Greenetrack will reopen tonight
Greenetrack will hold a grand re-opening tonight of its Gaming Center. The casino closed in the aftermath of the Alabama Supreme Court decision finding for the state, stripping the “charity bingo” of its non-profit status and ordering Greenetrack to pay $76 million in disputed back taxes. Greenetrack is reopening on very shaky legal ground. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled last week that three other casinos in Lowndes and Macon County were illegal gambling halls, not bingo halls as their owners maintain. The state’s highest court remanded the case back to the lower court and ordered those judges to issue orders that those three casinos close within thirty days. The Court on Friday expounded on earlier court decisions going back to 2009 that bingo is a game played on paper cards. The court has ruled that gambling machines at the facility, very similar to the ones at Greenetrack, are (under Alabama law) illegal gambling machines and not electronic bingo machines as their operators claimed to the court. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement that he was pursuing a separate court action to permanently close Greenetrack. Greenetrack CEO Luther Winn told the Tuscaloosa Thread that the casino will reopen Friday at 5 p.m. and will offer “Las Vegas-style games, mechanical reels, new titles,” and more. “We’re reopening with a product proven to be the top-growing market in the United States with historical horseracing,” Winn said, “We’ll have really nice games that are very competitive and fun to play.” Winn said Greenetrack, which employs an estimated 80 people in Eutaw, is essential to the Greene County economy. “Re-opening means that Greene County, I’m hoping, can take a deep breath, and people can depend on Greenetrack again for employment for years to come,” Winn said. The Alabama Constitution of 1901 outlaws games of chance. That 121-year-old document has not been reversed. Confusion entered into the law when certain counties, including Greene, Macon, Jefferson, and Mobile, passed local county-wide constitutional amendments allowing dog and/or horse racing in Alabama. Greenetrack opened as a dog track where people could bet on live dog races. That was followed by amendments allowing charity bingo. Over time, the tracks went to bingo and then put in electronic bingo machines, which state officials allowed. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI), Alabama’s only federally recognized Indian tribe, asked for and got a license from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to build their own “electronic bingo” halls in Atmore and Wetumpka under the 1986 Indian Gaming Act. Then-Attorney General Troy King issued an attorney general’s opinion that affirmed that electronic bingo was legal under the charity bingo amendments to the Alabama Constitution. Then Gov. Bob Riley appointed Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson, a political rival of King’s, to head a gambling task force that began seizing the electronic gambling machines. The Alabama Supreme Court found that Riley and Tyson were correct and that bingo cannot be played on a machine. Robert Bentley followed Riley as Governor, closed down the Governor’s gambling task force, and issued an executive order that prohibited state troopers from enforcing the law against gaming. Gov. Kay Ivey has continued the Bentley policy on gambling. In 2020 the Governor’s task force on gambling issued a lengthy report urging the Legislature to pass legislation allowing the current casinos to operate legally and impose a state lottery. State Sens. Greg Albritton and Del Marsh both separately brought the governor’s legislation, and it passed the State Senate in 2021 and 2022. The Alabama House of Representatives did not. Gov. Ivey has said that her greatest regret from her first term is that the Legislature has not passed gambling legislation. Marshall, meanwhile, has pursued legal actions to shut down the casinos. The Greenetrack Gaming Center has been in the process of remodeling and refurbishing its gambling machines since August. It reopens tonight, but its legality and its future remain in doubt. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Marshall seeks second term as Alabama attorney general
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Thursday that he is running for a second term as the state’s top law enforcement officer. Marshall, a Republican, made the announcement at a news conference in which he touted his participation in lawsuits against President Joe Biden’s administration and derided “lawlessness across our country with cities set ablaze.” “I promise you this. The wave of the past will not be the wave of the future. There will be law and order in the state of Alabama. So long as I am this state’s chief law enforcement officer, I will fight for it and I will see that mission through,” Marshall said. Marshall was appointed to the office in 2017 by then-Gov. Robert Bentley. He won the office in the 2018 election after defeating former Attorney General Troy King in the GOP