Steve Marshall qualifies for Alabama Attorney General race
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall officially qualified to run for the office Attorney General on Friday. Marshall was appointed in February 2017 by then governor Robert Bentley to replace Luther Strange as Attorney General. “I want Alabama to know that the office of Attorney General will not shy away from any challenges, and will be on the forefront of the major issues that continue to challenge our state,” stated Marshall. According to Marshall’s Facebook, he is looking forward to “four full years standing up for Alabama’s values, solving the opioid crisis, defending faith, fighting federal overreach, and supporting the rights of everyone (including the unborn).” He has also expressed interest in fighting violent crime and human trafficking. Marshal served as district attorney in Marshall County Ala. for 16 years. He built a strong reputation of fighting crime and was instrumental in the passage of state legislation to track the sale of ingredients used to produce crystal meth. Marshall also took a lead role supporting the passage of the Brody Act which has made it possible to prosecute criminals for two crimes if they kill or injure an unborn baby during an attack on the mother. Marshall also serves as co-chair of Governor Kay Ivey’s Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council. Steve and his wife, Bridgette, have a daughter named Faith and currently reside in Albertville, Ala.
For Jeff Sessions, being attorney general is chance to make mark
America’s top law enforcement officer wandered through a Salvadoran jail, sizing up the tattooed gang members who sat with their backs to him on the concrete floors of their cells. His soft voice was barely audible over the downpour pelting the tin roof as he spoke to the local police. In the midst of a week when his role – and future – in President Donald Trump‘s Cabinet was in serious doubt, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions could be found thousands of miles away from Washington, surrounded by concertina wire and soldiers with rifles. Belittled by his boss back home, he vowed not to loosen his grip on the job that he loves. For Sessions, leading the Justice Department is an opportunity to make tangible progress on issues he long championed, sometimes in isolation among fellow Republicans, during two decades in the U.S. Senate: hard-line immigration policies and aggressive prosecutions of gangs, drugs and gun crime. His priorities mark a departure for a department that, during the Obama administration, increasingly focused on preventing high-tech attacks from abroad, white-collar crime and the threat of homegrown violent extremism. Yet Sessions’ policy focus is often overshadowed by the expanding investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia. Sessions, whose own campaign contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. have been questioned, has stepped aside from the investigation. That unnerved Trump, who subjected his attorney general to almost daily public humiliation this past week. Sessions was trying to weather the storm in San Salvador, where on a balmy afternoon his attention turned to the notoriously brutal street gang MS-13, whose violence in the U.S. has become a focal point in the immigration debate. Here was the former Alabama senator, traveling El Salvador’s streets in a motorcade alongside leaders of the Justice Department’s criminal division, buoyed by reassurances from congressional Republicans in Washington after Trump’s tirade. The trip was planned before the firestorm, but Sessions hoped his work on MS-13 would help mend his tattered relationship with Trump. “It hasn’t been my best week for my relationship with the president,” Sessions told The Associated Press. “But I believe with great confidence that I understand what’s needed in the Department of Justice and what President Trump wants. I share his agenda.” Sessions cut his teeth as a federal prosecutor in Mobile, Alabama, at the height of the drug war, an experience that has shaped his approach to running the Justice Department. Allegations of racially charged remarks cost him a federal judgeship, but he went on to become the state’s attorney general. He was elected to the Senate in 1996 and developed a willingness to break with fellow Republicans in ways that sometimes left him on the sidelines. He fought against efforts to overhaul the criminal justice system last year, a rare area where conservatives and liberals had found unity. He also was a leading opponent of the 2013 bipartisan bill that sought to ease immigration restrictions. That issue drew him to Trump. Sessions was the first senator to endorse the businessman-turned-politician. Trump rewarded that support by naming Sessions as attorney general. It was, Sessions has said, a job that “goes beyond anything that I would have ever imagined for myself.” “In the Senate, you get paid for your words. But in the Department of Justice, every now and then you can actually take action and set priorities and