Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff; $20M spent to nix Alabama gambling expansion, then-Gov. Don Siegelman posted a threat

Alabama newspaper:

He described his work in Alabama in his new book, saying the heart of the scheme was stealth -- funneling money from gambling interests in Mississippi through nonprofits and into anti-gambling groups to help defeat the competition across the state line. He said there were three main threats to his client: then-Gov. Don Siegelman's proposed lottery; dogtrack owner Milton McGregor's efforts to add gambling machines at his facilities; and the planned casino expansion of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

"Over the course of almost five years of waging this battle, we saved Choctaw's gaming market -- which provided them with over $400 million a year in revenue," Abramoff wrote in Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth about Washington Corruption from America's Most Notorious Lobbyist. "It cost the tribe approximately $20 million to wage these battles, but the returns were worth it to them, Chief Martin called us the 'best slot machine' they had, and he was not exaggerating."

Abramoff's book does not detail how the $20 million was spent in Alabama over the course of five years. Part of his crimes included overcharging his clients and pocketing the extra money.

"Our efforts for the Choctaw in Alabama were extensive and expensive, and included radio and television advertising," he wrote. "We organized scores of pastors and voters to lay siege to the statehouse and the governor's office."