A former Alabama lobbyist pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiring to bribe legislators in exchange for their favorable votes on a proposed amendment to the state’s constitution that would legalize electronic bingo, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer and Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. Fuhrman of the FBI’s mobile field office announced.

In October, Jarrod Massey of MANTA Governmental was one of 11 individuals — including the owner of the state’s largest casino and four state lawmakers — arrested as part of a public corruption probe.

Massey, along with Thomas E. Coker of Coker & Associates and Robert B. Geddie Jr. of Fine Geddie & Associates allegedly promoted the passage of the electronic bingo amendment on behalf of their clients by offering bribes and campaign contributions to several state lawmakers.

The probe, which the Justice Department first disclosed in April,  inflamed tensions between state Democrats and Republican-appointed U.S. Attorney Leura Canary, who prosecuted former Gov. Don Siegelman (D) and whose husband has close ties to Gov. Bob Riley (R), who strongly opposed the amendment.

Massey alleged in a letter to DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility that he was harassed by federal agents. He requested that Canary’s office be barred from participating in the investigation because of her husband’s political ties to Riley.

Massey pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and five counts of federal program bribery. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge, while  each of the five bribery counts carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Massey is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 26, 2011. This spring, he is expected to testify for the prosecution when the other defendants come to trial. (One of Massey’s assistants pleaded guilty earlier to a conspiracy charge.)

“Jarrod Massey has admitted that he bribed members of the Alabama State Legislature in exchange for their votes in favor of electronic bingo gambling legislation,� Breuer said in a news release. “In a democracy, votes should be cast on the merits and in the best interests of constituents, and not influenced by bribes and the possibility of personal gain.  Mr. Massey has admitted his wrongdoing, and will now face the consequences of his corrupt conduct.�

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Chief Peter J. Ainsworth and trial attorneys Eric G. Olshan, Barak Cohen and E. Rae Woods of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section; Senior Litigation Counsel Brenda K. Morris of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis V. Franklin and Steve P. Feaga of the Middle District of Alabama.

Former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy filed a motion Friday for a new trial, arguing prosecutors failed to turn over key evidence about a lead witness before his 2006 trial.

“The material at issue is Brady material which the law and the Constitution require be provided to the defense,” Scrushy attorney Arthur Leach said in a news release. “The fact that it was not strongly suggests a pattern of prosecutorial misconduct by the U.S. Department of Justice similar to what was revealed in the trial of former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens.”

Leura Canary (gov)

Scrushy and Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D) were convicted on bribery and corruption charges in 2006. The government alleged Siegleman had improperly appointed Scrushy to a hospital regulatory board in exchange for Scrushy donating $50o,000 to a campaign for  a state lottery that Seigelman supported. Scrushy and Siegelman say the prosecution was intended to remove a popular Democratic governor.

U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama Leura Canary, the wife of Republican operative Bill Canary, says she recused herself from the case in 2002, The AP reports. But the Scrushy motion says a whistleblower in the U.S. Attorney’s office has come forward to say Canary continued to monitor it.

From the Scrushy news release:

In a sworn affidavit in support of the motion, whistleblower Tamarah Grimes, who was part of the U.S. Attorney’s legal team during Mr. Scrushy’s trial, expresses serious concerns over the actions of Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Feaga in preparing [witness Nick] Bailey to testify at trial. Ms. Grimes has now shared those concerns directly with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, according to the motion.