By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – A grand jury is meeting at the federal courthouse in Montgomery to investigate allegations of possible vote buying in the Alabama Legislature during consideration of a bill to authorize, tax and regulate electronic bingo.
Republican state Rep. Mac Gipson of Prattville said he was called to appear before the grand jury on Tuesday. House Speaker Seth Hammett has said he was called to testify on Wednesday. Hammett is a Democrat from Andalusia.
Six top legislative leaders were told in a meeting with federal officials last month that the FBI was investigating whether public corruption was involved in the Senate passing the electronic bingo bill. The proposed legislation later died without coming up for a vote in the House.