Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A tearful casino lobbyist testified Tuesday that he pleaded guilty to offering bribes to legislators because he didn't want to lie to his family as he had to others about his role in the gambling corruption scandal at Alabama's Statehouse.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson had to interrupt court to allow Country Crossing lobbyist Jarrod Massey to regain his composure.
"I'm sorry for inconveniencing the court and the jury," Massey said.
Massey had been on the witness stand since Thursday testifying for the prosecution about how he worked with casino operators and other lobbyists to offer bribes to four current and former state senators on trial. He remained calm and low-key throughout that testimony. But his demeanor changed when prosecutor Emily Woods asked him about why he pleaded guilty in December and why he volunteered to go to jail in January even though he hadn't been sentenced.
Massey, 40, said there was plenty of evidence against him from wiretapped phone calls and he knew he was facing a significant prison sentence.
Then the tears started.
He started saying, "The discussion I had with my wife and children," but he couldn't finish the sentence for choking up. At that point, the judge stopped the trial until Massey could talk without crying.
When court resumed, Massey said he talked to his family about the trouble he faced. "I did not want to lie to them."
Referring to his two children, he said, "I've always told my children you have to accept responsibility."
He said he wanted to follow his own advice.
Earlier, Massey admitted lying about his involvement when the FBI first contacted him on March 31, 2010.
"I thought I could ride it out," he said.
Under questioning by an attorney for indicted casino owner Milton McGregor, Massey admitted he was violating the law before he became a lobbyist for an electronic bingo casino.
"You have been a violator of the criminal law for many years," defense attorney Bobby Segall said.
"I agree 100 percent," Massey said. He added that he had been violating the law for "about 10 years."
Massey did not elaborate, but he testified earlier in the trial that he started making monthly cash payments to former Democratic Rep. Terry Spicer of Elba in 2002 or 2003 and continued the payments for several years. Spicer has not been charged, but he is on the list of potential witnesses for the trial, which is in its sixth week.
Massey once ran a high-profile lobbying business with several clients. He testified earlier that Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley, who has also pleaded guilty, was his biggest client and was paying him as much as $16,500 a month for his work. But he said getting indicted in October devastated his business and caused his clients to scatter.
He spent much of Monday testifying about offering bribes to Democratic Sen. Quinton Ross of Montgomery, former Democratic Sen. Larry Means of Attalla, and former Republican Sen. Jim Preuitt of Talladega to get them to vote for pro-gambling legislation. On Tuesday, he turned his attention to the fourth senator on trial: independent Harri Anne Smith of Slocomb.
Prosecutor Emily Woods asked Massey, "Was one of the legislators you bribed Harri Anne Smith?"
"Yes," Massey replied.
He said Smith was originally opposed to having the Country Crossing casino in Dothan, which is in her Senate district, but she changed her views when Gilley started helping her campaign for Congress in 2008.
He said Gilley gave him $40,000 to donate to her campaign, but they didn't want the money to show up as being from gambling sources. The $40,000 is more than federal law allows to be donated from one source for a congressional campaign, so Massey said he divided up the money among several individuals and got them to write checks to Smith's campaigns. Massey said he kept more than one-third to pay taxes on the money he received from Gilley.
Massey said he never talked with Smith about the maneuvers he was using to hide the source of the money.
"I assumed it was unlawful, but I wasn't 100 percent sure," he testified.
Massey also testified that he worked with Gilley to donate $25,000 to Smith in December 2009 to keep her support, but he routed it through political action committees run by lobbyist Clair Austin to hide its origin.
Massey said Smith voted for the pro-gambling legislation when the Senate approved it on March 30, 2001, and later that day, she asked him to check on $200,000 that she said Gilley had pledged to her re-election campaign. Prosecutors played a wiretapped phone call between Massey and one of the defendants, Country Crossing spokesman Jay Walker, where Massey told Walker to check with Gilley about the money.
One day after the Senate's votes, federal and state investigators knocked on Massey's front door and asked him if he knew about attempted bribery at the Statehouse.
"First and foremost, I denied any involvement," he testified.
"Was that the truth?" the prosecutor asked.
"No ma'am," he said.
Massey's plea deal with the government calls for him to get a sentence of 14 to 17½ years. Defense attorneys said that can be reduced based on his helpfulness and that gives him reason to tell half-truths in order to please the prosecution.
