Barry Moore announces that he is running for a third term
On Monday, Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) qualified to run for his third term in the United States House of Representatives. Due to the recent court-ordered redistricting, Moore will face incumbent Congressman Jerry Carl (R-AL01) in Alabama’s First Congressional District. The redrawn First Congressional District now includes the residences of both Moore and Carl within its boundaries. Moore currently represents the second congressional district, but he and half the Wiregrass were redrawn out of it. Moore told 1819 News that he qualified on Monday because it was the ninth anniversary of his not-guilty verdict in his perjury charge. “I became a conservative who was attacked by the swamp itself, but it was the Montgomery swamp at that time,” Moore told 1819 News. “That was the thing that changed the trajectory of my life that we felt we were called into this fight. That being the nine-year anniversary, we thought that was a great day to announce that we are going to continue to stay in this fight for limiting government to stop the weaponization of government against American citizens. That’s been my fight on Judiciary. That’s been my fight since I’ve been in D.C..” Moore was loosely ensnared in the state prosecutors’ effort to convict then-Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn). While Moore received a not-guilty verdict, Hubbard and three other House members were convicted of crimes. “I am a true conservative, and the system doesn’t like a true conservative,” Moore added. “This being the ninth anniversary, this is just a way to say, ‘Hey, we’re in this fight for the American people.’ Sure, we’re battle-weary some days. I mean, it wears you out, but we’re called in this fight.” Barry Moore has served two terms in the U.S. Congress from 2021 to the present. He previously served two terms in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018. He grew up on a farm in Coffee County and has a degree in agriculture from Auburn University. He and his wife, Heather, started and operate a small waste management service in Enterprise. Jerry Carl is also serving his second term in Congress. He is a successful businessman and former chairman of the Mobile County Commission. The primary is on March 5, 2024. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter named chair-elect of the Council of State Governments Southern Office
Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) was unanimously elected to serve as the 2023-2024 chair-elect of CSG South on July 11, 2023, at the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) in Charleston, South Carolina. As chair-elect, Speaker Ledbetter will assist incoming chair, West Virginia Senate President Craig Blair, in guiding CSG South during the coming year. He also will chair the 79th SLC Annual Meeting, to be held in Alabama in the summer of 2025. “I am proud to welcome legislators, government staff, and their guests from across the Southern region to Alabama and showcase our state’s unparalleled southern charm and hospitality,” said Rep. Ledbetter. “The purpose of this meeting is to provide Southern state lawmakers with the opportunity to work together to create more effective public policy so that we may better serve our home states.” Alabama most recently hosted the SLC meeting in 2013 in Mobile, Alabama. The 2025 meeting is expected to draw more than 1,500 attendees from its member states and will feature successful programs and policy initiatives unique to Alabama. Each year, the Southern Leadership Conference brings together experts to discuss opportunities and solutions to challenges facing policymakers and staff across the region. Ledbetter, age 61, previously served as the Mayor of Rainsville in north Alabama. Ledbetter ran for the Alabama House of Representatives in 2010 but was defeated in the general election. He switched to the Republican Party and was elected in 2014. That turbulent term saw both the Speaker of the House (Mike Hubbard) and House Majority Leader (Mickey Hammons) convicted of corruption charges. In that leadership vacuum, Ledbetter was elevated to Majority Leader as a House freshman. Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) – who succeeded Hubbard – chose not to run for reelection in 2022. Ledbetter was chosen by the House Republican Caucus over veteran lawmaker Steve Clouse (R-Ozark) to be the GOP candidate for Speaker following the November 2022 election – effectively making him the Speaker-elect as the Republicans hold 77 to the 105 seats in the Alabama House of Representatives. Ledbetter was chosen as Speaker by the full House during the organizational session in January without a single dissenting vote. CSG South was established In 1947. The Council of State Governments Southern Office (CSG South) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that supports members in all three branches of state government. The mission of CSG South is to promote and strengthen intergovernmental cooperation among its 15 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Predominantly, this is achieved through the ongoing work of CSG South’s seven standing committees and support groups. Legislative leadership, members, and staff depend on CSG South to identify and analyze solutions for the most prevalent and unique policy issues facing Southern state governments. We facilitate outreach in state capitols, leadership development, staff exchange programs, domestic and international policy delegations, and other efforts to support state policymakers and legislative staff to build stronger, more successful states. The Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) is the largest regional gathering of legislative members and staff. SLC boasts an array of well-established programs—focusing on existing and emerging state government innovations and solutions—providing policymakers and staff diverse opportunities to interact with experts and share their knowledge with colleagues. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Bryan Taylor, governor’s ex-chief legal adviser, to run for Alabama Supreme Court chief justice