runoff and Joe Siegelman, the son of former Gov. Don Siegelman in the general election. Under his direction, Alabama joined lawsuits by Republican-led states in suing the Biden administration over several issues, including a suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal land and water and to reschedule canceled sales of leases in the Gulf of Mexico. Marshall also filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Census Bureau seeking to block immigrants living in the country illegally from being included in 2020 U.S. Census counts. “Make no mistake, we are in a fight for the sovereignty of our state and the safety of our citizens. It is a fight that I gladly take on every morning,” Marshall said. Alabama faces an ongoing lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice over prison conditions. In his brief announcement, Marshall did not give specifics but appeared to criticize sentencing reforms. “I’m sickened by the repeat offenders that wreak havoc on our cities advanced by policies that have been advocated by members of my own party,” Marshall said. Under Marshall, the state attorney general’s office has also pursued fines against cities that have taken down Confederate monuments in violation of state law. Marshall was head of the Republican Attorneys General Association’s Rule of Law Defense Fund when it sent out calls urging “patriots” to come to a Jan. 6 Washington, D.C., rally that led to the riot at the U.S. Capitol. Marshall said in January that he was unaware of “unauthorized decisions made by RLDF staff with regard” to the rally. Marshall’s wife Bridgette died by suicide in 2018. As reporters inquired about the details of her death, Marshall gave an emotionally raw news conference describing his wife’s deeply personal struggles with depression and anxiety. During the announcement Thursday, Marshall recalled her words at his 2018 campaign kickoff that he “says what he means and means what he says.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Inside the Statehouse: Senate and congressional runoffs next week
Steve Flowers provides an overview of important races in this month’s primary run-off.
Inside the Statehouse: Open seat for the 2nd congressional district will be decided in March
Steve Flowers discusses the upcoming 2nd congressional district election.
Joe Siegelman wants Ethics Commission to act on complaint against AG Steve Marshall
Democratic Attorney General Candidate Joe Siegelman held a press conference in Huntsville, Ala. on Thursday to urge the Alabama Ethics Commission to act on the ethics complaint filed against Attorney General Steve Marshall, that they have yet to take action on. The complaint alleges Marshall accepted $735,000 in illegal contributions from the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) Action Fund. The actual complaint was filed back in July by Marshall’s Republican primary opponent, former state Attorney General Troy King. King alleged Marshall accepted the money from the RAGA political action committee and said that the group uses money from other PAC’s to fund their own PAC; violating Alabama’s PAC to PAC money laws. Siegelman’s press conference followed a letter that Siegelman sent to the members of the Alabama Ethics Commission earlier Thursday morning. “In less than three years, Alabama has lost the highest officeholder in every branch of its government due to unethical or illegal conduct. Now we may lose our Attorney General simply over greed for special-interest, dark money,” said Siegelman. “We face not only losing another high officeholder to illegality, but we face a crossroads of whether we are capable and willing to hold the chief law enforcement officer of the State accountable, or allow him to reside above the law.” Marshall’s campaign reacted to Siegelman’s press conference saying, “It is unfortunate that our young, inexperienced liberal democratic opponent has decided to run a false and negative campaign.” To which Siegelman replied, “My opponent criticizes me for being young. I may only be 30, but I know better than to accept $735,000 in illegal contributions. He sadly does not. Notably my opponent chose to attack me rather than respond to the allegations, which were made by a fellow Republican.” Read Siegelman’s letter to the Ethics Commission below:
Five things you need to know about Joseph Siegelman
