Scott was never charged with any violation of the law. Under the existing laws, he had committed no crime. For Scott to be convicted of bribery, prosecutors would have had to show he accepted the money, and the money influenced his actions. Today's House clerk was brand-new to the Legislature in 1973. The whole tenor of things has changed for the better.
Government is more open now.
When he became governor in January 1989, Gaston Caperton called an unprecedented special session before the regular session. The ethics law promised to clean up state government, including the Legislature. But critics say more reforms are needed for it to live up to its promise. Two successive presidents of the state Senate were convicted on federal corruption charges for accepting money from lobbyists. He reportedly tried to return the money, but D'Annunzio was cooperating with federal investigators and wore a tape recording device during the meeting.