Republican Bryan Taylor, a former state senator and former chief legal adviser to Gov. Kay Ivey, announced Wednesday that he is running for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. The election for chief justice will be held next year. Chief Justice Tom Parker cannot run again because Alabama law prohibits judges from being elected or appointed after age 70. “I am uniquely qualified to lead our state’s court system,” Taylor said in a statement. “My experience as an attorney, Army Judge Advocate, and military prosecutor, along with my service in the executive and legislative branches of state government, has given me a unique perspective that will benefit Alabama’s courts and the Alabamians they serve.” The Alabama chief justice serves on the state’s highest court and also serves as the administrative head of the state court system. Taylor was elected to the Alabama Senate in 2010 and is best known for authoring the revamp of the state’s ethics law that was later used to prosecute former House Speaker Mike Hubbard. Taylor did not seek a second term in 2014. Before joining the Senate, Taylor was a legal adviser and policy director for Gov. Bob Riley. He later served as Ivey’s chief legal adviser. Taylor is an Iraq War veteran and served as a military prosecutor and lawyer with the Army Judge Advocate General Corps. He continues to serve in the Alabama National Guard. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq. Taylor recently served as deputy legal counsel for legislative affairs for the Alabama Republican Party. He is stepping down from the position as he runs for office. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Personnel Update: Mac McCutcheon appointed new Chairman of the Madison County Commission
On Tuesday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey appointed former Alabama Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon as the new Chairman of the Madison County Commission. “Speaker McCutcheon, who I have worked with for many years, is a proven leader, well-equipped to take the helm at the Madison County Commission, and I am proud to appoint him,” Ivey said in a statement. “I know the people in that area are thrilled to have Mac continue serving Madison County. I am confident this part of our state will keep thriving thanks to the good work by all who serve on the Commission.” The position became vacant after Dale Strong vacated the position after he was sworn in to represent Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. McCutcheon served 16 years representing Madison County in the Alabama legislature. His fellow Republicans elected McCutcheon as Speaker of the House after former Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard was convicted of multiple violations of Alabama ethics laws. McCutcheon had a long-distinguished career as a law enforcement officer with the Huntsville Police Department, including as a hostage negotiator. He is a U.S. Army veteran, a former farmer, and former associate pastor. McCutcheon is a father and grandfather and a native of Madison County. McCutcheon chose not to run for a fifth term in the Alabama Legislature. State Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, the former House Majority Leader, was elected to succeed McCutcheon as the Speaker of the House. McCutcheon will finish the remainder of Strong’s term as Commission Chairman. On Tuesday, the governor’s office confirmed to Alabama Today that McCutcheon will assume the role of Chairman of the Madison County Commission effective immediately. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Former House speaker Mike Hubbard released from prison
Former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard has been released from prison after serving more than two years behind bars for a 2016 ethics conviction. The Alabama Department of Corrections said Hubbard was from Limestone Correctional Facility on Sunday, the day his 28-month sentence was set to end. The Republican was one of the state’s most powerful politicians until the ethics conviction ended his political career. The architect of the GOP’s takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010, Hubbard was a legislator from Auburn and former chairman of the state Republican Party. He was elected House speaker soon after Republicans won control of the House. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging his powerful public office to obtain business clients, violating prohibitions against using his office for personal gain and against giving a “thing of value” to an elected official. At his trial, Hubbard’s defense attorneys maintained the contracts were legitimate work and unrelated to his position as House speaker. A jury in 2016 convicted Hubbard of 12 felony charges, but half of those were overturned on appeal. Hubbard had unsuccessfully sought an early release from prison. Prosecutors opposed his request for early release and said his apology was insincere. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Mike Hubbard nears end of sentence for ethics conviction
