Perry Hooper’s accuser asks that sexual abuse charges be dropped

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Perry Hooper Jr. and Donald Trump Photo Credit: Perry Hooper Jr.

On Monday, the woman who had accused former State Rep. Perry Hooper Jr. of sexual abuse at a Montgomery restaurant in August released a statement asking that the charges against Hooper be dropped. Hooper was indicted by a Montgomery grand jury just ten days ago.

The victim, Elizabeth Daly, wrote in a statement released to Alabama Today, “I have asked that any charges against Perry Hooper be dismissed. The matters relating to Mr. Hooper and me have been resolved, and going through the turmoil of a trial would provide no more justice than getting a sincere public apology from Mr. Hooper. I so respect and appreciate law enforcement and the job they have to perform. Nevertheless, I request these charges be dismissed.”

Ms. Daly said in the statement through her attorney that she would make no comment to any reporter regarding this incident and not to contact her.

Hooper, age 68, was indicted on a first-degree sexual abuse charge stemming from an incident at a downtown Montgomery restaurant on Commerce Street.

According to an affidavit, Hooper approached a woman working at the restaurant from behind and allegedly grabbed her breasts and waist in an unsolicited embrace while shoving his pelvis against the victim’s backside and began kissing her neck before she was able to break free.

Hooper has been a fixture in Alabama Republican Party politics for decades. He is a member of the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee representing Montgomery County and a member of the Board of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Hooper was a frequently published political commentator whose columns were frequently published at 1819 News and the Montgomery Advertiser.

There are unnamed sources claiming that the Montgomery district attorney proceeded with the indictment against Hooper even after the victim came forward and asked that the charges be dropped. Hooper’s next court date is scheduled for December 21. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge J.R. Gaines.

Hooper served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1983 to 2002.

Hooper is a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump and chaired the Trump Victory Fund in the 2016 campaign.

An indictment is merely the finding by a grand jury that the prosecution has presented enough evidence for a jury trial to take place. Hooper will have an opportunity to present a defense at trial before a jury of his peers.

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