Alabama’s Republican Congressmen support Kevin McCarthy
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted six times to pick the next Speaker of the House, and Republicans have failed to reach a consensus on who will lead the body for the 118th Congress. Six times Republicans have been divided on who they want to lead the body and have been unable to come to a conclusion. Most of the Republicans in the body, including all six Republican members of the Alabama congressional delegation, have voted for California Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-California), but 19 members led by Reps. Andy Biggs, Matt Gaetz, and Bob Good have staunchly opposed McCarthy’s nomination. Republicans hold a majority in the House of 222 to 212 (one Democratic member died post-election). It takes 218 votes to secure the speakership. McCarthy got 203 votes on the first two votes but has failed to sway any of the 19 ultra-conservative holdouts who have opposed him. Democrats, including Congresswoman Terri Sewell, have been united in their support of Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats could side with either of the squabbling Republican factions to create a “unity” government, but Republicans on both sides of this inner GOP feud have publicly rejected any negotiations with Democrats to find a resolution. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed McCarthy. “VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY, & WATCH CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY BACK HOME TO A VERY BROKEN CALIFORNIA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday. Former State Rep. Perry Hooper Jr. told Alabama Today that the former President should come to D.C. to negotiate a settlement. “All of these 19 or 20 come from big MAGA districts,” Hooper explained. “He is a great negotiator.” McCarthy has been the House Minority/Majority leader for years. He was the leading candidate to be Speaker of the House in 2015 when members of the House Freedom Caucus forced out then-Speaker John Boehner. Members of the Freedom Caucus refused to support McCarthy then, leading to the elevation of Rep. Paul Ryan to Speaker. Ryan left Congress in 2018. This public spat between angry House Republicans is the first time since 1923 that the House failed to choose a speaker on the first ballot. Republicans had been planning to announce a number of initiatives, including investigations of Hunter Biden’s alleged influence peddling, the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border situation. All of those plans are on hold and have been overshadowed by the back-and-forth personal attacks by rival Republican congress members and have called into question the ability of the Republican House members to govern effectively. “The American people are expecting us to work to stop inflation, deal with the crisis at our southern border and hold the Biden Administration accountable,” Congressman Robert Aderholt said. “The sooner we elect a Republican Speaker, the sooner we can start.” As of press time, there has been no agreement on who will lead the House for the next two years. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Perry Hooper apologizes for “unacceptable” behavior
On Tuesday, former State Rep. Perry Hooper Jr. released a statement apologizing for what he called his “unacceptable behavior” towards Elizabeth Daly. The apology followed Judge J.R. Gaines’ acceptance of the Montgomery District Attorney’s motion to dismiss the charges against Hooper. Hooper, through his attorney, Joe Espy, sent a copy of the apology to Alabama Today. “I would like to express my sincere apologies to Elizabeth Daly. On August 16, 2022, Miss Daly was assisting my friend and me as a hostess where we were dining. I was wrong, and I take full responsibility for my actions. Miss Daly is an exemplary person, and my behavior was unacceptable. I hope she will accept this apology for my regrettable conduct.” Espy said that Hooper would have no further comment on the matter. “The State of Alabama has concluded that without the Victim’s testimony and cooperation, the evidence would be insufficient to attain a conviction,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Azzie Taylor wrote in a motion filed in Montgomery County Circuit court on Monday morning. Hooper, age 68, was indicted on sex abuse charges by a Montgomery County grand jury last month. Hooper was arrested in August after an incident at a downtown Montgomery restaurant on Commerce Street where Daly was working. Following the indictment, Daly released a statement asking that the charges against Hooper be dropped. 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.” Daly has asked that the press respect her privacy and not contact her. Hooper is a senior member of the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee – the 425-member committee that directs the governance of the party. He is also 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. According to an affidavit, Hooper approached a woman (Daly) working at a 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 served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1983 to 2002. Hooper is a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump and a frequent visitor to the Trump Whitehouse as well as Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Resort. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Details emerge from Perry Hooper Jr. sex abuse arrest
