We will have more to report on Riley's deal-making later, but for now, here is what is known about that meeting.
Riley called Strange to his office to lay out what he wanted from the new attorney general--and what he would do in return--a classic quid pro quo offer.
Riley told the incoming attorney general that he wanted him to "protect" his children and also direct any business he could to them. For that, Riley told Strange, he would support him for governor in 2014 and raise $2 million for his campaign.
The children would be a reference to Homewood attorney Rob Riley, plus Minda Riley Campbell and her husband, Rob Campbell, who works at the Birmingham law firm Bradley Arant, which sucked in millions of state dollars during Bob Riley's eight years as governor.
Martin asks, "Is this attempted political bribery?" The answer is yes, as we laid out the elements of the crime in a post titled Bribery: A Primer. The key statute is 18 U.S. Code 666, which was cited in the Don Siegelman prosecution. Bribery law can be murky, but here is how we described it:
In a nutshell, the four elements of bribery under 666 are:
1. A corrupt act;
2. The offering of something of value;
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