Sen. Scott Beason, R-17th, went before a grand jury in the federal courthouse in Montgomery on Wednesday to testify that he has been working with the FBI since 2009 in the statewide federal bingo investigation.

“There had been a conversation that I thought was inappropriate with a lobbyist, and that was in the spring of 2009,” Beason told the North Jefferson News on Thursday. “At that time I contacted the FBI … and helped in the investigation in any way I could.”

Beason received a subpoena to appear at the federal courthouse, but says he is not under any investigation himself, and is just providing testimony that will help the case move along.

“The bottom line for me is, if there have been acts of corruption in the county and criminal activity, then I believe those people should be prosecuted and serve time in prison,” said Beason. “We have to restore people’s faith in the system, and if they think it’s being tainted by corruption, then it’s going to be difficult for people to have faith in their legislators.”

A deputy district attorney for Jefferson County said recently that the district attorney’s office has come to no conclusions from its investigation of the property seized from the bingo hall near Gardendale city limits last month.

Beason said the federal investigation is a separate issue from the Jefferson County bingo hall raids.

Beason is a Gardendale native.