Now that the runoff elections are over, voters are turning their attention to the November General Election only 106 days away. Democratic Attorney General candidate Joseph Siegelman beat his primary opponent Chris Christie in the June primary elections while Incumbent Attorney General and Republican candidate Steve Marshall was thrown into a runoff race. Marshall won his runoff election against Troy King last week with just over 62 percent of the vote; now Marshall will face Siegelman in the November General Election. The attorney general is responsible for representing the state in criminal and civil matters, and the office often is a stepping-stone to other positions. Just ask former Alabama attorney general and U.S. Senator, now-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Joseph Siegelman: 1. He’s the the son of former Gov. Don Siegelman. Siegelman’s father, former Gov. Don Siegelman was a dominating figure in state politics for years, but his career came to a close with a conviction on federal bribery charges. In 2016, Siegelman had filed a lawsuit seeking Department of Justice documents about his father’s prosecution. Ultimately nothing came of it and Don Siegelman was released in 2017, which was a year to the day that Joseph announced his candidacy, from a federal prison in Louisiana where he was serving a six-year sentence for bribery and obstruction of justice. 2. He received some big endorsements during the primary. Siegelman has been endorsed by the New South Alliance and equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter. 3. He would be a very young AG. If elected, Siegelman, 29, would only be 30 when he assumes office — a stark contrast to his Republican opponent, Steve Marshall who’s career has spanned over 30 years. 4. He’s the managing partner and with The Cochran Firm. Siegelman is the managing partner in The Cochran Firm – Birmingham office. There, his practice focuses primarily in the areas of personal injury, products liability, medical malpractice and mass tort litigation. He is a member of the Alabama State Bar Association and the Birmingham Bar Association and is admitted to practice in all Alabama State and Federal courts. 5. Roll Tide Roll. Siegelman obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama while completing part of his coursework at the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, England. He received a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration, graduating summa cum laude from the University of Alabama’s Honors College and Business Honors Program. He also received his Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law. In law school, he twice represented the University of Alabama as an advocate on its National Trial Team and was awarded the George Peach Taylor Award for his outstanding trial advocacy.
Martha Roby, Steve Marshall, Will Ainsworth win Alabama runoffs: See full list
U.S. Rep. Martha Roby won Alabama’s Republican runoff on Tuesday, fighting through lingering fallout from her years-old criticism of Donald Trump, in a midterm contest that hinged on loyalty to the GOP president. The four-term incumbent will now represent the GOP on the November ballot having defeated Bobby Bright, a former Democrat who tried to cast himself as the more authentic Trump ally in the low-turnout Republican contest. The Trump White House was on Roby’s side. While election officials don’t expect a large voter turnout, there are six statewide GOP races on the ballot plus one state school board seat. Here is a glance at those races: LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR State Rep. Will Ainsworth defeated Alabama Public Service Commission President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in a race that got raucous down the stretch. The 37-year-old Ainsworth ran commercials playing on Cavanaugh’s unusual first name and calling her a career politician. Cavanaugh led all candidates for lieutenant governor in fundraising with nearly $1.1 million in total contributions through April. The 52-year-old Cavanaugh brought up Ainsworth’s theft arrest when he was a college student and was accused of stealing fiberglass tigers in downtown Auburn. Ainsworth called it a college prank and closed his campaign by touring with a fiberglass tiger. He will face Democratic minister Will Boyd in November. The lieutenant governor’s office has been vacant since then-incumbent Kay Ivey became governor in April 2017. ___ ATTORNEY GENERAL Appointed incumbent Steve Marshall has won the Republican nomination for attorney general and now faces his first statewide general election challenge. Marshall defeated former Attorney General Troy King in the Republican runoff Tuesday. The former county prosecutor will face a general election challenge from Birmingham lawyer Joseph Siegelman, the son of ex-Gov. Don Siegelman. The 53-year-old Marshall has been attorney general since February 2017, when then-Gov. Robert Bentley appointed him after naming Luther Strange to the U.S. Senate. Marshall had a narrow lead over the 49-year-old King in the June primary and widened his margin in the runoff. The race took on an aggressive tone in the closing days after both Marshall and King temporarily paused their campaigns following the suicide of Marshall’s wife last month. ___ AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES Farmer and small-town mayor Rick Pate has defeated longtime state Sen. Gerald Dial for the Republican nomination for commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. The 63-year-old Pate led the 80-year-old Dial and three other candidates in the primary in June, but he didn’t get enough votes to win the nomination outright. He widened his lead in Tuesday’s balloting. Pate is a cattle breeder west of Montgomery, and he also serves as mayor of Lowndesboro. Dial says he farms