Roy Moore accuser scrubs Facebook page of anti-Moore, political posts
One of the women who accused former Alabama Chief Justice and Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual misconduct has been scrubbing her Facebook page political postings in the days following The Washington Post’s bombshell report detailing Moore’s alleged misconduct. First reported by Breitbart News, Deborah Wesson Gibson — who went on record saying she engaged in a legal and consensual, but inappropriate relationship with Moore — deleted two postings that were critical of Moore and another related to Moore’s Democratic opponent, Doug Jones. On October 13, she shared a link to a New York Magazine article titled, “Democrats Have a Real Chance to Beat Roy Moore—They Should Take It.” Gibson deleted another anti-Moore post made the same day as the first, which featured an article from the progressive news site Daily Kos titled, “Alabama’s U.S. Senate candidate said Sandy Hook massacre happened because ‘we’ve forgotten God’s law’”: Gibson also deleted a post she made on Jones campaign page showing a picture of her and former Vice-President Joe Biden. The last picture revealed that Gibson worked as a sign language interpreter for Biden. It has also been discoverd that she also worked for former Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. While Gibson’s deleted posts in no way discredit or disprove her allegations, they have led many to question her and her political agenda. “It’s a very, very obvious distraction tactic. We have seen more sexual perversion by famous Democrats exposed during the last 2-4 weeks than in all of previous American history. They are desperate to tar conservatives with the same brush and they are grabbing hold of anything they can, which is why the fake Moore story was such a botched rush job and is falling apart almost immediately,” wrote Discus user johnparker237. “Cant change the facts… it is totally coming out how much of a setup this was… One of the Ladies wasnt smart enough to delete her facebook before she accused. Shows her bias. You guys love to lie and obfuscate the truth. Whatever it takes to win. cant win on ideas so it comes down to name calling and smear tactics. Just so sad. Pathetic people,” added matt . The deleted posts also call into question whether or not The Washington Post did due diligence to disclose such bias in their initial report. On Friday, Newsmax columnist James Hirsen tweeted the “Washington Post failed to disclose that one of Moore’s accusers was a sign language interpreter for Joe Biden and is a volunteer for Moore’s Democrat opponent.” The Washington Post failed to disclose that one of Moore’s accusers was a sign language interpreter for Joe Biden and is a volunteer for Moore’s Democrat opponent. — James Hirsen (@thejimjams) November 10, 2017 Moore faces Jones in the special election on Dec. 12
State Sen. Phil Williams on Roy Moore: God help us as we sort through the mess
An Alabama state senator is calling on God to help “sort through the mess” that has surfaced in recent days following a bombshell report with the accounts of four women who claim Alabama-Republican and U.S. Senate nominee Roy Moore sexually pursued them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. In his official capacities as both the State Senator for District 10 and as the Chairman for the Etowah County Republican Party, Rainbow City-Republican and Alabama State Sen. Phil Williams went on the record Monday saying the women who have accused Moore of sexual misconduct “deserve the full measure of credibility that any victim should be given in cases such as these.” “In recent days horrible allegations of sexual predation have been levied against Judge Roy Moore that have caused genuine unrest in the final days of Alabama’s US Senate race. The allegations by Ms. Leigh Corfman and several others deserve the full measure of credibility that any victim should be given in cases such as these,” Williams said in a statement. Williams went on to say the allegations are decades old and past the statue of limitations for prosecuting a case against Moore, leaving both sides to “be forced to forever live with the alleged memories, and the pain of accusation from which a defense cannot be mounted in the truest sense.” Williams concluded, “It occurs to me that what we have before us is the worst of humanity on display. On one hand, if the allegations are true, then a young woman at a defenseless position in her life was the victim of actions that no one should be subjected to – actions that may well have colored her days thereafter. On the other hand, if the allegations are untrue then we have a situation in which outright lies are being told with the sole intent to destroy the life and ruin the name of someone for the sole purpose of gaining an edge in politics. It is horrible to contemplate that anyone would wreak either havoc on another person – but that is the world that we live in and those are the only two possible grounds for the stories being given top billing in the media today. God help us as we sort through the mess.”
