI investigates?
A: It really runs the gamut. Bribery is the most common. But there’s also extortion, embezzlement, racketeering, kickbacks, and money laundering, as well as wire, mail, bank, and tax fraud. Right now, based on our intelligence on emerging trends, we are focused specifically on several major issues: corruption along our national borders; corrupt officials who take advantage of natural disasters or economic crises to divert some of the government’s aid into their own pockets; and a myriad of officials who may personally benefit from the economic stimulus funding.

Q: Where do you find this corruption?
A: Just about everywhere—at the federal, state, and local levels throughout the country. And I should point out, the vast majority of our country’s public officials are honest and work hard to improve the lives of the American people. But a small number make decisions for the wrong reasons—usually, to line their own pockets or those of friends and family. These people can be found—and have been found—in legislatures, courts, city halls, law enforcement departments, school and zoning boards, government agencies of all kinds (including those that regulate elections and transportation), and even companies that do business with government.

Q: How does the FBI investigate public corruption?
A: We’re in a unique position to investigate allegations of public corruption. Our lawful use of sophisticated investigative tools and methods—like undercover operations, court-authorized electronic surveillance, and informants—often gives us a front-row seat to witness the actual exchange of bribe money or a backroom handshake that seals an illegal deal…and enough evidence to send the culprits to prison. But we have plenty of help. We often work in conjunction with the inspector general offices from various federal agencies, as well as with our state and local partners. And we depend greatly on assistance from the public. So let me end by saying, if anyone out there has any information about potential wrongdoing by a public official, please submit a tip online or contact your local FBI field office. Your help really makes a difference.

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