timber. No Democrats are running, so the eventual Republican nominee is virtually assured of winning in November. ___ APPEALS COURTS Voters in Alabama’s runoff election decided the Republican nominees for three slots on statewide appeals courts. Mobile County Circuit Judge Sarah Hicks Stewart defeated gubernatorial appointee Brad Mendheim for a seat on the nine-member Alabama Supreme Court. Mendheim is a former circuit judge from southeast Alabama who led primary balloting. Alabama Tax Court Judge Christy Edwards of Montgomery defeated Baldwin County Circuit Judge Michelle Manley Thomason for a judgeship on the five-member Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. And west Alabama District Attorney Chris McCool beat Assistant Alabama Attorney General Rich Anderson for a position on the five-member Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. No Democrat is running for any of the three judgeships in November, so winning the GOP runoff is tantamount to election. ___ STATE SCHOOL BOARD Auburn City School Board President Tracie West has won the GOP nomination in the only runoff for a position on the Alabama State Board of Education. West defeated Dothan school board member Melanie Hill for the District 2 position, which represents southeastern Alabama on the policy-making board. Hill led West narrowly in the four-person primary contest. Both supported repealing Common Core educational standards, and both touted their experience in education and leadership roles. West will now face Democrat Adam Jortner, who teaches history at Auburn University. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Final push in Attorney General runoff brings Trump favorites Pam Bondi and Roger Stone to AL
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and former Attorney General Troy King are making their final pitches to voters ahead of Tuesday’s Republican runoff. Marshall returned to the campaign trail Saturday for the first time following the suicide of his wife last month. Marshall thanked people for supporting him during his loss. He said he never considered dropping out of the race because his wife had urged him to run. “One of the last things that my wife had left for me was a note. She said that I know you are the man for the job and the man for Alabama,” Marshall said. A group of GOP attorneys generals, including Pam Bondi of Florida, held rallies with Marshall on Saturday in both ends of the state. Bondi said “ethics and integrity mean everything” and others praised his record as a prosecutor. “We believe in what he’s doing for Alabama and I believe in what he’s doing for President Trump,” Bondi said Marshall is seeking to win the office in his own right after being appointed last year by then-Gov. Robert Bentley. He previously served 16 years as the district attorney of Marshall County. Both King and Marshall are stressing their records in the heated runoff. King, who was attorney general from 2004 to 2011, is seeking a political comeback. King was appointed as attorney general by then-Gov. Bob Riley. He was elected to a full term in 2006, but he lost the 2010 GOP primary to Luther Strange. In an interview with the Associated Press, King said he was the true Republican in the race, noting that, as a 10-year-old, he went door-to-door campaigning for Ronald Reagan. Marshall, who was initially appointed by Gov. Don Siegelman, switched to the GOP in 2011. “On Tuesday this election is about the Republican Party nominating a standard-bearer. Only one of us is a Republican,” King said when asked why runoff voters should choose him. King will hold a series of Monday rallies with Trump ally Roger Stone. Both campaigns paused their activities last month following the death of Bridgette Marshall. King said he pulled his commercials from the air for a week after the death out of respect for his opponent. In returning to the campaign trail, King said he would focus on contrasting their records. That does not mean the primary has not gotten heated at times. King criticized Bentley’s appointment of Marshall when Bentley was the subject of an ethics investigation as a “crooked deal.” King said Marshall got his dream job and “let a man who corrupted Alabama go free.” Marshall responded that he was ethically required to recuse himself from the investigation, but he appointed an “experienced tough prosecutor” to lead the probe and “six weeks after that Robert Bentley was out of office.” Bentley resigned after pleading guilty to misdemeanor campaign finance violations. Marshall’s campaign sent out a direct mail piece with unflattering headlines from King’s time as attorney general, including that King had briefly been the subject of a federal grand jury investigation. The probe ended without charges. King responded that the probe was politically motivated and was leaked to the press to derail his 2010 campaign. He said it ended without charges because he did nothing wrong. The runoff winner will race Democrat Joseph Siegelman in November. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Overview of runoffs for US House, state positions on ballot