Former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard is nearing the end of his prison sentence for his conviction on ethics charges. The Alabama Department of Corrections lists a January 8 minimum release date for Hubbard. Hubbard was sentenced to 28 months in prison after a jury convicted him of violating state ethics law. He is incarcerated at Limestone Correctional Facility and has a month remaining on his sentence, according to prison system records. The Republican was one of the state’s most powerful politicians until the ethics conviction ended his political career. Hubbard, the architect of the GOP’s takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010, was a legislator from Auburn and former chairman of the state Republican Party. He was elected House speaker soon after Republicans won control. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging his powerful public office to obtain clients for his businesses, violating the prohibitions against using his office for personal gain and giving a “thing of value” to an elected official. At his trial, his defense maintained the contracts were legitimate work and unrelated to his position as House speaker. In upholding the conviction, members of the Alabama Supreme Court noted that when contacting a company for one client, Hubbard “identified himself as a state legislator and as Speaker of the House of Representatives.” They also noted how one company executive wrote in an email that Hubbard could get the company “in front of any speaker in the country regardless of party.” A jury in 2016 convicted Hubbard of 12 charges, but half of those were overturned on appeal. Hubbard had unsuccessfully sought an early release from prison. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Nathaniel Ledbetter to retain Mark Tuggle as Chief of Staff
Last Wednesday, State Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter announced that he will retain Mark Tuggle as his chief of staff when he is elected as the Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives. Ledbetter was elected as the choice of House Republicans in their post-election Caucus meeting of the House Republicans. Since the GOP maintained its’ commanding 77 to 28 supermajority lead in the November 8 election, the choice of the Republican Caucus is going to be the Speaker of the House when the Legislature meets in an organizational session, likely in January. Tuggle is a former member of the House who has served as Chief of Staff for outgoing Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon. Tuggle is a professional forester and a retired employee of the Alabama Power Company. “Mark was an outstanding legislator during his time in the Alabama House, and he has proven himself to be an equally talented chief of staff under Speaker McCutcheon,” Ledbetter said. “I know that Mark will be a source of wise counsel and sage advice as we work to tackle the challenges that Alabama faces in the coming quadrennium, and I look forward to working alongside him if elected speaker.” Tuggle was part of the 2010 class of Republican legislators, who were elected in a wave election that gave Republicans control of the House after 135 years of Democratic control of the body. Tuggle represented House District 81 for eight years and served as Chairman of the House State Government Committee. Tuggle has served as the Speaker’s chief of staff since leaving the Legislature in 2018. “As a member of the Alabama House, Mark set himself apart as a leader and proved a valuable source of wise counsel, so I’m pleased to continue utilizing his talents as my chief of staff,” McCutcheon said in a statement when he first appointed Tuggle. “Alabama faces many challenges that the Legislature must resolve, and Mark will play a large role in developing and passing needed solutions to those important issues.” “When I decided against seeking another term in the House, I assumed my work in state government had ended, but Speaker McCutcheon convinced me to continue serving the citizens of Alabama in this new role,” Tuggle said. “As a former member, I’ll be able to advise the new House members with the perspective of someone who has once held the same responsibilities, and I will work with the returning members as someone they already know and trust.” Tuggle has a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and a master’s degree from Faulkner University. He and his wife, Michelle, have one daughter. Ledbetter will be the third Republican Speaker of the House, succeeding McCutcheon, who was elected Speaker of the House in 2016 after Speaker Mike Hubbard was found guilty of felony ethics violations by a Lee County Grand Jury. Seth Hammett was the last Democratic Speaker of the House. Democratic nominee Phillip Ensler successfully unseated incumbent Rep. Charlotte Meadows in the midterm elections. However, Republican nominee Rick Rehm successfully unseated incumbent Democratic incumbent Dexter Grimsley. Thus, there was no net change in the Republican-dominated Legislature. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Republicans are hoping for another sweep in 2022 election