Massey testified that no one has promised him anything, but he said that when he is sentenced in November, "I would hope to get time served."
The judge, who will decide the sentence, showed no reaction.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson had to interrupt court to allow Country Crossing lobbyist Jarrod Massey to regain his composure.
"I'm sorry for inconveniencing the court and the jury," Massey said.
Massey had been on the witness stand since Thursday testifying for the prosecution about how he worked with casino operators and other lobbyists to offer bribes to four current and former state senators on trial. He remained calm and low-key throughout that testimony. But his demeanor changed when prosecutor Emily Woods asked him about why he pleaded guilty in December and why he volunteered to go to jail in January even though he hadn't been sentenced.
Massey, 40, said there was plenty of evidence against him from wiretapped phone calls and he knew he was facing a significant prison sentence.
Then the tears started.
He started saying, "The discussion I had with my wife and children," but he couldn't finish the sentence for choking up. At that point, the judge stopped the trial until Massey could talk without crying.
When court resumed, Massey said he talked to his family about the trouble he faced. "I did not want to lie to them."
Referring to his two children, he said, "I've always told my children you have to accept responsibility."
He said he wanted to follow his own advice.
Earlier, Massey admitted lying about his involvement when the FBI first contacted him on March 31, 2010.
"I thought I could ride it out," he said.
Under questioning by an attorney for indicted casino owner Milton McGregor, Massey admitted he was violating the law before he became a lobbyist for an electronic bingo casino.
"You have been a violator of the criminal law for many years," defense attorney Bobby Segall said.
"I agree 100 percent," Massey said. He added that he had been violating the law for "about 10 years."
Massey did not elaborate, but he testified earlier in the trial that he started making monthly cash payments to former Democratic Rep. Terry Spicer of Elba in 2002 or 2003 and continued the payments for several years. Spicer has not been charged, but he is on the list of potential witnesses for the trial, which is in its sixth week.
Massey once ran a high-profile lobbying business with several clients. He testified earlier that Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley, who has also pleaded guilty, was his biggest client and was paying him as much as $16,500 a month for his work. But he said getting indicted in October devastated his business and caused his clients to scatter.
He spent much of Monday testifying about offering bribes to Democratic Sen. Quinton Ross of Montgomery, former Democratic Sen. Larry Means of Attalla, and former Republican Sen. Jim Preuitt of Talladega to get them to vote for pro-gambling legislation. On Tuesday, he turned his attention to the fourth senator on trial: independent Harri Anne Smith of Slocomb.
Prosecutor Emily Woods asked Massey, "Was one of the legislators you bribed Harri Anne Smith?"
"Yes," Massey replied.
He said Smith was originally opposed to having the Country Crossing casino in Dothan, which is in her Senate district, but she changed her views when Gilley started helping her campaign for Congress in 2008.
He said Gilley gave him $40,000 to donate to her campaign, but they didn't want the money to show up as being from gambling sources. The $40,000 is more than federal law allows to be donated from one source for a congressional campaign, so Massey said he divided up the money among several individuals and got them to write checks to Smith's campaigns. Massey said he kept more than one-third to pay taxes on the money he received from Gilley.
Massey said he never talked with Smith about the maneuvers he was using to hide the source of the money.
"I assumed it was unlawful, but I wasn't 100 percent sure," he testified.
Massey also testified that he worked with Gilley to donate $25,000 to Smith in December 2009 to keep her support, but he routed it through political action committees run by lobbyist Clair Austin to hide its origin.
Massey said Smith voted for the pro-gambling legislation when the Senate approved it on March 30, 2001, and later that day, she asked him to check on $200,000 that she said Gilley had pledged to her re-election campaign. Prosecutors played a wiretapped phone call between Massey and one of the defendants, Country Crossing spokesman Jay Walker, where Massey told Walker to check with Gilley about the money.
One day after the Senate's votes, federal and state investigators knocked on Massey's front door and asked him if he knew about attempted bribery at the Statehouse.
"First and foremost, I denied any involvement," he testified.
"Was that the truth?" the prosecutor asked.
"No ma'am," he said.
Massey's plea deal with the government calls for him to get a sentence of 14 to 17½ years. Defense attorneys said that can be reduced based on his helpfulness and that gives him reason to tell half-truths in order to please the prosecution.
Massey testified that no one has promised him anything, but he said that when he is sentenced in November, "I would hope to get time served."
The judge, who will decide the sentence, showed no reaction.
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