The following is a
statement released by Sen. Larry Means on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010, in response
to the 11 federal charges filed against him the day before which implicated
him in a bribery scheme involving legalized gambling in Alabama.
“I have always
conducted myself in an honorable and honest way, and have fought for what is
right for our district, from recruiting and keeping jobs to improving public
education.
“The accusations against me are false and
offend every value I hold dear.
“My constituents are my friends and
neighbors. I have faith in them to do the right thing, and I believe they
know me well enough to have faith in my integrity and my word.
“I have never backed down from standing up
for our district, and I never will. I didn’t stop fighting for Goodyear even
when it meant calling out (Gov.) Bob Riley for breaking his commitment and
almost forcing the loss of some of our best jobs.
“I will do what is right for Etowah and
Cherokee counties no matter what they throw at me.
“Think about the timing of these
ridiculous and false accusations coming a few weeks before an election.
Don’t you think it’s suspicious that the state chairman of (the) Republican
Party announced just weeks ago that he was ‘confident there would be
indictments’ that have the ‘potential to affect November elections.’
“The people pulling the strings behind the scenes
are going to find that my constituents, my friends and neighbors, won’t be
fooled by their trumped-up charges, nor will they have their votes
manipulated.”