A former Alabama legislator who campaigned in the state for former President Donald Trump is accused of grabbing a restaurant hostess from behind and groping her before she was able to break free. Perry Hooper Jr., 67, was arrested Tuesday in connection with the August 16 incident in downtown Montgomery. He was charged with first-degree sex abuse, according to court documents, and released on a $15,000 bond. An affidavit filed with the arrest warrant alleges Hooper approached the woman from behind at the hostess stand and “grabbed the victim’s breasts and waist while shoving his pelvis against the victim’s backside. He then began kissing her neck before she was able to break free.” A text message to Hooper was not immediately returned. It was unclear if he had an attorney to speak on his behalf. State law defines first-degree sex abuse as subjecting a person to sexual contact by forcible compulsion. Hooper, a member of a prominent Republican family, served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1983 to 2003. He raised money for Trump in 2016 as chairman of Alabama Trump Victory in 2016. Hooper’s father, Perry Hooper Sr., was chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Prominent GOP leader Perry Hooper Jr. arrested for sexual abuse
Former State Rep. Perry Hooper Jr., age 67, was arrested on Tuesday by the U.S. Marshals Service, Alabama Daily News reported. Hooper has been charged with first-degree sexual abuse. He was held on $15,000 bond. The alleged incident occurred at the 100 block of Commerce Street in Montgomery on August 16 at approximately eight p.m., reported WSFA. That is the address of the Hampton Inn and Suites Downtown reported WSFA. Hooper was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in the election of 1983. He served five terms in the Alabama House. Hooper was one of five people that then Governor Robert Bentley interviewed as possible appointees for the U.S. Senate in 2017 following the resignation of Jeff Sessions. Hooper is an active member of the Alabama Republican Executive Committee representing Montgomery County. He is a frequently published political commentator who has had columns published across Alabama and beyond. Hooper was an early backer of Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican primary season and chaired the Trump Victory Fund in the 2016 campaign. The Trump bundler was a frequent visitor to the Trump Whitehouse as well as Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Resort in the years following the Trump presidency. Hooper is a licensed insurance salesman and registered state and federal lobbyist. He is a member of the board for the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, a prominent Auburn booster, and serves on the Board of the Montgomery Quarterback Club. The Alabama Republican Party has released a statement condemning sexual abuse. “The Alabama Republican Party strongly condemns all forms of sexual abuse and sexual assault,” the ALGOP said in a statement. “We are committed to personal rights and public safety. We will be monitoring this situation closely as it makes its way through the judicial process.” Hooper’s father, Perry Hooper Sr. – now deceased, was the first Republican Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court since Reconstruction. Hooper is married and has three sons and a number of grandchildren. Alabama Today spoke to Daphne Attorney Harry Still III about this case. Still explained that sexual abuse in the first degree is a class C felony under Alabama law. “Section 13A-6-66. Sexual abuse in the first degree (a) A person commits the crime of sexual abuse in the first degree if he or she does either of the following: (1) Subjects another person to sexual contact by forcible compulsion. (2) Subjects another person to sexual contact who is incapable of consent by reason of being incapacitated. (b) Sexual abuse in the first degree is a Class C felony. Forcible compulsion means to compel by either: (a) use of physical force; or (b) a threat, express or implied, which places a person in fear of immediate death or physical injury to …self or another …, or in fear that he, she or another … will immediately be kidnapped. Someone is intoxicated to the point that they cannot give consent. Incapable of giving consent or incapacitated.” A Montgomery Police spokesperson explained that Hooper was arrested by U.S. Marshals because the Marshals have an agreement with Montgomery Police to arrest criminals charged with violent crimes. This charge meets that standard. Hooper, if convicted, faces a sentence of between one and ten years in prison and a fine up to $15,000. Hooper has simply been charged with a crime. All persons are presumed innocent until they are found guilty by a jury of their peers. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Political gadfly Perry Hooper Jr. arrested on sex abuse charge
A former Alabama legislator was arrested Tuesday on a sex abuse charge, police said. Perry Hooper, Jr., 67, was charged with first-degree sex abuse related in connection to an incident that occurred in downtown Montgomery on Aug. 16, Capt. Saba Coleman, a spokesperson for the Montgomery Police Department, confirmed by email. The police department did not immediately provide details about the charge. However, state law defines first-degree sex abuse as subjecting someone to sexual contact when the person is incapacitated and incapable of giving consent or subjecting a person to sexual contact by forcible compulsion. Coleman said Hooper was identified as a suspect in the incident that occurred around 8 p.m. in the 100 block of Commerce Street in Montgomery. The area has several hotels, restaurants, and bars. He was taken into custody Tuesday by the U.S. Marshals Task Force and then placed in the Montgomery County Detention Facility. Jail records show he was being held on a $15,000 bond. A text message to Hooper was not immediately returned. It was unclear if he had an attorney to speak on his behalf. Hooper served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1983 to 2003. His father, Perry Hooper, Sr., was the former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Hooper campaigned and raised money for former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. Hooper said he was chairman of the Alabama Trump Victory in 2016. Two other lawmakers served as the chairmen of Trump’s 2016 Alabama campaign. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Perry Hooper Jr. declines U.S. Senate run, backs Luther Strange
