Gov. Bob Riley says that he did not receive contributions from gambling groups during his 2002 campaign. It would have been strange if he did since Riley opposed the expansion of gambling in Alabama during his run for governor. He opposed all sorts of gambling from lottery to casinos.
RGA disagrees; they say money has come from individual donors, not corporations. Riley spokesman Jeff Emerson said the Riley campaign of 2002 was in fully legal. RGA officials said the campaign accounts were used to send money to Alabama.
The records brought up questions at the time about whether Mississippi Indian tribes were actively trying to defeat Siegelman because of his position on the lottery. The records showed two separate $250,000 contributions. The money came from Capitol Campaign Strategies, which represented Indian tribes with casinos, including the Mississippi Choctaws. The checks were received by the RGA a few days before the election.
The RGA during that same time transferred huge sums to the Republican National State Elections Committee. This committee distributed the money to state candidates and parties including Riley. They may have given more than $2.5 million. |