see it actually take effect,” Sessions told AP in an interview from inside the headquarters of Policia Nacional Civil, El Salvador’s police force, where he had gone to build rapport with the commissioner. “It’s kind of a real adjustment. I was a federal prosecutor for 12, 14 years, really. This is coming home to the Department of Justice I so much loved and still do. You can make things happen in the Department of Justice.” In moving quickly to put his own stamp on the Justice Department, Sessions continues to find himself at odds with both Democrats and members of his own party. His decision this month to revive a program that lets local American police seize cash and property with federal help prompted rebuke from conservative groups such as the Koch-backed Freedom Partners, which called it “unjust and unconstitutional.” Sessions told federal prosecutors to pursue the toughest charges against most suspects, a move that critics assailed as a revival of costly drug-fighting policies. He wants a crackdown on marijuana as a growing number of states work to legalize it. His escalating threats to withhold money from cities that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities have made city leaders only more defiant. Timothy Heaphy, a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia who served under President Barack Obama, said the fast pace of Sessions’ changes is disturbing. “He came in clearly with an agenda to go back in time to a tough-on-crime and law-and-order approach,” Heaphy said. “He’s ignoring all the progress we made.” During his final years in the Senate, Sessions began to gain greater notice from the far-right. He was a favorite of Breitbart, the website previously run by Steve Bannon, who now serves as Trump’s senior adviser. Other Sessions’ aides also serve in top administration posts, including Stephen Miller, the architect of several of Trump’s immigration proposals. Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, said Sessions has a “warrior spirit” and is working on behalf of people whose voices haven’t always been heard in Congress. “He has had to take on battles before within his own party and against the opposition party, and he takes those on and he fights them,” she said. Sessions believes he is making progress. “A number of things we’ve done are just beginning to ripen,” he told the AP. “I’m pretty happy with the speed with which a lot of it is happening. Sometimes the American people may not know how effective that’s been.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Jeff Sessions’ days as Attorney General may be numbered
President Donald Trump has spoken with advisers about firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, as he continues to rage against Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from all matters related to the Russia investigation. The president’s anger again bubbled into public view Monday as he referred to Sessions in a tweet as “beleaguered.” Privately, Trump has speculated aloud to allies in recent days about the potential consequences of firing Sessions, according to three people who have recently spoken to the president. They demanded anonymity to discuss private conversations. Trump often talks about making staff changes without following through, so those who have spoken with the president cautioned that a change may not be imminent or happen at all. What is clear is that Trump remains furious that the attorney general recused himself from the investigations. “So why aren’t the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?” Trump tweeted Monday. His tweet came just hours before his son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, traveled to Capitol Hill to be interviewed about his meetings with Russians. Trump’s intensifying criticism has fueled speculation that Sessions may resign even if Trump opts not to fire him. During an event at the White House, Trump ignored a shouted question about whether Sessions should step down. The attorney general said last week he intended to stay in his post. If Trump were to fire Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would be elevated to the top post on an acting basis. That would leave the president with another attorney general of whom he has been sharply critical in both public and private for his handling of the Russia probe, according to four White House and outside advisers who, like others interviewed, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. It could also raise the specter of Trump asking Rosenstein — or whomever he appoints to fill the position — to fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and potential collusion with Trump’s campaign. The name of one longtime Trump ally, Rudy Giuliani, was floated Monday as a possible replacement for Sessions, but a person who recently spoke to the former New York City mayor said that Giuliani had not been approached about the position. Giuliani told CNN on Monday that he did not want the post and would have recused himself had he been in Sessions’ position. The president’s tweet about the