Former state Rep. Perry Hooper Jr. will not run in the special election for U.S. Senate. Instead, Hooper, who served as Alabama co-chair of Donald Trump‘s campaign, is endorsing current Sen. Luther Strange. According to AL.com, the Montgomery Republican had sought the appointment by then-Gov. Robert Bentley to succeed Jeff Sessions after he became Trump’s Attorney General. In the end, Bentley chose Strange, Alabama’s attorney general at the time. Hooper held a news conference on the Capitol steps in Montgomery Wednesday morning, where he explained that he made the decision not to enter the race last week. While all the candidates in the race would make “competent” senators, Hooper said Strange was the best to put forward Trump’s agenda. “We need a strong conservative in Washington who will take up the mantle of Jeff Sessions and support the Trump agenda,” Hooper told reporters. “Every vote Sen. Strange has cast is exactly how Jeff Sessions would have voted.” Hooper is endorsing Strange based on his vote to confirm Neil Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court and his Strange’s support of a bill to cut funding to sanctuary cities, using that money to build Trump’s wall on the country’s southern border. He added: “He has assured me that he will be a strong Trump floor leader in repealing and replacing Obamacare, cutting taxes on working Americans, reducing regulations that are stifling economy, rebuilding our border military and ensuring our border security.” Watch Hooper’s endorsement below:
Steve Flowers: Handicapping the ‘great show’ Senate Special Election
The decisive move by newly minted Governor, Kay Ivey, to declare a Special Election for the Jeff Sessions’ Senate Seat this year rather than next year changes the entire complexion of who will sit in that coveted seat. It also redefines the landscape of an ever changing and pivotal Alabama political scene. This next year will be an adventure as we elect a Senator and concurrently the 2018 Governor’s Race will begin its evolution. We have already seen the downfall of a sitting governor this year and by Sept. 26, we will see the election of a new junior U.S. Senator. There is an assumption that only a Republican can win statewide office in Alabama and winning the GOP primary is tantamount to election. The decision by Governor Ivey was the right decision. Most folks would assume that “forthwith” means this year rather than next year. It was also a wise political move by Ms. Ivey if she wants to run for a full term. Ivey’s calling for the Special Election for Sessions’ seat immediately, could be the death knell for Luther Strange. By December, he may go from being the newest and tallest member of the U.S. Senate to the shortest serving senator in Alabama history. His defeat could be very inglorious and humiliating. With the election being this year, it will be the only show in town. It will be a spectacle. Every politician who is in any office can run without risking his or her current posts. In other words, everyone has a free shot. Therefore, it will be a free-for-all. Everyone will run against poor Big Luther and the Bentley taint. They will use their campaign resources to give you the unmitigated details of how Luther got put in that seat by ole Bentley. You will be told so many times that Bentley and Luther got together in a backroom with Rebekah and brokered a deal to sell Luther the Senate seat in return for Luther not prosecuting Bentley and Rebekah that you will know the story by heart. Luther will be as tarnished and feathered as ole Bentley. In about two weeks, when the Washington PAC’s see the polling that reveals Luther is in trouble, his campaign resources will be less than he expected and he may not be able to defend against the onslaught of negative ads. The question becomes, who will be the early frontrunners? Roy Moore enters as the favorite. His evangelical base becomes crystallized in a large field. It will probably reserve him a place in the Sept. 26 run-off. Who will be the other candidate in the runoff? It may very well not be Luther Strange. The U.S. Senate is a select club. A cursory look around the chamber reveals very wealthy people or celebrities. Senate seats are bought by wealthy individuals in a good many cases. We have some people in Alabama who could very easily buy the Senate seat. The short period of time that exists to raise money for an Aug. 15 election even further enhances the advantage for someone who can self-finance and write a big check. The name on most lists is the “Yella Fella,” Jimmy Rane. He would sell. He is a natural salesman. Folks close to Yella Fella get the feeling that he does not want to go to Washington at this time in his life. However, he is adamant and determined that Luther Strange will not remain in the seat. Therefore, he may bankroll another candidate through a super PAC. Rumor has it that he will get behind Del Marsh. Marsh has his own money also. However, he needs more money because he is totally unknown to Alabama voters. I will keep you posted on the developments. I do not know how many of these folks will join the fray but this is how I will handicap the horses at this time. Jimmy Rane and Roy Moore are one and two. Other possibilities are Congressman Robert Aderholt, Congressman Bradley Byrne, Luther Strange, Secretary of State John Merrill, Congressman Mo Brooks, State Auditor Jim Ziegler, State Sen. Del Marsh, Trump Trumpeter Perry Hooper Jr., State Sen. Slade Blackwell, State Sen. Trip Pittman, ADECA Director Jim Byard, State Senator Arthur Orr, and State Rep. Ed Henry. It will be a great show. 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.
