The News Courier in Athens, Alabama

State and Nation

October 21, 2012

Indians give to GOP group while it helps Ala. gov



MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Poarch Band of Creek Indians gave $100,000 to a national Republican organization the same day that organization donated $100,000 to a group helping former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley fight gambling in Alabama.

The Montgomery Advertiser (http://on.mgmadv.com/RjgoGn ) reported that the Republican State Leadership Committee shared the news of the contribution to Citizens for a Better Alabama with a letter addressed to Riley's son, Rob Riley. The letter is dated the same day as the contribution: June 10, 2010.

A check log from the Republican State Leadership Committee shows the group received a $100,000 check from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians on June 10, 2010. State campaign-finance documents filed by the RSLC show the GOP group made a $100,000 donation that same day to Citizens for a Better Alabama.

Rob Riley told the newspaper that he did not recall the contribution, but said he was helping Citizens for Better Alabama raise money. He said he never directed anyone to send money to the RSLC.

"I have never had any contact with anyone in the Poarch Creek Indians about giving money to anyone at any time. And I certainly didn't on this occasion," Rob Riley said.

Rob Riley and the director of Citizens for a Better Alabama said all they knew about the money was that it originated with the RSLC.

Citizens for a Better Alabama lobbied against legislation that would have allowed state voters to decide whether to allow electronic bingo in certain areas of the state. The legislation was pushed by non-Indian casinos that Riley was trying to shut down.

Citizens for a Better Alabama is a descendent of Citizens Against Legalized Lottery, which a 2006 U.S. Senate report found had accepted money given by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to fight lottery legislation in Alabama, after it was routed through a conservative organization.

Bob Riley formed an anti-gambling task force in his second administration that succeeded in shutting down privately operated electronic bingo casinos in Alabama, including Milton McGregor's VictoryLand in Shorter and Ronnie Gilley's Country Crossing in Dothan, but it did not shut down casinos operated by the Poarch Creeks in Montgomery, Wetumpka and Atmore. The Indian casinos come under federal regulation rather than state regulation.

Chris Jankowski, president of the RSLC, said he would not comment on the transactions. Jankowski said the individuals who had been involved no longer work with the organization, which conducted an internal review of the process. "There were elements that the RSLC leadership was not comfortable with," he said. "All corrective procedures and protocols have been adopted."

The director of Citizens for a Better Alabama, Eric Johnston of Birmingham, acknowledged receiving the money from the RSLC, but insisted he had received assurances from Republican leadership that the money did not come from the Poarch Creeks.

Rob Riley said he was not aware that the RSLC received money from the Poarch Creeks and had never asked anyone associated with Indian gambling for donations.

Robert McGhee, a member of the Poarch Creek Tribal Council, said the funds went to the GOP group to help with elections.

"Of course we can't mandate where the funds go, but the funds were provided to the leadership for the purpose of assisting in various elections," he told the Advertiser.

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