former Alabama senator comes less than a week after Trump, in a New York Times interview, said that Sessions should never have taken the job as attorney general if he was going to recuse himself. Sessions made that decision after it was revealed that he had met with a top Russian diplomat last year. Trump has seethed about Sessions’ decision for months, viewing it as disloyal — arguably the most grievous offense in the president’s mind — and resenting that the attorney general did not give the White House a proper heads-up before making the announcement that he would recuse himself. His fury has been fanned by several close confidants — including his son Donald Trump Jr, who is also ensnared in the Russia probe — who are angry that Sessions made his decision. Trump and Sessions’ conversations in recent weeks have been infrequent. Sessions had recently asked senior White House staff how he might patch up relations with the president but that effort did not go anywhere, according to a person briefed on the conversations. Sessions was in the West Wing on Monday but did not meet with the president, according to deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Newt Gingrich, a frequent Trump adviser, said that the president, with his criticisms of Sessions, was simply venting and being “honest about his feelings. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to do anything,” Gingrich said. Still, he said the president’s comments would have repercussions when it comes to staff morale. “Anybody who is good at team building would suggest to the president that attacking members of your team rattles the whole team,” Gingrich said. Sessions and Trump used to be close, sharing both a friendship and an ideology. Sessions risked his reputation when he became the first U.S. senator to endorse the celebrity businessman and his early backing gave Trump legitimacy, especially among the hard-line anti-immigration forces that bolstered his candidacy. Several of Sessions’ top aides now serve in top administration posts, including Stephen Miller, the architect of several of Trump’s signature proposals, including the travel ban and tough immigration policy. After Trump’s public rebuke last week, Sessions seemed determined to keep doing the job he said “goes beyond anything that I would have ever imagined for myself.” “I’m totally confident that we can continue to run this office in an effective way,” Sessions said last week. Armand DeKeyser, who worked closely with Sessions and became his chief of staff in the Senate, said he did not see the attorney general as someone who would easily cave to criticism, even from the president. “If Jeff thinks he is in an untenable position and cannot be an effective leader, I believe he would leave,” DeKeyser said. “But I don’t think he’s reached that point.” But Anthony Scaramucci, the president’s new communications director, said that it’s time for Trump and Sessions to hash out a resolution, regardless of what they decide. “My own personal opinion, I think they’ve got to have a meeting and have a reconciliation one way or another. You know what I mean? Either stay or go, one way or another,” he said. The Justice Department declined to comment. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama joins dozen states in asbestos bankruptcy trust investigations
Alabama’s Attorney General is joining colleagues from 12 other states in investigating asbestos bankruptcy trusts’ failure to pay out Medicaid payments as federal law requires. Lawsuits have sent more than 60 manufacturers of asbestos or asbestos-containing products into bankruptcy and have paid out more than $17 billion since 2008. The attorneys general claim that the bankruptcy trusts, which are often overseen by plaintiff lawyers, are not giving Medicare and Medicaid their fair due when making payments to claimants. The law requires any outstanding payments due to Medicare or Medicaid be taken out of any settlement received by a claimant, and attorneys can even be held liable for making sure those bills are paid. The 13 attorneys general sent demand letters to bankruptcy trusts for Armstrong World Industries, Babcock & Wilcox, DII and Owens Corning/Fibreboard back in December, and after receiving no response elected to file a civil suit in Utah this month to move forward on recovering Medicaid payments. In the suit, the AGs claim attorneys are abusing the asbestos trusts and that they are injuring states “by improperly draining the trust assets, precluding future legitimate claimants from relying on asbestos trusts, and leaving states with the high cost associated with asbestos-related disease.” The suit also alleges that the lack of oversight in the trusts compounds the issues, and that many claimants may be getting undeserved payouts. “A late-1990s audit of the Manville Trust, for instance, revealed that 41 percent of claimants to that trust had either no disease or a less severe condition than they had alleged in their claim forms, with false rate claims of 63 percent for the doctors claimants used most often,” the suit says.
