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Honest services fraud

Indicted Casino Owner: But Campaign Contributions Can't Be Bribes!

Rachel Slajda | November 24, 2010, 3:09PM

A casino owner indicted on charges of bribery and honest services fraud is trying to get 11 of his 33 counts thrown out, arguing that campaign contributions don't count as bribery.

Federal prosecutors say that Milton McGregor, a businessman with controlling stakes in two Alabama casinos, hired lobbyists to bribe state politicians into supporting electronic gambling legislation. A fellow businessman, the lobbyists and four state legislators were also indicted in the sweep.

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Topics: Alabama, Corruption, Honest services fraud

Don Siegelman

Supreme Court Orders Review Of Siegelman Conviction By Lower Court

Justin Elliott | June 29, 2010, 10:40AM

Fmr. Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman

The Supreme Court has ordered a lower court to take a new look at the controversial conviction of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman in the wake of its ruling last week narrowing the scope of a key public corruption statute that was used in the Siegelman case.

Siegelman was convicted in 2006 on charges of bribery and honest services fraud, the statute that was limited by the court last week. Siegelman was found to have given former HealthSouth executive Richard Scrushy a seat on a state board regulating hospitals in exchange for $500,000 in donations to a state lottery campaign.

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Topics: Alabama, Corruption, Democrats, Don Siegelman, Honest services fraud, Supreme Court

Supreme Court

How A Supreme Court Ruling Could Set Corrupt Politicians Free

Justin Elliott | June 25, 2010, 3:40PM

In the wake of Thursday's Supreme Court ruling limiting the scope of a key federal anti-corruption statute, white-collar defense lawyers are salivating at the chance to challenge some of the biggest public corruption cases in recent memory -- from Gov. Don Siegelman in Alabama to Gov. Rod Blagojevich in Illinois to New York state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno to the myriad figures in the Jack Abramoff saga.

As Josh wrote on the editors' blog, the impact of the 6-3 ruling -- with the three dissenting justices going further than the majority and arguing that the law should be struck down entirely -- is likely to be vast.