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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A former state senator testified Wednesday in Alabama's gambling corruption trial that indicted Sen. Harri Anne Smith offered him a campaign contribution if he would vote for pro-gambling legislation.
Former Sen. Steve French of Mountain Brook said the senator from Slocomb made the offer during a meeting of the Senate on March 11, 2010. He quoted her as saying the contribution would be in return for his vote for a bill designed to get electronic bingo casinos reopened after a state crackdown, including Country Crossing casino in Smith's Senate district in southeast Alabama..
"I told her we were not going to have that kind of conversation because we were not going to link an official act to a contribution," French testified.
"She said, 'Oh, I understand. But if you can commit to vote for the gambling bill, I will give you a contribution,'" French said.
"I stated again we were not going to discuss linking of a vote to a contribution," French said.
French said he offered to read and study a new version of the gambling bill that had been introduced in the Senate, and she again mentioned a contribution.
"At that point, I turned and walked away," he said.
Under questioning by the prosecution, French said it was the only time anyone offered him a contribution for a vote during his 12 years in the Senate.
Smith, casino owner Milton McGregor, former Sens. Larry Means and Jim Preuitt, casino lobbyist Tom Coker and casino spokesman Jay Walker are in the second week of a federal court trial on charges accusing them of buying and selling votes on pro-gambling legislation.
In March 2010, Smith and French were both Republicans who had served together since 1998. The Senate passed the gambling bill 21-13 on March 30, 2010, with Smith voting yes and French voting no.
French lost his re-election bid later that year and now works for an investment firm in Birmingham. Smith got kicked off the Republican ticket, became an independent and won re-election while under indictment in the federal court case.
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Keywords: state, senator, Alabama, gambling, trial
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