Only a handful of statewide races are on the ballot in Alabama’s runoff election on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, and all that action is on the Republican side. Most attention nationally will go to the U.S. House race in southeastern Alabama between Rep. Martha Roby and former congressman Bobby Bright. President Donald Trump has endorsed Roby even though she withdrew her endorsement of him in 2016 after the release of the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape. Her criticism fueled a backlash against Roby among Trump-loving Alabamians. Two years later, Trump’s backing could persuade holdouts to support her. But Bright is fully supporting Trump, even though he used to be a Democrat. While election officials don’t expect a large voter turnout, there are six statewide GOP races on the ballot plus one state school board seat. Here is a look at those races: ___ LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR The head of Alabama’s utility-regulating agency is up against a state legislator in the Republican runoff for lieutenant governor. Alabama Public Service Commission president Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh will face state legislator Rep. Will Ainsworth of Guntersville on Tuesday. Cavanaugh carried 43 percent of the vote to 37 percent for Ainsworth in the three-way GOP primary. Cavanaugh also led all candidates for lieutenant governor in fundraising with nearly $1.1 million in total contributions through April. The lieutenant governor’s main duty is presiding over the state Senate, but the office has been vacant since April 2017. That’s when now-Gov. Kay Ivey succeeded Robert Bentley following his resignation and guilty plea to a campaign finance charge amid a sex-tinged scandal. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democratic minister Will Boyd in November. ___ ATTORNEY GENERAL Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is trying to fend off a challenge from a former attorney general, Troy King, in the GOP primary on Tuesday. Marshall has served in the job since February 2017, when then-Gov. Robert Bentley appointed after naming Luther Strange to the U.S. Senate. Marshall previously worked as a county prosecutor. The 53-year-old Marshall had a razor-thin lead over the 49-year-old King in the primary in June, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the runoff. King was appointed attorney general in 2004 and won a full term before losing a bid for re-election. Both Marshall and King temporarily paused their campaigns following the suicide of Marshall’s wife last month. The winner will face Birmingham attorney Joseph Siegelman, who’s the son of former Gov. Don Siegelman. ___ APPEALS COURTS Three statewide appeals court seats are at stake in Alabama’s Republican runoff. Gubernatorial appointee Brad Mendheim and Sarah Hicks Stewart of Mobile are in a runoff for a seat on the nine-member Alabama Supreme Court. Mendheim is a former circuit judge from southeast Alabama who led primary balloting. Alabama Tax Court Judge Christy Edwards of Montgomery and Baldwin County Circuit Judge Michelle Manley Thomason are competing for the Republican nomination for a judgeship on the five-member Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. And west Alabama District Attorney Chris McCool and Assistant Alabama Attorney General Rich Anderson are vying for a position on the five-member Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. No Democrat is running for any of the three judgeships in November, so winning the GOP runoff is tantamount to election. ___ AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES A runoff will decide the race for the Republican nomination for commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. Longtime state Sen. Gerald Dial of Lineville will face Rick Pate, a farmer and businessman who’s mayor of Lowndesboro. The 63-year-old Pate outdistanced the 80-year-old Dial in the four-person primary in June, but he didn’t get enough votes to win the nomination outright. Both candidates are portraying themselves as farmers. Pate is a cattle breeder west of Montgomery, and Dial says he farms timber. No Democrats are running, so the eventual Republican nominee is virtually assured of winning in November. ___ STATE SCHOOL BOARD Two candidates from southeast Alabama are vying for the Republican nomination in the only state school board race on the runoff ballot. Dothan school board member Melanie Hill and Auburn City School Board President Tracie West are seeking the nomination for the District 2 position on the Alabama State Board of Education. Hill led West narrowly in the four-person primary contest. Both support repealing Common Core educational standards, and both are touting their experience as in education and leadership roles. The winner will face Democrat Adam Jortner in November. He teaches history at Auburn University. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
My runoff picks are easy: I’m voting for decency and truth