More Republicans say AG Jeff Sessions should recuse himself
The Latest on Attorney General Jeff Sessions‘ talks with the Soviet ambassador (all times local): 11:25 a.m. attorneyAttorney The top House Democrat says Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath when he told the Senate Judiciary that he had no contacts with the Russian government and says he should resign. Nancy Pelosi says, “Perjury is a crime.” In the meantime, Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Marco Rubio of Florida joined a growing chorus of Republicans calling upon Sessions to recuse himself from any investigation on contacts between the Russians and President Donald Trump‘s campaign last year. Graham says, “Somebody other than Jeff needs to do it.” Graham also tells reporters he is meeting Thursday with FBI Director James Comey and will demand to know whether there is an investigation into the Russia contacts. ___ 10:58 a.m. A growing number of Republicans want Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the investigation into Russian meddling in the election and ties to the Trump campaign. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman says in a statement that Sessions is a former colleague and a friend, “but I think it would be best for him and for the country to recuse himself from the DOJ Russia probe.” Portman joins congressmen Jason Chaffetz, Darrell Issa and Tom Cole in calling for Sessions to recuse himself, Other Senate Republicans are rallying around Sessions, saying they trust him and that it’s up to Sessions whether to recuse himself. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee. He says, “I trust Jeff Sessions to make that decision.” ___ 10:33 a.m. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren joins other Democrats in calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign. She says there should be an independent special prosecutor named to oversee an investigation of Russian interference in the U.S. election. Warren has clashed repeatedly with President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans. The Massachusetts senator reacted in a series of tweets to reports that Sessions talked twice with Russia’s ambassador during the presidential campaign, conversations that seem to contradict sworn statements Sessions gave to Congress during his confirmation hearings. The White House says Sessions met with the diplomat in his capacity as a then-U.S. senator, not a Trump campaign adviser. ___ 10:25 a.m. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign. Several Republicans and Democrats have called for Sessions to recuse himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. election following the revelation he talked twice with Russia’s ambassador to the United States during the presidential campaign. The conversations seem to contradict sworn statements Sessions gave to Congress during his confirmation hearings. Schumer says a special prosecutor is needed to investigate the allegations of Russian interference and also look into whether the investigation has already been compromised by Sessions. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has accused Sessions of “lying under oath” and demanded that he resign. ___ 10:25 a.m. Another congressional Republican says Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from any investigation into Russia meddling in the election and links to the Trump campaign. In a statement, congressman Darrell Issa of California joined House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz in calling on Sessions to recuse himself now. Issa says, “We need a clear-eyed view of what the Russians actually did so that all Americans can have faith in our institutions.” It is members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who typically meet with foreign ambassadors, not Armed Services Committee lawmakers whose responsibility is oversight of the military and the Pentagon. Congressional contact with Russian officials was limited after the invasion of Crimea and due to Moscow’s close relationship with Syria, a pariah for much of the West. ___ 9:15 a.m. A Republican committee chairman says Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. election. Utah’s Jason Chaffetz chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He tells MSNBC that Sessions “is going to need to recuse himself at this point.” The Justice Department has confirmed Sessions talked twice with Russia’s ambassador to the United States during the presidential campaign, a seeming contradiction to sworn statements he gave to Congress. Chaffetz told MSNBC that Sessions “should further clarify.” Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri called on Sessions to resign, and Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont said he should recuse himself. ___ 8:30 a.m. A Democratic senator says Attorney General Jeff Sessions should step aside from any role in the Justice Department’s investigation of Trump campaign ties to Russia. Minnesota’s Al Franken tells MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that Sessions’ statements about his contacts with Moscow have been “contradictory.” At Session’s confirmation hearing in January, Franken asked the then-Alabama senator what he would do if there was evidence that anyone from the Trump campaign had been in touch with the Russian government during the 2016 White House race. Sessions replied he was “unaware of those activities.” But the Justice Department has confirmed that Sessions had two conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the United States. Franken is calling for an “independent prosecutor” to investigate any links the Trump campaign may have had with the Russian government and says Sessions must “come forward with the truth.” ___ 8:15 a.m. A Kremlin spokesman says all the attention given to Jeff Sessions’ meetings with Russia’s U.S. ambassador during the U.S. presidential campaign last year could affect improved ties between the countries. Sessions — who’s now President Donald Trump’s attorney general — was a senator and policy adviser to Trump’s campaign at the time of the meetings with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. Dmitry Peskov is the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Peskov tells reporters that he didn’t know about the meetings. But he says it’s normal for Russian diplomats to meet with U.S. lawmakers. The White House says Sessions met with the diplomat in his capacity as a senator, rather than as a Trump campaign adviser. Peskov is characterizing reaction to the news of the meetings as “an
Jeff Sessions says murder uptick threatens progress on crime
Attorney General Jeff Sessions painted a grim vision of violence in America on Tuesday, telling state law enforcement officials that a recent uptick in murders threatens to undo decades of progress. He pledged to “put bad men behind bars.” In his first major policy speech as attorney general, Sessions promised that combating violent crime would be a top priority of the Justice Department. He warned of a surging heroin epidemic with drugs pouring in from Mexico, of police officers made to feel overly cautious for fear of being captured on “viral videos” and of rising homicide rates in big cities. “We are diminished as a nation when any of our citizens fear for their life when they leave their home; or when terrified parents put their children to sleep in bathtubs to keep them safe from stray bullets; or when entire neighborhoods are at the mercy of drug dealers, gangs and other violent criminals,” Sessions said, according to prepared remarks to the National Association of Attorneys General. Sessions promised that his Justice Department would prioritize cases against violent offenders, aggressively enforce immigration laws and work to dismantle drug cartels. He announced the creation of a multi-agency task force, to be headed by the deputy attorney general, to propose crime-fighting legislation and study crime trends. He said the task force would include the heads of Justice Department agencies such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Although it is true, according to FBI statistics, that homicide and other violent crimes have recently been on the rise, the numbers are nowhere close to where they were in the 1980s and early 1990s, and it’s hardly clear that the recent spike reflects a trend rather than an anomaly. Sessions’ early focus on drug and violent crime is a radical departure for a Justice Department that has viewed as more urgent the prevention of cyberattacks from foreign criminals, international bribery and the threat of homegrown violent extremism. Yet Sessions made no apologies for his focus on violent crime, saying he was concerned the increase could be part of a “dangerous new trend.” “We need to enforce our laws and put men behind bars,” said the former Alabama senator and federal prosecutor. “And we need to support the brave men and women of law enforcement as they work day and night to protect us.” He also indicated that, unlike his Democratic-appointed predecessors, he believes some police officers have pulled back on enforcement because of anxiety their actions could be recorded on video and scrutinized by the public. “They’re more reluctant to get out of their squad cars and do the hard but necessary work of up-close policing that builds trust and prevents violent crime,” Sessions said. FBI Director James Comey has floated the idea that the change in police behavior could help explain increases in crime, although former attorneys general Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch both refused to embrace that idea. Past attorneys general have used their appearances before their state counterparts to make policy pronouncements. In 2014, for instance, Holder said state attorneys general were not obligated to defend laws in their states banning same-sex marriage if the laws discriminate in a way forbidden by the Constitution. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: The circus of open Alabama races in 2018
