By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—The “Alabama Political Reporter” has learned that for over a month a grand jury has been diligently hearing testimony on public corruption in the state.
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange and staff have been quietly building a case against lawmakers and others in the public arena for months.
This is the first Special Grand Jury to be called in the state in 19 years.
According to sources with knowledge of the Grand Jury’s existence, a slow, steady, body of evidence is being built that will perhaps culminate with some high profile indictments.
Once again most likely some household names will be spread across the news, when all is finally revealed.
The “Alabama Political Reporter” can also confirm that a new round of subpoenas have recently been issued. Along with individuals, there have been records subpoenas that may go into agencies within state government.
A person close to an individual who received a subpoena said, “In Alabama if there is public corruption, there is gambling money somewhere.” The source spoke only on conditions of anonymity.
The Grand Jury in Montgomery is being conducted in total secrecy with the AG’s office questioning witnesses and looking at specific documents with an eye toward indictments.
Unlike the recent Federal public corruption case, many of these indictments may be county specific.
We have also learned that some who pleaded guilty in the Federal public corruption case have been working with the Attorney General Office to build on the “mountain of evidence” collected in the Vote-for-sale case involving casino operator Milton McGregor, Ronnie Gilley and others.
Crimes that may have been committed in the Vote-for-sale scheme the statute of limitations is quickly running out.
However, those who pleaded guilty in that case have a reason to cooperate with Attorney General Strange in hopes of a lighter sentence.
Former lobbyist Jarrod D. Massey, former Alabama state representative Terry Spicer (D) and Massey’s former employee, Jennifer Pouncy all could be giving more evidence in the new cases that they are building.
Attorney General Strange has pledged to work smart and hard to stamp out public corruption in Alabama. Strange has made white collar crime and public corruption a priority within his department. Soon the fruits of he and his staff’s efforts may come to fruition.