Here we are again — it’s crazy time in the runoff elections. We are seeing a lot of shenanigans on the Republican side of the ticket from each of the major races and candidates. I have yet, in the three years that I’ve run this website, to do public personal endorsements. I have debated whether or not I was going to post my thoughts this time around, but given the mean spiritedness of the cycle I have decided I would share with you my perspective and point of view on some of the hottest races. Without further adieu, in the race for Agriculture Commissioner, I’m absolutely infuriated by the fact any candidate would make light of domestic violence and use it try and get ahead in a race. No matter how close a race gets there’s no excuse for that… Gerald Dial there’s no way you’re getting my vote after the stunt you’ve just pulled. Divorces have a way of bringing out the worst in some people and according to Rick Pate’s ex-wife her allegations against her husband were not true. Everyone who knows Rick Pate has decried the decades old claims against him. I understand the value of opposition research as much as anyone in this process and I know that getting the truth out would be important should these allegations have any truth to them but they don’t and it’s just wrong to use them as a weapon. I’ve never given as much consideration to under-voting as I have in the race for Attorney General. I felt strongly going into the runoff that I would be voting for Troy King based on his record and experience. Steve Marshall is a Democrat he can deny it all he wants but King’s right to point out that Marshall changed parties because he knows a Democrat can’t get elected statewide in Alabama (*under normal circumstances). My biggest gripe with Marshall is that I don’t feel like he has used the opportunity he’s been given by Governor Robert Bentley to step up and step into the role to the best of his abilities. If he claims he has then surely he doesn’t deserve to be elected for a full-term. He’s wielded the power and authority of the office to punt on Ethics Reform, to kow-tow to the people he thought could help him get reelected and while that’s helped him raise money I don’t think it’s impressing voters like me much. On the other hand, Troy could have run a more positive race based on his credentials without beating up on Marshall and his fundraising all the time. Let’s be clear, the majority of voters aren’t going to be swayed by the argument that Marshall’s campaign has gone crazy in terms of campaign finance. I’m tired of hearing about it from King and his campaign. Enough already. I’ve knocked on thousands of doors over the last 15 years or so and I can count on one hand the number of people who would put campaign finance issues at the top of their list of issues. For our attorney general I’m looking for consistent conservative views. I’m looking for proactive consumer protection. I’m looking for justice and fairness. I’m looking for someone who respects the constitution and the second amendment in particular. Troy King’s experience won me over this race and his campaign nearly lost my vote. Then, in the race for the Lt. Governor boy do voters have a tough pick. I think highly of and respect Twinkle Cavanaugh. As a woman, as a conservative, for what she’s done in the PSC (“Right Sizing” the office) and the heat she’s taken in her work there. I think she’s not given enough credit for her efforts. She’s really an all-around great person in my opinion. And yet, I can’t vote for her this election. It was tough with her and Will Ainsworth, going into this knowing both of their records, but at the same time I believe that Will will do better leading the state senate to the right. We need someone with backbone at Lt. Governor, someone who has shown they can and will stand up for what’s right. Will is the reason Bentley didn’t get his tax increases. He’s shown he can lead without alienating and he’s running a positive campaign. Every time I hear Twinkle’s radio ads hitting Will it makes my skin crawl. I know negative ads work in general but they don’t work on voters who know them to be untrue and these ads are just untrue. There’s probably a lot one could say about Will from his time in the House; you don’t hold strong on your principles and not make enemy’s from those who want the status quo to continue. Negative untrue ads and attacks suck. Twinkle knows that, she’s experienced it firsthand. But to say Will’s not conservative because like everyone else, like me even, he questioned President Donald’s Trump’s sincerity and conservatism during the presidential primary that’s absurd! I’m more worried about those who didn’t at some point question Trump’s candidacy. As for his record, it speaks for itself and it’s clear he’s a conservative. Heck, some would say he’s too conservative. So with that in mind, his record, the insanity of the ads Twinkle’s campaign is running against him and the fact she’ll stay in the PSC if she’s not elected I’m voting for Will. We’ve only got a few more days left until the election. Let’s get it over and move on. I’m hoping there’s no more mean crazy underhanded things to come but I won’t hold my breath.