On Tuesday, Alabama voters are going to the polls to elect new leaders for the state. The Alabama Republican Party is hoping to see history repeat itself again in this election, and they will maintain their dominant position in Alabama politics. “Just a reminder that if you are tired of sky-high gas prices, out-of-control inflation, and rising crime, you have a choice. Vote Republican tomorrow on Election Day,” the Alabama Republican Party wrote on Facebook Monday. Alabama Republicans hope that this election follows the script of recent Alabama elections. In 2010, the Alabama Republican Party won every statewide office on the ballot. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby was easily re-elected to another term. Republican nominee for Governor, State Rep. Robert Bentley, defeated his Democratic opponent Ag Commissioner Ron Sparks. Then Treasurer Kay Ivey defeated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Jim Folsom in a race that even most Republicans at the time thought was a long shot. The people of Alabama, however, had grown tired of Alabama Education Association-dominated Democrats and found President Barack Obama’s policies too liberal for Alabama. National voters agreed, and 2010 was a massive “red wave” election that gave Republicans control of both Houses of Congress. In Alabama, Republicans won supermajorities in both Houses of the Alabama Legislature after 135 years of Democratic domination of the state legislature. In 2014 Bentley, Ivey, and the rest of the Alabama GOP were back. Bentley faced former Congressman Parker Griffith, and Ivey faced former State Rep. James Fields. Democrats viewed the 2014 election as so hopeless that they did not even find a candidate to run against popular U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions. The Alabama voters once again rewarded Republicans with every statewide office on the ballot, and they grew their supermajorities in both Houses of the Legislature. In 2018, Bentley was gone, and Ivey had been elevated to Governor. Shelby was reelected to a sixth term in 2016. Democrats, however, were optimistic because their nominee for U.S. Senate, Doug Jones, had just defeated the Republican nominee, former Chief Justice Roy Moore in a special election. It had been the first win for an Alabama Democrat in a statewide race since 2008. Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, who had masterminded the Republican campaigns in 2010 and 2014, had been convicted of corruption in 2016 (he is still in prison to this day). None of that mattered. Ivey easily bested her Democratic opponent, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. In the Lieutenant Governor’s race, State Rep. Will Ainsworth defeated his Democratic opponent, Florence Pastor Dr. Will Boyd. The Republicans also grew their supermajorities in the state legislature. Former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville beat Sen. Jones in a landslide in 2020, so once again, there is no statewide Democratic officeholder in Alabama. On Tuesday, Ivey is seeking her second full term as governor. This time she faces political newcomer Yolanda Flowers and a Libertarian – Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake. Ainsworth faces Libertarian Ruth Page Nelson. Democrats failed to run a Lt. Gov. candidate. Shelby is retiring after 36 years in the Senate and 52 total years in office. His former Chief of Staff, Katie Britt, is the Republican nominee for Senate. She faces Boyd and Libertarian John Sophocleus. This is the first election since 2002 where there are Libertarians on the Alabama ballot. There are a lot of parallels between the 2022 election and the 2010 election. Once again, Democrats control both Houses of Congress and an unpopular Democratic Presidential incumbent, former Obama VP Joe Biden, is in the second year of his presidency. Many political analysts are predicting that Tuesday will be a second “red wave” election, like 2010, that will sweep Democrats out of office and give Republicans control of both Houses of Congress again. Alabama Republicans are hoping this is true of Alabama as well, and the GOP will retain its almost total mastery of Alabama politics. That is for the voters of Alabama to decide. Polls will open at 7:00 am and close at 7:00 am. Voters need to bring a valid photo ID with them to the polls. Various forms of photo ID are acceptable. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard will not have radio station licenses revoked
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has declined to revoke broadcast licenses held by former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard, the Montgomery Advertiser reported. The ruling stated that the commission’s Enforcement Bureau had not proven an intent to deceive on Hubbard’s part or that the convictions disqualified him from holding the licenses. In 2016 a jury convicted Hubbard of 12 counts of violating the state ethics law, but six were overturned on appeal. