Sue Bell Cobb stands by Deputy Field Director, registered sex offender

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Sue Bell Cobb_Paul Littlejohn III

Former Alabama Chief Justice and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sue Bell Cobb is standing beside a campaign worker — Paul Littlejohn III of Birmingham, Ala. — despite his violent criminal history.

Littlejohn, is a former inmate at the Draper Correctional Facility in Elmore County where he spent 30 years following his 1984 conviction for three crimes: rape by forcible compulsion, sodomy I and robbery I. Court records indicate Littlejohn was convicted of raping a 20 year old female and sodomizing a 30 year old female. Both victims were strangers.

Now he’s working in politics — currently helping deliver votes for Cobb as her Deputy Field Director where she’s sending him door-to-door to solicit votes in the hotly contested gubernatorial race. In a letter released on campaign stationary to Al.Com’s Roy Johnson, Cobb’s campaign manager Landon Nichols Jr. defends Littlejohn saying he should be forgiven for his crimes. Nichols asks, “Have you ever made a mistake? Once you have atoned for that mistake, do you believe in forgiveness?” He goes on to say, “I do.”

According to campaign finance reports, Cobb has paid his company — Unity Group Solution, of which AL.com says he is a partner — $19,066 in March and another $21,739 in April ($18,739 on April 4 and $3,000 on April 11).

As a former sex offender, Littlejohn is required to register with the state’s sex offender registry. In his most recent update, April 30, he was listed as homeless despite his income from Cobb’s campaign.

Prior to working for Sure Bell Cobb’s campaign Littlejohn told Al.Com that he worked on campaigns for Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and U.S. Senator Doug Jones.

Alabama Today has reached out to Cobb’s campaign for comment. We will update this piece accordingly should they respond.