As I have suggested to you, we are looking at one momentous 2018 election year, and it has begun. Get this, folks, we have an open governor’s race. We have openings at Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Agriculture Commissioner, three seats on the Supreme Court including the Chief Justice position, all 35 state Senate seats, all 105 House seats, one hotly contested congressional seat, as well as 67 sheriffs. Folks, that’s the most political marquee year in my long political life. If media outlets do not make money next year, they ain’t ever gonna make any money. As though the aforementioned cavalcade was not enough of a circus, we’ve got ourselves an open U.S. Senate seat. I believe that Ringling Brothers Circus closed in deference to us in the Heart of Dixie and our roadshow Vaudeville act called Alabama politics. Our good “ol’” Gov. Robert Bentley has been a great ringleader. He is quite a show. Poor ol’ Bentley has relegated himself to not only being irrelevant, but is considered a clown. I have been around the state on a speaking/book signing tour and everywhere I go they ask about “ol’” Bentley. I have to deflect the questions about his personal adviser following him to Washington or sitting in the gallery for his speech to the Legislature. In fact, I try to put some levity to the situation by telling folks, “Well, you know my observation of Alabama politics over the past 50 years is that we really haven’t got to have a governor.” Big Jim Folsom stayed drunk his whole second term, George Wallace was on pain pills his last term and did not know where he was, Fob James seemed disinterested and went duck hunting his second term, and they put poor ole Hunt and Siegelman in jail. At least Bentley shows up and does his duties to the best of his abilities. He just leans on one adviser, exclusively. They say she wrote his last State of the State speech. If she did, she ain’t much of a speechwriter. Well, ole Bentley got himself a U.S. Senate seat appointment to grant. He milked it for what it was worth. He ultimately used it as a get out of jail free card. Even if his appointment of Luther Strange looks like chicanery and collusion, it was a shrewd political move by Bentley. It keeps him and his adviser out of the pokey. The Luther Strange appointment looks brazen and audacious. The facts are clear, Strange as Attorney General of Alabama openly asked the House Judiciary Committee to cease their impeachment proceedings because he and his office were investigating the Governor and his adviser. Then, all of a sudden, the Governor appoints him to a coveted senate seat. If that does not look like collusion, I do not know what does. If given those facts the average fisherman in Mobile Bay would say that it looks fishy. A baker in Birmingham would conclude that it does not pass the smell test. As a political historian, I will have to record these very facts for posterity. Folks can draw their own conclusion. Luther Strange will probably go on to be a good U.S. Senator. He is imminently qualified for the role, and has planned meticulously for this seat for the last 20 years. However, the taint of Bentley will follow him to Washington and could come back to bite him in the June 2018 GOP primary, which is tantamount to election. Big Luther is betting that as the incumbent senator for the next 15 months, he will be able to raise so much Washington campaign cash that he will be unbeatable. That is probably a good bet. However, Alabamians may have a longer memory than he thinks. Just ask Bill Baxley how getting the governor’s nomination from the Democratic hierarchy when Charlie Graddick got the most votes in 1986 turned out. Folks in Alabama do not like appointments, especially one that comes with a cloud that appears to be collusion. We have a great 15 months of Alabama politics ahead of us, folks. See you next week. ___ Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state Legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Robert Bentley names Luther Strange to replace Jeff Sessions
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley on Thursday named state Attorney General Luther Strange to the U.S. Senate seat left empty by Jeff Sessions. Strange will replace Sessions, whose selection as U.S. attorney general by President Donald Trump was confirmed Wednesday. Strange, a 63-year-old lawyer and former Washington lobbyist, has been the state’s attorney general since 2011. In Strange, Bentley chose a well-connected Republican who last year announced intentions to run for the coveted Senate seat regardless of whether he got the interim appointment. His selection caps two months of jockeying and political guessing games over who would get the nod from Gov. Robert Bentley. ‘‘Alabama has surely been well represented by Senator Sessions, and I am confident Senator Strange will serve as a fine representative for our people. His leadership on a national level, service as a statewide elected official and long record of taking on tough federal issues are the very qualities that will make him a strong conservative Senator for Alabama,’’ Bentley said in a statement. Strange will serve until an election is held to fill the seat for the remainder of Sessions’ term, which ends in January of 2020. Bentley has said that election will be held in the general election in 2018. Strange said he was ‘‘greatly honored and humbled to accept the appointment.’’ ‘‘Senator Sessions’ commitment to public service is nearly unparalleled in Alabama history and his departure from the Senate leaves tremendous shoes to fill. I pledge to the people of Alabama to continue the same level of leadership as Jeff Sessions in consistently fighting to protect and advance the conservative values we all care about,’’ Strange said in a statement. In elevating Strange to the U.S. Senate, Bentley also will have the authority to appoint a state attorney general to fulfill the remainder of Strange’s term. The appointment comes two months after Strange asked an Alabama House committee to pause an impeachment probe of Bentley, who was accused last year of having an affair with a onetime top political adviser. Strange said at the time that his office was doing ‘‘related work’’ though he never publicly elaborated on what it involved or when the work would be completed. Bentley has acknowledged making personal mistakes, but denied doing anything legally wrong. The lawmaker who spearheaded the legislative impeachment, state Rep. Ed Henry, said the appointment of Strange ‘‘looks bad.’’ ‘‘I think Strange looks bad. I think the public perception of that — the appearance of Luther getting it just reeks of conspiracy and collusion. I don’t know if there is, but the appearance is horrible,’’ Henry, a Republican from north Alabama, said Wednesday, a day ahead of the announcement. Henry said he recently apologized to Bentley, not for pushing the impeachment, but for taking pleasure in his personal and legal troubles. As attorney general, Strange served as coordinating counsel for Gulf Coast states in litigation over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Under Strange’s direction, Alabama also was one of 25 states that challenged then President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And even though he was recused from the investigation, Strange’s office also angered some influential Republicans over a 2016 prosecution of the state’s Republican House speaker at the time. Strange is a graduate of Tulane University, where he played basketball on scholarship, and of Tulane Law school. At 6 foot 9, he is sometimes referred to as ‘‘Big Luther’’ because of his size. Bentley interviewed 20 candidates for the Senate appointment before choosing from among six finalists. Bentley and Strange will hold a news conference Thursday morning. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama politicians react to Jeff Sessions’ AG confirmation
The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Alabama-Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions as the next attorney general. By a vote of 52-47, Sessions was confirmed by party lines with the exception of lone Democrat, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin who joined his Republican colleagues in the vote. Here’s what Alabama politicians are saying about Sessions’ confirmation: Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange: Today, I join with the people of Alabama in offering our congratulations to Jeff Sessions on his confirmation as our United States Attorney General. Now the whole country will have the privilege of knowing the fine man that Alabamians have long come to admire and revere,” said Attorney General Strange. As Alabama’s Attorney General, I am particularly grateful for the reprieve from federal overreach that states will surely be granted under Attorney General Sessions. Throughout my six years in this office, I have wrestled with the Justice Department on an endless number of oppressive federal policies stemming from a total lack of constitutional deference and respect for the states. I am confident that Jeff Sessions will do his part to restore the delicate balance between the states and the federal government that the Founders envisioned. Jeff Sessions will enforce our nation’s laws with impartiality and unwavering fidelity to the Constitution. He will support and reinvigorate our law enforcement officers. As demonstrated throughout his 20 years of service in the Senate, he will never sacrifice principle for popularity. Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne: Jeff Sessions is going to make an outstanding Attorney General, and I could not be happier for him. As someone who has spent most of his career enforcing and defending the rule of law, I know Jeff will help restore law and order in our country. I hate to lose his leadership and advocacy in the Senate, but the United States is better off having Jeff Sessions as our Attorney General. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby: Jeff Sessions is a great American who has served his state and nation admirably. There is no one more qualified to serve as Attorney General, and his confirmation by the Senate is a proud moment for Alabama and our country. During the confirmation process, there were many unfair, untrue attacks on Jeff Sessions’ character – all in the name of politics. I know him to be a man of the highest integrity, and I have no doubt he will prove his critics wrong as he works in the best interests of all Americans as Attorney General of the United States. Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks: Although this confirmation should have come sooner, I am pleased the Senate today confirmed Jeff Sessions as the United States Attorney General under President Donald Trump. I look forward to his strict enforcement of our immigration laws, support for local law enforcement officers, protection of our Second Amendment rights, and adherence to the rule of law. I appreciate Jeff Sessions’ willingness to serve and have every confidence he will faithfully defend the Constitution and protect the rights of all Americans.