Judge dismisses Troy King’s lawsuit against Steve Marshall
Attorney General candidate Troy King’s efforts to stop his opponent Steve Marshall’s ability to spend questionable campaign donations fell apart on Thursday when a Montgomery judge, Circuit Judge James Anderson, dismissed a lawsuit King filed against Marshall. It all began Monday, when in an eleventh hour effort kit announced a lawsuit he filed against Marshall — just one week before voters hit the polls to cast their ballots in the primary runoff election on July 17. King alleged that Marshall accepted $700,000 from the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) political action committee and that the group uses money from other PAC’s to fund their own PAC; violating Alabama’s PAC to PAC money laws. King then sued Marshall on Wednesday, attempting to deter Marshall from spending the contributions. “Now, during the 2017 election cycle, according to RAGA’s public filings with the Internal Revenue Service, the RAGA’s PAC has again accepted a number of contributions from other PACs, including, earlier this year, nearly $16,000 from the J.P. Morgan PAC plus another $50,000 in PAC contributions in the last quarter of 2017. RAGA’s PAC has now, during the election cycle, made hundreds of thousands of dollars of contributions to Steve Marshall for Alabama, Inc,” said King’s lawsuit, according to WHNT. But Thursday afternoon a Montgomery judge, Circuit Judge James Anderson, dismissed the lawsuit, and denied King’s request for a restraining order against Marshall. “Anderson said the Republican PAC is federally regulated and questioned how he and state law would have jurisdiction over transfers that happened in another state,” the Associated Press reported. After the ruling, Marshall’s campaign released a statement accusing King of abusing the judicial process to stage a political stunt. “He did so routinely as AG and Republicans fired him in 2010 because of it,” the Montgomery Advertiser reported. “We are glad the court has confirmed this and look forward to getting back to the issues Alabama voters actually care about in the final days of this campaign.”
2018 runoff election ad round-up: July 13 edition
The July 17 runoff election is only four days away and Alabama’s candidates have taken to the internet and the airwaves with campaign ads in hopes of swaying Yellowhammer State voters to their side. This week Republican Lieutenant Governor candidates Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh and Will Ainsworth are back at it again with the negative ads. Meanwhile Incumbent Attorney General Steve Marshall has been fighting his own battle with Troy King this week, calling him out in his new ad. While some campaigns have turned negative, Judge Michelle Thomason, Christy Edwards, and Martha Roby have chosen to focus their ads on their own merits. Lieutenant Governor Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh: Title: Ainsworth’s Real Record Published: July 6, 2018 Tone: Malicious Will Ainsworth: Title: Believe Published: July 10, 2018 Tone: Thoughtful Attorney General Steve Marshall: Title: Fake News Published: July 9, 2018 Tone: Frustrated Civil Appeals Court: Place 1 Michelle Thomason: Title: Judge Michelle Thomason Published: July 12, 2018 Tone: Laudatory Michelle Thomason: Title: Judge Michelle Thomason Published: July 12, 2018 Tone: Nostalgic Christy Edwards: Title: Christy Edwards Runoff Published: July 9, 2018 Tone: Sincere U.S. Congressional District 2 Martha Roby: Title: Numbers Published: June 9, 2018 Tone: Frank
