The prosecution spent the day playing connect the dots, trying to lay out a clear relationship between Jarrod Massey and a number of the defendants through recorded phone calls, voicemails, text messages, e-mails and bank records. Prosecutor Woods methodically went defendant by defendant starting with Tom Coker.
Massey agreed with a statement made by Woods that Coker was the "leader/coordinator" of the lobbying effort and that he gained that designation after the first failed Budget Isolation Resolution vote. Massey is heard taking to McGregor on the phone explaining he was “Waiting for direction from Tom [Coker]. We’re waiting on Tom.”
Next, Woods moved on to a series of exhibits that demonstrate efforts by Massey and Pouncey to recruit Sen. Jim Preuitt’s vote. In an e-mail sent from Ronnie Gilley to a large group, Gilley tells Massey and Jay Walker to go have a one-on-one with Preuitt in Talladega. Gilley wrote, "Let’s get ‘em boys. It’s now or perhaps never." Massey explained he was put-off by this e-mail. Massey told Gilley multiple times that it would be better for Gilley himself to visit with Preuitt. In a phone call, Pouncey explains a conversation she had with Walker about Preuitt. Preuitt had been under the impression that Gilley was coming to visit because “he had talked to Sen. Means.”In later conversations Pouncey is heard saying, "Bottom line, we don't want to make Preuitt mad. That sure as h*** won't get his vote." She explained that Walker was also “adamant” about going to visit Preuitt. In explaining part of a conversation with Preuitt, Massey said on the phone that Preuitt was "brokering a deal," it was "part of a poker game." Massey also explained that Tom Coker was working to garner Preuitt’s vote. Gilley, in a conversation with Massey said he told Preuitt, "I've got a campaign guy who will do whatever you want in the campaign." That Campaign guy was Jay Walker. Walker is heard on a phone call explaining that he agreed to conduct a campaign poll for Preuitt. Massey says this would have cost between $10,000 and $12,000 and was an in-kind donation. If Preuitt lied to them and did not vote the way he promised they could have fouled up the results of the poll or not released the results at all. Preuitt, if you remember, was up for re-election but decided not to seek another term after news of the corruption indictments broke. Massey is heard in another conversation telling Preuitt, "We'll financially be able to match anything they put in your race." “We” being Massey and Ronnie Gilley – this was estimated to be up to $500,000. Massey also authorized Pouncy to give Preuitt somewhere between $1 million - $2 million. After the scandal broke Preuitt gave money back to Massey, $2,000 to account for a $1,500 and $500 donation Massey gave him.
Prosecutor Woods next turned the questioning towards Sen. Larry Means. The final version of SB 380 did not provide a specific location for an Etowah County gaming interest…Sen. Means’s district includes Etowah County. Massey said, in his opinion, Means’s vote was needed to pass SB 380. Massey explained that Means told Pouncey he wanted $100,000 contribution for his ‘yes’ vote. Massey called Gilley and told Gilley "We are getting a shakedown up here." Massey said to Gilley that he believed the money demanded was for his vote and that he had no reason to believe it was for the "Sisters of the poor." Gilley told Massey "Whatever we have to do, do it." Prosecutor Woods asked Massey, "Mr. Massey, in paying, or agreeing to pay Sen. Means $100,000 for his vote, were you attempting to bribe him?" Massey replied, "I intended to bribe him and I considered it a bribe."
Next the questioning turned towards Sen. Quinton Ross. Massey told the court he worked to garner Ross’s vote on SB 380 and his company paid Ross for that vote. Massey wrote Ross a check from his company, Mantra Governmental for $5,000 in 2009. Massey told the court Sen. Ross called Jennifer Pouncey and said "he was no longer feeling the love," and that he felt deserved a contribution. Massey said Pouncy said Ross was "adamant" about Massey's group making a contribution. According to Massey, Pouncy said that Ross was "aggressive" in his efforts to get campaign contributions. Massey also wrote Ross a $5,000 personal check after Ross returned the check from Mantra Governmental. Ross returned the check because of campaign finance reform limits on how much a business could donate to a campaign as opposed to an individual person. Massey said for the year 2009, he contributed a total of $10,000 to Sen. Quinton Ross’s re-election campaign. According to Massey, Ross wanted an additional $20,000 but he did not intend to make any other contributions until after the vote. Massey told the court one of the charges he pleaded guilty to was bribery on behalf of Sen. Ross.
The final round of questioning for the day had to do with Sen. Harri Anne Smith. Massey explained for the court that back in 2008 Smith introduced a bill that would have killed gaming interests in her district, specifically Country Crossing. Sen. Bobby Singleton, who was at the time the chairman of the Senate Tourism Committee demanded $25,000 from Massey to kill the bill because he supported bingo. Ronnie Gilley OK’d the payment (Massey was told the payment had been made, he did not physically hand over the check in this instance) and the bill died in committee. That payment was funneled through another lobbyist, Michael Singleton, Massey said he and Gilley worked to hinder anything that would have outlawed bingo. He went on to add a payment was given to Sen. Smith after she withdrew her support and the next time gaming legislation was introduced that would have directly impacted Sen. Smith’s district, she supported it. Gilley wrote Massey a check for $20,000 and later, another check for $20,000 to move the money to Smith's campaign. Massey said he didn’t know why Gilley gave Smith $40,000, he just moved the money. The prosecution introduced into evidence a number of checks that showed Massey funneled money into various locations.
Comments