Roy Moore threatens lawsuit over Washington Post allegations
Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate-hopeful Roy Moore said a lawsuit will be filed over a bombshell The Washington Post report that detailed the accounts of four women who claim he sexually pursued them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. With the Dec. 12 special election only four weeks away, Moore assured supporters during a campaign event Sunday night at the Huntsville Christian Academy in Huntsville, Ala. that the report was “fake news” and “a desperate attempt to stop my political campaign.” “The Washington Post published another attack on my character and reputation because they are desperate to stop my political campaign. These attacks said I was with a minor child and are false and untrue — and for which they will be sued,” Moore said at the event. Moore’s remarks come amid increasing pressure from the Republican Party to drop out of the race. “Why would they come now? Because there are groups that don’t want me in the United States Senate,” he said, calling out the Democratic Party and the Republican establishment. “We do not plan to let anybody deter us from this race.” It is unknown whether or not Moore will actually follow through with a lawsuit. He provided no details about what type of suit he planned to file or when he planned to file it. The event was closed to reporters, but the Moore campaign broadcast the event live on Facebook. Watch Moore’s Huntsville speech below:
Bradley Byrne: Getting results for locally owned businesses
When I ran for Congress, I made clear that I wanted to be a workhorse, not a showhorse. That means my focus has been on actually getting results instead of just talking about problems. We were able to get a big result last week when the House passed my bill, the Save Local Business Act. The legislation came about after I heard concerns from multiple locally owned businesses. I’ve sat down in local restaurants and heard firsthand from hardworking men and women who took time away from their business to travel to Washington and urge Congress to address issues caused by something known as the “joint employer” standard. So, what is the issue exactly? For decades, there was a commonsense legal test that determined when two or more separate businesses could be considered joint employers and held jointly responsible for the same group of employees. Employers had to share “direct” and “immediate” control over essential terms and conditions of employment. As a former labor and employment attorney who practiced in this area for decades, I can assure you that this was the standard that everyone knew and appreciated. Unfortunately, in 2015, the activist National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a ruling in Browning-Ferris Industries that upended this cornerstone of federal labor law and created a vague and unworkable new joint employer policy. Making matters even worse and more complicated, federal agencies then incorporated the new standard in their regulatory agenda. Under this new standard, two independent businesses can be considered joint employers if they make a business agreement that “indirectly” or “potentially” impacts their employees. Just think about the uncertainty and ambiguity this standard could cause. It’s hard enough for labor attorneys to even agree on what exactly it means to have “indirect” or “potential” control over an employee. Imagine how confusing it is for Main Street businesses to understand and follow. Bob Omainsky, the owner of Wintzell’s Oyster House, had this to say about the confusion caused by the new joint-employer standard: “If we hire an outside landscaping company to keep our lawns lush, I could be considered a joint employer if I show the landscapers where to mow. Or, if I contract a food supplier for certain ingredients, I could become part of a lawsuit if one of their workers complains about overtime pay. The uncertainty is nothing more than governmental overreach that is crippling eateries like Wintzell’s and discouraging growth throughout the restaurant industry.” Workers shouldn’t have to wonder who their employer is. They deserve better than a vague and confusing rule that the American Action Forum found threatens 1.7 million jobs. Even the Progressive Policy Institute issued a statement saying that the expanded standard “may do more harm than good.” My legislation earned support from both Republicans and Democrats when it passed the House last week. This is a bipartisan issue because it isn’t about politics. Instead, it’s about saving jobs and supporting locally owned businesses. Despite scare tactics from Big Labor bosses and their trial lawyer buddies, I want to make one thing perfectly clear: this legislation does not remove a single worker protection. All worker protections provided by the National Labor Relations Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Equal Pay Act remain unchanged and are still available. Ultimately, my bill is about providing clarity to workers and job creators. It is about protecting the rights of workers and ensuring employers have clarity on their responsibilities to employees. I was proud to see the bill pass out of the House last week, and I am going to continue focusing on getting results for the people of Southwest Alabama. • • • Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Medical Properties Trust gifts $2.5 million to UAB’s Diabetes Center
