Alan and other reporters observed lobbyist John Teague, Tom Coker and communications consultant Rick Heartsill entering the federal courthouse with what appeared to be documents, though none offered any detail of why they were there.

“I am here to provide some information”, Heartsill would only say to reporters.

Upon leaving, Teague told reporters he was asked about political action committees, but says he has no knowledge of improper offers or corrpution. Coker offered “no comment.”

Also showing up today, without an “invitation,” Republican candidate for governor Bill Johnson.

Alan says Johnson “showed up, he walked in, then apparently walked back out.”

The one-time aide to Gov. Bob Riley says he is asking prosecutors to look into “outside gambling interests influencing public policy.” It’s the same story he has repeated before. He claims out-of-state casino money has driven anti-gambling efforts in the state, pointing in particular to Riley and his administration.

The governor, a gambling opponent, and his staff have strongly denied the claims. The governor’s spokesman, Jeff Emerson, tells Alan that Johnson is “a fringe candidate… he is a nutjob.”

Emerson also says Johnson is “going tell a bunch of lies to get on television.”

Many witnesses are expected to appear this week.

Sen. Priscilla Dunn (D-Bessemer) was originally scheduled for today, but says she was told to wait until tomorrow.

“They say there are so many there today,” Dunn told me this afternoon.

House Speaker Seth Hammett (D-Andalusia) is also expected tomorrow.

Representatives confirming a subpoena for this week include Republican Mac Gipson of Prattville, Democrat Craig Ford of  Gadsden. Senators include Republican Scott Beason of Gardendale, Republican Paul Sandford of Huntsville, Democrat Phil Poole of  Moundville and Democrat Linda Coleman of Birmingham. None of those called has indicated they have been told they are targets of an investigation.

The federal grand jury follows a meeting last month with Hammett and other legislative leaders, both Republican and Democrat, in which federal investigators told them of possible corruption dealing with an e-bingo bill.

The proposed constitutional amendment passed the Senate, but failed to garner enough support for a vote in the House in the final days of the session.

This morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama, Birmingham attorney Roger Appell called revelations about the probe last month unusual.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blogs here.

It will be significant if you consider the showing by Republican hopefuls for governor at Tea Party events throughout the state.

Judge Roy Moore and Dr. Robert Bentley (we can use titles and nicknames in this blog) appear midday at the Trussville Tea Party where as many as 4,000 are expected. Bill Johnson says he’ll be there, too.

Moore is the keynote speaker at noon in Trussville, then travels to Cullman where he, Bentley and Tim James speak for a Tea Party event starting at 4pm.

Campaign staff say logistics can be tricky on a day like Thursday where candidates want to make the maximum number of appearances.

“Everybody wants the judge… these are his people,” Moore staffer Suzelle Josey tells me.

Moore was a featured speaker at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville in February. Watch a February interview on Good Day Alabama shortly after the Nashville event at 3:43 into the video.

James appears to have been effective in reaching out to Tea Party groups, as well.

“We got to the dance early,” Tim James spokesman Brett Hall tells me.

From the beginning of the movement, Hall says, James has courted Tea Party folks for his campaign.

In addition to the Cullman appearance, James will speak at the Rainy Day Patriots event in Hoover where Sarah Palin’s father and brother are scheduled to appear. James and 6th district congressional candidate Stan Cooke landed stage appearances as sponsors for Chuck Health and Chuck Jr.

A campaign spokesman for Bradley Byrne says “absolutely” when asked if the candidate will be reaching out to Tea Party events Thursday.

Derek Trotter says Byrne will attend the Montgomery Tea Party, where national conservative activist Alan Keyes is a featured speaker. Byrne will also attend the Wetumpka Tea Party Thursday evening. Byrne is not scheduled to speak at those events.

Organizers of events including Hoover, Montgomery and Trussville say they will send the message Thursday that they are flexing political muscle in state and local races.

“There is a lot of power in numbers,” Prattville Tea Partier Dawn Barben says.