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging his public office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses. His defense lawyers maintained the transactions were all legal. He had remained free while appealing and reported to jail in September 2020. In September 2021, Hubbard filed a request for early release after serving one year of a 28-month sentence, apologizing for his ethics conviction and stating he had hurt the state and his family due to his actions. “My conviction has severely damaged and embarrassed me and my family, friends, former constituents, community, church, the legislature, and the state of Alabama. For this, I am severely sorry and respectfully ask forgiveness from everyone affected,” Hubbard wrote. Hubbard founded the Auburn Network in 1994 and is the sole stockholder. The Auburn Network holds licenses for WANI, an AM station in Opelika, and WGZZ, an FM station in Waverly in Lee and Chambers counties. The network also holds licenses for three FM stations that rebroadcast WGZZ and a construction permit for WHBD-LD in Auburn, a low-power television station. The Enforcement Bureau argued that Hubbard used the Auburn Network to hide his consulting work from the Alabama Ethics Commission. Judge Jane Hinckley Halprin disagreed, stating, “It is difficult to say that Mr. Hubbard has made remedial efforts or that he has been ‘rehabilitated’ given the progress of the criminal case and the fact that he is currently incarcerated. On the other hand, while the stations’ management technically participated in the felonies because Mr. Hubbard is the sole shareholder of licensee Auburn Network, there is no evidence that the stations themselves were involved.” In the 21-page ruling, Halprin wrote that the convictions showed Hubbard “betrayed the trust of the public he was elected to serve.” However, she also stated that the Enforcement Bureau had not shown that Hubbard’s convictions meant he would act “dishonestly” with the FCC. “The misdeeds of a public servant may indeed be relevant in gauging that person’s ability to serve the public interest as an FCC licensee, but in this particular case and under these particular circumstances, the evidence presented does not satisfy the burden of proof,” Halprin wrote. Last December, Hubbard requested an evidentiary hearing on the letter of apology. However, Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker has not ruled on the motion. The earliest Hubbard can be released is January 8, 2023.
State: Ex-speaker Mike Hubbard’s words show apology was insincere
Convicted former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard told people he was innocent and “held my nose” as he signed a letter apologizing for his crimes, according to state prosecutors who used Hubbard’s own phone calls and emails from prison to cast doubt on his claims of remorse as he seeks early release. The attorney general’s office combed through emails and 600 of Hubbard’s phone calls from prison and cited some of the conversations as they oppose his request for early release from prison. State attorneys said the communications show he was “not truthful” when he signed a letter apologizing for his 2016 conviction for violating state ethics law, including using his public office for personal financial gain. Hubbard submitted the letter in September along with a request for early release from prison. In the letter, Hubbard said, “I recognize and admit my errors.” Hubbard wrote that his conviction embarrassed the state and his family and “for this, I am severely sorry and respectfully ask forgiveness from everyone affected. According to the Monday court filing, Hubbard told a friend before submitting the apology letter that, “I promise you I did nothing wrong.” On the day he signed the apology letter to the court, Hubbard told his wife that part of the letter he liked was removed, but he was “looking at the ultimate goal” and “held (his) nose and signed it.” Prosecutors said Hubbard also talked to friends about efforts to add language to a community corrections legislation that could benefit his release. According to state lawyers, Hubbard told an attorney that someone should contact a state senator to urge a filibuster. The court filing did not include many specifics but said that Hubbard did not get his wish. “Hubbard has already been removed from office for breaching his duty to the public. Now he has been caught breaching his duty to this Court. He deserves condemnation, not mercy,” state attorneys wrote. The former House speaker also referred to the lead prosecutor in his case as corrupt, suggested politics was behind his prosecution, and was baffled that the Alabama Supreme Court did not completely overturn his conviction. “I hope the folks there know I didn’t do anything wrong, and this was just a political hit job,” Hubbard told one friend according to the court filing. He told another that, “according to the way they’ve interpreted the law, they could indict and convict anybody in the Legislature who has a job.” Phone calls made by prisoners have a message at the beginning informing recipients that the call may be monitored. State lawyers said Hubbard must have been aware of this because he used a variety of code names such as calling his wife the quarterback and state officials either Martians or the Taliban. Hubbard has served about one year of a 28-month sentence. He is imprisoned at Limestone Correctional Facility. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging his powerful public office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses, violating the prohibition against giving a “thing of value” to an elected official. His defense maintained the contracts were legitimate work and unrelated to his position as House speaker. In upholding the conviction this spring, justices noted that when contacting a company for one client, Hubbard “identified himself as a state legislator and as Speaker of the House of Representatives.” They also noted how one company executive wrote in an email that Hubbard could get the company, “in front of any speaker in the country regardless of party.” The Republican was one of the state’s most powerful politicians until the ethics conviction in a corruption case ended his political career. Hubbard, the architect of the GOP’s takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010, was a legislator from Auburn and former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. He was elected House speaker soon after Republicans won control. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Mike Hubbard defense reiterates apology by former Alabama speaker