U.S. Senate moves Jeff Sessions one step closer toward confirmation as attorney general
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday cleared the way to advance President Donald Trump‘s nomination of Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions to be the nation’s next attorney general for a final vote. With the help of Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, the Republican-controlled Senate voted 52-47 to limit debate on Sessions, moving him one step closer to final confirmation. Prior to the procedural vote, Sessions drew fire from many of his Senate colleagues. Led by New York-Democrat, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Democrats questioned Sessions commitment to civil rights and whether he will act independently of Trump as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. “That’s going to be a real test in this administration because there seems to little regard for an independent judiciary — even for the Constitution itself,” said Schumer. “He would be wrong at any time because of his record on immigration, civil rights and voting rights, but particularly wrong now because we need someone who has some degree of independence from the President.” Meanwhile, Sessions’ GOP colleagues, stood by his side defending his record and integrity. “We all know Sen. Sessions to be a man of his word. We know he’s a man who believes in the rule of law. We know him as someone who is willing to work with anyone, regardless of party — like when he teamed up on legislation with Democratic colleagues like Sen. (Dick) Durbin and … our late colleague, Ted Kennedy,” said Kentucky-Republican, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from the Senate floor. “It’s been unfortunate to hear the attacks that some on the far left have directed at our friend over the past few weeks.” Sessions cleared the Judiciary Committee on a party-line, 11-9 vote last Wednesday. Last week Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley announced six finalists to replace Sessions pending his confirmation. They are: Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange; Alabama 4th District U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt; Anniston-Republican, state Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh; Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Jim Byard; Jasper-Republican state Rep. Connie Rowe; Montgomery-Republican, co-chairman of Trump’s Alabama campaign and former state Rep. Perry Hooper. A final vote to confirm Sessions is expected Wednesday.
Senate committee approves Jeff Sessions’ AG nomination in party-line vote
Alabama-Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions cleared another major hurdle on Wednesday, moving one step closer to becoming the nation’s next attorney general, when the Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination on a party-line vote. The 11-9 decision now moves to the Senate floor confirmation, where he is widely expected to be confirmed given the GOP’s 52-seat majority. To date, none of his Republican colleagues have voiced opposition to him nomination and he has the vote of at least one Democrat — West Virginia-Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin. Upon full chamber confirmation, Sessions is poised to take over as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, a post which is now vacant following President Donald Trump‘s late-night firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates on Monday.
Senate Democrats escalate fight over Jeff Sessions after Donald Trump fires Sally Yates
Senate Democrats doubled-down on their opposition to President Donald Trump‘s pick for attorney general, Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, questioning his independence following Trump’s Monday night dismissal of the acting attorney general Sally Yates for refusing to enforce his executive order on immigration. The vote on Sessions’ nomination has been delayed until Wednesday. Democratic senators spent several hours Tuesday morning detailing the reservations they have about Sessions’ ability to be an independent attorney general, serving as a power-check to Trump who already believe is already pushing the bounds of his executive powers. “That is what an attorney general must be willing and able to do,” said the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, California-Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein. “I have no confidence Sen. Sessions will do that. Instead he has been the fiercest, most dedicated and most loyal promoter in Congress of the Trump agenda.” “Will he support and defend these broad and disruptive executive orders? Will he carry out and enforce the president’s actions that may very well violate the Constitution? It’s not difficult to assess that he will,” Feinstein concluded. Vermont-Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy joined in voicing his opposition. “What we saw last night demonstrates what is at stake with this nomination,” said Leahy during the Tuesday morning meeting. “The attorney general is the people’s attorney. Not the president’s attorney. He or she does not wear two hats at once. I have very serious doubts that Senator Sessions would be an independent attorney general,” Leahy added. The Committee vote on Sessions’ nomination will now take place 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