*NOTE: Moore spokeswoman Suzelle Josey told me Moore was “keynote” for the Trussville event. In my conversations with Grace Bush of the event organizers, she did describe him as speaking in the capacity of “a judge” and not a candidate for governor. As for the depiction of this year’s model of the Tax Day Tea Party, Bush did not dispute it as a chance to “flex the Tea Party’s political muscle in an election year in state and local elections.” Those involved with events in Montgomery and Hoover did indeed express the movement was going in that direction.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blogs here.

Attorney General Troy King faces many fronts at the end of this week.

First, his much-talked about announcement Wednesday about his authority over the governor’s anti-gambling task force was quickly dismissed by task force commander John Tyson.

Now, Legislative Black Caucus chairman Rep. John Rogers complains King is “backing down.” Rogers says he will turn to the U.S. Department of Justice to deal with what he calls “intimidation” of electronic bingo operations by the task force. An attorney for the city of Midfield says he won’t wait for King. He’s considering a lawsuit challenging the task force authority.

While that struggle continues, King’s Republican rival for AG, Luther Strange, sticks to mocking humor, comparing King to a groundhog.

The moderator of Tuesday’s gubernatorial forum at Samford University says Republicans Bradley Byrne, Bill Johnson and Democrat Artur Davis may have best explained their vision to a crowded auditorium of faculty, students, politicos and business leaders. Watch Birmingham Business Journal editor Craig Ey’s comments here (go to 8:16 in the video).

The Davis campaign has been aggressive this week in its questioning of Democratic rival Ron Sparks and that $500,000 personal loan to his campaign. It’s a case of “where did the money come from?” Davis asks in this campaign release.

The Birmingham News, Mobile Press Register, Mooncat at Left in Alabama and Danny at Political Parlor also want to know.

Republican Roy Moore skipped Tuesday’s gubernatorial forum to campaign in southeast Alabama. Following an interview Thursday on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama, Moore answered more questions about the race. He expresses frustration that more privately funded polls aren’t made public. Moore contends they would clearly show him leading the Republican field. He believes a recent PSA poll was slanted for Byrne. On the topic of Byrne, Moore had interesting comments about the “Bible flap” story that hounded the Mobile Republican in December and January. Moore noted Byrne’s first commercials of the campaign.

“I’m often accused for using my religion for politics,” Moore says, “so many are just saying it for politics.”

Finally, a statement from RNC chairman Michael Steele is showcased on the state GOP website concerning a legislative pickup in HD40.

Who had a good week? And who…. not so much? Let me know.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blogs here.

The Mobile Republican is campaigning on his jobs plan in the Birmingham metro today.

Still, he admits the current electronic bingo debate is a dominant topic on the trail.

This morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama, Byrne declared “gaming is not the answer to our economic development.” He dismisses the jobs argument electronic bingo supporters are currently using in the legal dispute with the Riley administration.

“In truth, there’s a net loss in jobs from the gaming industry because that money does not turn back over in the economy.”

Gov. Riley finds himself defending his Task Force raid attempts. Wednesday, Riley said he acted when the Attorney General and some district attorneys failed to enforce the law. Read  Phil Rawls AP story here. The governor is also featured in a new TV spot from the anti-gambling group Citizens for a Better Alabama.

“He (Riley) has taken, in most regards in my judgement, a responsible way of trying to go out there and deal with it, “Byrne says about Riley, “I wouldn’t sit idly by… we know these are illegal.”

Byrne also discusses this week’s campaign finance reports. Republican rival Tim James reports the most money raised with $4.1 million. A large part, $2.7 million, came from loans both by James and three associates. Byrne leads the field with contributions, $2.6 million.

Byrne says he can be a true reformer in Alabama even with large contributions from individuals and PACs.

“If you are going to really reform Montgomery, you must take on the number one special interest and that is Paul Hubbert and the AEA. If you notice, none of that money is coming into the Bradley Byrne campaign.”

Read the full interview here.

For campaign finance reports, click on the candidate below.

Republicans:
Robert Bentley
Bradley Byrne
Kay Ivey
Tim James 2009, 2010
Bill Johnson
Roy Moore
James Potts (no report filed)

Democrats:
Artur Davis
Ron Sparks

Rick Journey

Republican candidate for governor, Bill Johnson and his wife say they’re looking for Alabama’s dirtiest jobs.  Here’s what they say about their quest:

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From the Bill Johnson campaign: