When seven defendants head to court again next week to be re-tried in the electronic bingo corruption case, they’ll likely see a streamlined prosecution. At least they won’t be hearing from two government witnesses – Alabama Sen. Scott Beason and Benjamin Lewis, a Houston County judge and former House member, who recorded conversations for the FBI during the investigation.
Lewis, who was appointed to a judgeship after his cooperation with investigators, and Beason have lost credibility as government witnesses, largely because of an exchange on one of the recordings Beason made, in which the discussion turned to predominately black Greene County, its racetrack and electronic bingo facility and that business’s clientele.
“That’s y’all’s Indians,” Lewis is heard to say.
“They’re aborigines, but they’re not Indians,” Beason replies.
Prosecutors don’t plan to have the pair testify, but defense attorneys may. The beating their credibility took during the first trial may work to the advantage of the defense.
In October, U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson, who presided over the trial, questioned the motive the men had for cooperating with investigators, saying they weren’t interested in stemming corruption, but simply wanted to keep a pro-gambling measure off the Nov. 2010 ballot because it would hurt the GOP’s chance of gaining control of the Legislature.
These developments underscore the whole embarrassing scenario that has unfolded in our corner of the state ever since the words “electronic bingo” entered our lexicon.
Let’s get on with this trial and bring it to a just conclusion, then let’s address the deliberate subterfuge surrounding gambling in Alabama, and galvanize the people’s will in solid lawmaking.
The people of our state should not suffer this circus again.
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