Alabama politics in review: 2016 more interesting than expected
This past year in Alabama politics was surprisingly more interesting than was expected. The judicial inquiry commission removed Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore from the bench for telling the probate judges in the state to not perform marriage ceremonies for gay people. He said marriage should be between a man and a woman, as do most people in Alabama. This removal by this vague panel of former lawyers and judges has caused legislators to call for an investigation of who this panel is and how they have this much power. More importantly, Judge Moore’s views and martyrdom has catapulted him into an early frontrunner position for the governorship of Alabama in next year’s upcoming election. He is prohibited from running for the Court again because he is 72 and Alabama law does not allow someone to run for judgeships after age 70. Therefore, it was expected that he was going to run for governor. However, his expulsion has propelled his polling numbers to strategic levels. Our good ole Dr. Gov. Robert Bentley’s saga played out over the year. It is titillating and fun to follow. However, it has pretty much rendered him somewhat irrelevant as governor. Donald J. Trump’s victory for the presidency is, of course, the biggest political story of 2016. It overshadows our shenanigans in Alabama. Trump is very popular in Alabama. His victories in our GOP primary and in the November General Election were record setting vote tallies for the Heart of Dixie. As we enter 2017, the beginning of the Trump presidency will be the news. His administration will and has already affected Alabama politics significantly. His Attorney General will be our own Senator Jeff Sessions. Our Senior Senator Richard Shelby has had one seat for 30 years and Sessions has been in the other seat for 20 years. Therefore, this open seat is a rarity and will be coveted. By law, the Governor appoints the holder of the vacant seat, which will be for an interim time. The election for the seat will probably occur at the same time as the governor’s race, which will be 17 months from now in the GOP primary in June 2018. The most qualified person to take the seat would be someone from our state congressional delegation, especially someone who has served in Congress from Alabama for a decade or more. The two who fit that bill and who are the most imminently qualified are Congressman Robert Aderholt and former Congressman Jo Bonner. Aderholt, who hails from Haleyville, has represented the 4th Congressional District for 20 years. That district runs from the Mississippi line to the Georgia line across north central Alabama and includes Jasper, Cullman, Gadsden and Tuscaloosa. Aderholt got to Washington at the amazingly young age of 31. Therefore, he is only 51 years old and is our most senior and thus most powerful congressman. He is a ranking member of the powerful Appropriations Committee and is in line to be chairman soon. He would be risking a lot and probably has the same power as a freshman U.S. Senator. He is on course to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Tom Bevill, who was referred to as Alabama’s third senator. Jo Bonner represented Baldwin and Mobile in the 1st District for over a decade. He left a couple of years ago to accept an Economic Development position at the University of Alabama. He is very well-liked and respected in Washington and was positioned for a leadership post in the GOP Congress. His erudite and sincere demeanor would make him an effective Senator immediately, he also served in the House with a third of the Senators. The most likely to win the seat in the 2018 Election is Attorney General Luther Strange. He has run statewide three times successfully and has over a three-million-dollar head start name identification-wise. None of these three men have or will seek Bentley’s appointment. They all realize how unpopular Bentley is and know the history of appointments in Alabama politics. Bentley could redeem some respect and relevance if he went hat in hand to President Donald Trump and offered Trump his appointment. In that case, the governor’s choice would be Trump’s choice. The best choice to bridge the gap may be Perry Hooper Jr., who trumped for Trump in Alabama. 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.
