Reactions to the Mike Hubbard guilty verdicts

A jury found Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard guilty on 12 of 23 felony ethics charges Friday. He was acquitted on the other charges.

Here’s what Alabama lawmakers and government officials are saying of the guilty verdicts.

Governor Robert Bentley (via a news release):

“Alabama is strong because our people are strong. As leaders we were placed here to serve our people and that is exactly what we are going to continue to do. God has assigned us to this task, and we will work hard to honor Him. I have the utmost confidence in the men and women of the Alabama Legislature. We will all continue working together to solve the real problems facing our state and to help Alabamians. We will pass a balanced budget that funds essential state services, create well-paying jobs and care for our sick, our elderly and our children. No matter how difficult the challenge, the people of this state will know we are working hard every day to serve them.”

Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey:

“The verdict reached by twelve Lee County jurors brings finality to a lengthy legal process that has impacted our state government and public trust. I pray that Mike, his wife Susan, and their sons will be strengthened and supported through the uncertainties of this difficult time. I respect the jury’s hard work and accept their findings. It is not easy to sit in judgment and these jurors did their duty as citizens of Alabama. One of our basic founding principles is the safeguard that due process affords to protect individual freedoms when justice is administered. The rule of Law and the right to a trial by jury has helped maintain our democracy for more than two centuries. The consistency of our legal system in treating everyone as an equal before the Law will continue to sustain us now and in the future. I believe in the rule of law, Alabama and her people. I know that our best days are ahead of us.”

Attorney General Luther Strange (via news release):

 “This is a good day for the rule of law in our state. This kind of result would never have been achieved had our office not put together the finest public corruption unit in the country. I’m very proud of their work. This should send a clear message that in Alabama we hold public officials accountable for their actions.”

State Representative Jack Williams (statement to Alabama Today):

“This is a sad day for Alabama and a sad say for Speaker Hubbard, his family and friends. We operate under the rule of law and the House will continue to move forward under new leadership. I urge all Alabamians to join me in praying for Mike, Susan and his sons during this very difficult time and to pray for our state government for wisdom and guidance as we move through this situation.”

State Representative Will Ainsworth (via his Facebook page):

“As a freshman legislator, I have worked hard to bring a new mindset to state government — a mindset that doesn’t operate in the shadows of backroom deals or rely upon the politics of the past. It’s disappointing when anyone succumbs to the temptations that Montgomery offers, and when a leader is the one who strays, that disappointment is magnified tenfold. All elected officials must be mindful of the words in Proverbs 11:28, “Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.”

Acting House Speaker and Speaker Pro Tem Victor Gaston (via news release):

“The Alabama House is not defined by the actions of any one member, it is defined by the motto that appears on the wall of our Chamber, “Vox Populi,” which means “Voice of the People.” This incident, no matter how regrettable, offers strong proof that the ethics reforms passed by the Legislature in 2010 remain among the toughest in the nation. I know that every House member, regardless of party, will keep Mike Hubbard and his family in our prayers as he begins this next, most difficult chapter in his life.”

Decatur-Republican, House Majority Leader Micky Hammon (via news release):

“While today is a sad one for those of us who served with Mike Hubbard, it is also one that reaffirms the fact that our justice system is an impartial one. The Alabama House will move past this chapter in its history and remain committed to the guiding conservative principles that the majority of our members hold close to their hearts. Issues like fiscal responsibility, growing our economy, improving education, and fighting unnecessary federal intrusion into the lives of Alabamians will continue to be our highest priorities.”

House Minority Leader Craig Ford:

“This is a dark day for Alabama. Mike Hubbard led Republicans to a supermajority on a platform of cleaning up corruption in Montgomery. But instead of cleaning up corruption, Mike Hubbard and the Republican leadership in all three branches of our government have embraced corruption. They have forgotten they are supposed to serve the people, and not the other way around.”

Alabama Republican Assembly (via news release):

The Alabama Republican Assembly would like to thank the twelve members of the jury in Lee County for their role in our judicial system and holding public officials accountable for their actions. These men and women found House Speaker Mike Hubbard guilty of twelve felony charges relating to political corruption and abuse of power. These jury members displayed a conviction that was lacking in our state legislature, which voted to keep Mike Hubbard as Speaker despite the 23 indictments and previous findings disclosed by an audit of the Alabama Republican Party.

The Alabama Republican Assembly hopes that integrity can be restored to this office with the election of a new Republican Speaker that is free of any affiliation with the unethical acts of the previous administration. A Speaker that will stand steadfastly for conservative Alabama values and against the corrupting influences of organized gambling, special interest lobbyists, and corrupt politicians. We further ask that current legislators who received funding from Hubbard’s PACS or entities to donate any remaining campaign funds to charity. In addition, we would like to specifically thank prosecutor Matt Hart for his work in fighting corruption in our state, as well as Republican Assembly member Jonathan Barbee, who through his time with AL Reporter and as producer of The Voice of Alabama Politics has spent the last several years working at great personal cost to expose the truth about Mike Hubbard.

S