Four Birmingham businessmen did not bond over shared hobbies. Their common interest was rooted in finding a way to eradicate a disease that affects close to 30 million Americans, including members of their own families and company – diabetes. Talk was not where the interest ended for Medical Properties Trust co-founders Edward Aldag Jr. and Emmett McLean, and philanthropists David Silverstein and Benny LaRussa Jr. A self-advised real estate investment fund, Medical Properties Trust recently donated $2.5 million to the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Comprehensive Diabetes Center to further bolster the cutting-edge efforts of the research entity. In turn, LaRussa and Silverstein intend to raise an additional $2.5 million in private donations to match the Medical Properties Trust gift. UAB’s School of Medicine also has agreed to match this gift with an additional $2.5 million in institutional resources to support what is an overall $7.5 million initiative. “It was an easy inspiration,” said Aldag, CEO and president of Medical Properties Trust, the second-largest owner of hospital beds in the United States, with a reach that extends to five countries. “We are in the health care business, and diabetes is one of the worst and most prevalent diseases in this country. We have heard about the great work in the research lab of Dr. Anath Shalev at UAB’s Comprehensive Diabetes Center, and it was an easy decision to give this gift.” UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center researchers are conducting cutting-edge research into the causes and mechanisms of diabetes with a promising drug currently in the Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance pipeline, and the ongoing clinical trial that repurposes verapamil as a beta cell survival therapy in Type 1 diabetes. Directed by Anath Shalev, M.D., the Nancy R. and Eugene C. Gwaltney Family Endowed Chair in Juvenile Diabetes Research, UAB scientists are working on these and other novel disease-altering therapies, and training future generations of diabetes researchers and clinicians while providing the highest-quality innovative care to diabetes patients. “The research efforts of Dr. Shalev and everyone involved in the Comprehensive Diabetes Center are centered around one goal – eradicating this debilitating disease that affects 30 million Americans, including more than 13 percent of Alabamians,” said Ray L. Watts, UAB president. “Gifts like this one from Medical Properties Trust combined with the philanthropic efforts of David Silverstein and Benny LaRussa are vital to expanding and accelerating our globally renowned research efforts. We are appreciative of their gift and determination to raise an additional $2.5 million to support our world-class researchers, and we are excited to partner with them in this effort.” Silverstein and LaRussa honored Medical Properties Trust for its gift with an October event at The Country Club of Birmingham. The event served as the launch to raise the additional $2.5 million in support of this $7.5 million initiative. R. Steven Hamner, Medical Properties Trust’s chief financial officer and co-founder, says the combined gifts from his company and UAB, and the drive to raise an additional $2.5 million from the community, are vital to continuing to advance the progress in the field. The three Medical Properties Trust leaders were also inspired to make this philanthropic donation because two valued employees have Type 1 diabetes, one of whom is Silverstein’s daughter, Sarah. “It’s personal to us as a company,” said McLean, Medical Properties Trust’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “I think a lot of our other employees didn’t realize these two have diabetes because they look so healthy, but the fact of the matter is that diabetes is an indiscriminate disease. It would be wonderful if the Medical Properties Trust gift could give those living with diabetes healthier lives.” Shalev said the desire that Medical Properties Trust has to help find a way to end diabetes is inspiring to the researchers in UAB’s Comprehensive Diabetes Center. She says their generous gift will help combat the epidemic of diabetes and prediabetes in Alabama, which cost an estimated $5.4 billion total in direct medical expenses and associated indirect costs from lost productivity in the state each year, according to the American Diabetes Association. “We are in the buckle of the diabetes belt, and as a state, we are typically either No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation in terms of our diabetes prevalence,” Shalev said. “We are grateful to Medical Properties Trust for this gift, as it addresses an urgent need.” Fathers on a mission Providing healthier lives for people with diabetes is a cause Silverstein and LaRussa have championed since their daughters, Sarah Silverstein and Chelsey LaRussa Heslop, were each diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as children almost 20 years ago. “At the time Sarah was diagnosed, I knew very little about the disease,” said Silverstein, a principal at Bayer Properties Inc., who teared up while talking about his daughter’s fight. “But having a child with a life-threatening disease puts everything into perspective, and I made a commitment to Sarah that I would better understand the disease and do what I could to raise money to find a cure.” Silverstein has lived up to that promise. He and LaRussa initially raised $15 million through private donations and gifts from the Diabetes Trust Fund to establish the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center in 2008. “It’s important for people to understand that UAB made an institutional commitment to establish the Comprehensive Diabetes Center, and they didn’t do that randomly,” LaRussa said. “Dr. Shalev and the team she has assembled are world-class, which gives the center immediate credibility. That’s one of the mandates David and I both had when this all started.” Click here to read more. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
