Is Alabama being run by a sleazy Republican? Here is hard evidence that the answer is yes.
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Alabama Governor Bob Riley, sounding like a character from one of the
Godfather movies, recently issued a clear threat to those who oppose him--and perhaps to those who cover his administration. A Montgomery television reporter was there to capture it all on tape.
Eileen Jones, of station WSFA, interviewed Riley about reports that a private investigator hired by VictoryLand's Milton McGregor had caught a key member of the governor's team gambling at a casino run by the Mississippi Choctaws. That led to
the resignation of David Barber, head of the Governor's Anti-Gambling Task Force.
In a story that aired Friday night, Riley complained that pro-gambling forces have been conducting surveillance on law-enforcement officials who serve on the task force. Riley then issued what the reporter called a "warning," one he would not explain.
"Don't get too close," Riley said. "And don't you get too close to the families. Because all of a sudden then, everything changes."
Asked if he cared to elaborate, Riley said, "Nope."
Was Riley also directing his warning toward journalists who might actually dare to investigate the actions of his administration and family members? Sure sounds that way.
You can view the entire report at the link below. The segment about the threat begins at about the 2:08 mark:
Governor and McGregor at Odds
It's unclear what "families" Riley is referring to. But it appears to be a reference to his three children--Rob Riley, Minda Riley Campbell, and Krisalyn Riley Crye--and their families.
Glynn Wilson, of the
Locust Fork News-Journal, reports on
a new YouTube post that spotlights the Riley threat. It's unclear who posted the video, but they raise a number of questions about Riley's family members. Wilson highlights some of the key points in the video:
Bob Riley is a political thug, according to the committee to impeach Riley, and has been a threat to Alabama since he took office 7 years ago.
Why doesn't he want anyone to get close to his families?
-Son In Law Bob Campbell's Law Firm, Bradley Arant, before Riley took office, billed the State of Alabama just under $7,000. Since Riley has been in office they have billed the State of Alabama more than $4 million.
-Daughter Krisalyn works for a marketing firm employed by the Choctaw Indians in Mississippi. Yes, those are the same Indians who gave $13 Million to his campaign for Governor in 2002.
-His Son In Law Bob Campbell represents both the Indians and the Task Force to shut down gambling and has already spent $1 million of our tax dollars.
-His son Rob also got a $25 Million NO BID contract from Alabama to represent the state in a lawsuit vs. ExxonMobil, which was found guilty by a jury of ripping off the taxpayers by millions of dollars in oil and gas royalties for wells in the Gulf of Mexico.
The YouTube video appears to be a portion of the WSFA report captured from a television screen. You can check out the video at the bottom of the post at the following link:
Authors Bio:I live in Birmingham, Alabama, and work in higher education. I became interested in justice-related issues after experiencing gross judicial corruption in Alabama state courts. This corruption has a strong political component. The corrupt judges are all Republicans, and the attorney who filed a fraudulent lawsuit against me has strong family ties to the Alabama Republican Party, with indirect connections to national figures such as Karl Rove. In fact, a number of Republican operatives who have played a central role in the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman (a Democrat) also have connections to my case.
I am married, with no kids and two Siamese cats. I am the author of the blog Legal Schnauzer. The blog is written in honor of Murphy, our miniature schnauzer (1993-2004)who did so much to help my wife and me survive our nightmarish experience with corrupt judges.
I grew up in Springfield, Missouri, and I am pretty much a lifelong St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan. I've lived in Birmingham for almost 30 years and have adopted the UAB Blazers as my Southern college football and basketball team to follow. Also, follow East Tennessee State basketball.
An avid reader, both fiction and non-fiction. Influential writers on public affairs are Kevin Phillips, Michael Lind, Thomas Edsall, E.J. Dionne, Molly Ivins, and Scott Horton.