Opinion: Attorney general accepted Poarch Creek casino funds

Wednesday, September 5, 2012  

"Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange says that the recent seizure of gambling devices from a Houston County casino should serve as a warning to others who are engaged in illegal gambling.

Strange conducted a recent raid on the facility and confiscated about 500 electronic bingo machines from Center Stage, formerly called Country Crossing, near Dothan. Strange also said anyone operating a gambling hall should be put on notice.

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 Alabama.

Indeed, the Poarch Creek tribe donated $100,000 to the Strange Campaign for attorney general in 2010.

The money trail for the $100,000 amount went 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 Aug. 4, 2010.

Sources tell me that in order to seize control of the gambling issue in Alabama from Gov. Robert Bentley, Strange has covered up his connections with the Poarch Creeks, even to the extent of pretending to question their use of electronic bingo at tribal casinos in Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka."

Get the Story:
Bob Martin: Attorney General helping Creek monopoly (The Montgomery Independent 9/5)