Grimes said she was not the only person concerned about prosecutors' creative approach to the facts of the case:
"I recall one of the investigators, FBI agent Keith Baker, commented on the conduct by saying, 'There is truth, there are facts, and then there are "Feaga facts.'
So we have Baker, now on the bingo case, again working with a prosecutor who he has acknowledged is unethical.
Baker already has been involved in questionable conduct connected to lobbyist Jarrod Massey, one of the 11 people arrested on Monday. Brett Bloomston and Joseph Basgier, Massey's attorneys, filed a complaint with the DOJ back in April about threats and harassment against their client. Keith Baker was one subject of their complaint. (See full letter below.)
The lawyers allege that Baker and others pressured Massey to "cooperate" in order to "save [your] butt." The lawyers also allege that Baker and others made veiled threats regarding Massey's wife and two children.
Anyone who has followed the Siegelman case closely is familiar with these kinds of tactics. But those happened on George W. Bush's watch. This is happening on Barack Obama's watch.
As for The Birmingham News, it (shockingly) showed signs of practicing objective journalism on the bingo story. Reporter Charles Dean identifies the three cooperating individuals who were identified in the indictment as "Legislator 1" (Benjamin Lewis, of Dothan), "Legislator 2" (Scott Beason, of Gardendale). and "Legislator 3" (Barry Mask, of Wetumpka). All are Republicans.
The News reports that Lewis could be a problem for prosecutors because his opposition to bingo and role in the investigation apparently helped land him a judicial appointment from Gov. Bob Riley. Writes Dean:
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