A former Alabama House speaker imprisoned for felony ethics convictions really is sorry for what he did and is not a danger to society, defense lawyers said in urging a judge to disregard prosecutors’ objections to an early release. Attorneys for one-time Republican leader Mike Hubbard told a court in legal arguments filed Wednesday that the state attorney general’s office was wrong to discount a letter Hubbard wrote last month apologizing for his actions and asking a judge for leniency. Prosecutors’ “veiled portrayal of (Hubbard’s) apology as crocodile tears or anything other than completely honest is conclusory, speculative, and simply erroneous,” the defense told Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker. While the state compared Hubbard to an arsonist seeking forgiveness after a fire, they said, an arsonist is a danger to society and the 59-year-old Hubbard is not, they argued. Hubbard has served more than a year of a 28-month prison sentence after losing appeals that challenged his 2016 conviction for violating the state ethics law, including using his public office for personal financial gain. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging the Speaker’s office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses. Hubbard argued that contracts were legitimate work and unrelated to his position as House speaker, a post he held for nearly six years. Hubbard’s time in prison “has obviously given him the opportunity to reflect not only on his actions, but also on the broader implications that his convictions have had on his former constituents and the entire political system,” the defense said. Hubbard, who represented an east Alabama district in the Legislature, was automatically removed from office because of the conviction. He played a key role in engineering the Republican Party’s takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010. Barring an early release, Hubbard is scheduled to be released from prison in January 2023, records show. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
State opposes Mike Hubbard request for early release from prison
State prosecutors are urging a judge to deny former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard’s request for early release from prison, arguing his “belated apology” for his ethics conviction is not enough. In a Wednesday court filing, the state attorney general’s office opposed Hubbard’s request for release from prison after serving a year of his 28-month sentence. In seeking early release, Hubbard wrote a letter to the judge apologizing for his conviction. Several community figures, including Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson, wrote letters supporting his release. The state wrote that Hubbard’s apology is a good thing, “but it is not a basis for early release.” “It is a positive step that Hubbard recognizes that his crimes harmed society as a whole. But he is wrong to think the best way to repair that harm is for the Court to release the very man who caused it after he has served less than half his sentence. By Hubbard’s logic, a remorseful arsonist should be released early if he expresses the desire to rebuild the home he burned down,” state lawyers wrote. Several community figures wrote letters to the judge supporting Hubbard’s release, including Jackson and Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller. Hubbard worked on the 1985 Heisman campaign for Jackson, and Jackson called Hubbard “one of my closest and most loyal friends.” “There is absolutely no benefit to the citizens of Alabama for Mike to be incarcerated and forced to be non-productive,” Jackson wrote. Hubbard’s attorney argued his sentence of over two years behind bars is out of line with punishments handed down to other officials convicted of violating the state ethics law. “My conviction has severely damaged and embarrassed me and my family, friends, former constituents, community, church, the legislature, and the state of Alabama. For this, I am severely sorry and respectfully ask forgiveness from everyone affected,” Hubbard wrote to Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker. The Republican was one of the state’s most powerful politicians until the ethics conviction in a corruption case ended his political career. Hubbard, the architect of the GOP’s takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010, was a legislator from Auburn and former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. He was elected House speaker soon after Republicans won control of both legislative chambers. A jury in 2016 convicted Hubbard of violating the state ethics law, including using his public office for personal financial gain. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging his powerful public office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses, violating the prohibition against giving a “thing of value” to an elected official. During the trial, his defense maintained the contracts were legitimate work and unrelated to his position as House speaker. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
