Turtle Talk

Beason, Lewis, and their political allies sought to defeat SB380 partly because they believed the absence of the referendum on the ballot would lower African–American voter turnout during the 2010 elections. One of the government’s recordings captured Beason and Lewis discussing political strategy with other influential Republican legislative allies. A confederate warned: “Just keep in mind if [a pro-gambling] bill passes and we have a referendum in November, every black in this state will be bused to the polls. And that ain’t gonna help.” Trial Transcript, Doc. No. 1298, at 80. The participants predicted: “Every black, every illiterate” would be “bused on HUD financed buses.” Id.Beason agreed: “That’s right. This will be busing extra…. Because you gotta have somebody to pay for those buses.” Id. at 81. One participant replied that casinos would provide “free food” and gambling certificates to get black voters to the polls. Id.

In a separate conversation, during which Lewis asked whether the predominantly black residents of Greene County were “y’all’s Indians?,” id.at 86, Beason responded by derisively referring to blacks as “Aborigines.” Id. at 87. [Footnote 2: While this remark is primarily targeted at African–Americans, the court notes that it also evidences Beason’s racist animus toward Native Americans. The history of oppression against Native Americans continues today, particularly in the American West. See, e.g., Pamela S. Karlan, Lightning in the Hand: Indians and Voting Rights, 120 Yale L.J. 1420 (2011).]