Pressure grows for ALGOP response to Katie Britt’s alleged Democratic Party support
In a state like Alabama, the Republican Party rules supreme. Winning a primary is tantamount to winning an election because Republicans hold a supermajority in the state. “Crossover voting” during primaries allows Democratic voters to have a say in who will be the winner, given that the general election is often nothing more than a formality. Since 2010, crossover voting has not been allowed in primary runoff elections in Alabama. However, voters in Alabama are not required to register with a party prior to voting, so there is no mechanism to prevent crossover voting from happening in Republican primary elections because Alabama has open primaries. 1819 News reported that Mo Brooks has accused opponent Katie Britt of soliciting Democrat votes in last month’s primary. During a radio interview on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show,” Brooks stated, “No question. Katie Britt had an activist effort, kind of behind the scenes, to encourage Democrats to crossover and to pollute our Republican primary.” Brooks also argued that she would do the same in the June 21 runoff. “It will probably happen to some degree on June 21 when we have to runoff. That’s not right,” Brooks continued. “The Democrats should never be participating in Republican primaries and vice-versa. But we’ll see how Republicans across the state react to Katie Britt’s outreach program that is coming to greater and greater light. By outreach program, I’m talking about getting Democrats to tamper in our elections.” Brooks’s accusations seem valid to some Republican leaders after Democratic Party executive director Wade Perry posted on Twitter, describing Britt as “pretty awesome” and “super helpful” during the Doug Jones 2017 win over Roy Moore. Additionally, Democrat U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith stated he supported Britt. “She’s running a great campaign,” Griffith commented last year on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show.” “She’s got a lot of assets. I’ve got a Katie Britt sign in my front yard … because the Democrats cannot win in Alabama. We need good government. We’re going to have to vote for good people and start being Americans instead of Republican or Democrat, particularly in Alabama.” Michael Hoyt, the chairman of the Republican Party in Baldwin County, has called for closed primaries. During an interview on FM Talk 106.5’s “The Jeff Poor Show,” Hoyt stated, “Principally, I would be in favor of having a closed primary. I think the party and members of the party should choose who their nominees are. And that shouldn’t be people for Democrats, for Libertarians, or whatever coming over.” Hoyt also said he expected the ALGOP to look into the issue in the near future. “[I] support having a closed primary system, and I suspect that that’s something that will be addressed by the state party, perhaps even at the summer meeting this year, and certainly be taken up by the legislature,” Hoyt commented. “When you’re in an essentially one-party state, and they know the election is determined by the primary, you have to be careful of who is even running in those races, and we certainly don’t want Democrats coming in and voting in them. So, I agree with [that] 100%.” Jennifer Montrose, president of the West Alabama Republican Assembly, issued a resolution requesting the Republican Party Steering Committee conduct “a fully public hearing or meeting with notice to the public to consider the facts and potential sanctions against candidate Katie Britt.” Essentially, the resolution accuses Britt of supporting “a nominee of another political party,” an infraction that can “deny ballot access to a candidate for public office.” In February, the Alabama Republican Party’s candidate committee voted to remove three candidates from its primary ballot in state legislative races because of alleged affiliations with other parties. “[W]e take it extremely serious that we keep the Republican primary ballots pure,” ALGOP chair John Wahl stated. “And what I mean by that is we’re not going to let a Nancy Pelosi or Hillary Clinton come in and run on the Republican ticket. It’s not going to happen. Sometimes it gets hard. It’s very hard to know who is a Republican and who is not a Republican. The candidate committee makes those decisions, and I chair that committee. I choose not to take a vote because I feel like it is important for the chairman dispense all the information to provide the body information they need to make the best decision.” During the Republican primaries, Britt led opponent Brooks by a 45%-to-29% margin in votes.
GOP primary race for Alabama Senate seat turns bitter
Alabama’s Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby has become a bitter high-dollar contest with the three strongest contenders jockeying for the nomination. The leading candidates are U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who won — and then lost — former President Donald Trump’s backing in the race; Katie Boyd Britt, the former leader of Business Council of Alabama and Shelby’s former chief of staff; and Mike Durant, an aerospace company owner best known as the helicopter pilot whose capture during a U.S. military mission in Somalia was chronicled in the “Black Hawk Down” book and subsequent movie. Lillie Boddie, Karla M. Dupriest, and Jake Schafer are also seeking the GOP nomination. Observers say it’s hard to predict whether the nomination will be settled in Tuesday’s primary. The fractured field increases the chances that the race will go to a June 21 runoff, which is required unless one candidate captures more than 50% of Tuesday’s vote. David Mowery, an Alabama-based political consultant, said the race has an up-for-grabs feel. “It’s anybody’s guess as to who’s in first and who’s in second in the runoff,” he said. As for the barrage of negative campaign ads in the primary’s closing days, Mowery said: “The gloves have come off.” The Alabama race is one of several bitterly contested GOP primaries for open Senate seats. Retirements also sparked heated races this season in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and in Ohio. Trump further scrambled the Alabama race this spring when he rescinded his endorsement of Brooks. Both Britt and Durant have courted Trump’s nod, but he has so far stayed out of the Alabama race. “We look at this country and don’t recognize it right now. Unfortunately, under the Biden administration, every single thing in this nation is moving in the wrong direction,” Britt said during a speech to the Republican Women of East Alabama. Before leading the Business Council, Britt served as chief of staff to Shelby, one of the Senate’s most senior members and a traditional Republican known for his ability to bring home federal projects and funding to his home state. But in speeches Britt, running under a slogan of Alabama First, has leaned away from her hefty Washington resume. She said it’s important voters get to know her and the kind of senator she will be. Her experience, she said, gave her an opportunity to understand how the Senate works. “I can hit the ground running on day one. And for me, Alabama First is not just a slogan. It’s a mission,” she said. Brooks, a six-term congressman from north Alabama, is banking on his long history with Alabama voters to overcome his feud with Trump. “If you’re a conservative Republican, I would submit to you that I’m the only proven conservative in this race. With me, there is no rolling the dice to determine how I’m going to go on major public policy issues,” Brooks said, urging people to look up his ratings from the National Rifle Association, Heritage Action, and other groups. Despite losing Trump’s backing, he continues to run as “MAGA Mo,” invoking Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan, and his campaign website continues to include old video footage of Trump praising the north Alabama congressman. Trump initially endorsed Brooks last year, rewarding the conservative firebrand who whipped up a crowd of Trump supporters at the January 6, 2021 “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the U.S. Capitol insurrection. “Today is the day that American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass,” Brooks said. But Trump withdrew the endorsement in March after their relationship soured. Trump cites Brooks’ languishing performance and accused the conservative congressman of going “woke” for saying it was time to move on from the 2020 presidential outcome and focus on upcoming elections. Brooks said Trump was trying to get him to illegally rescind the election. Trump has not made a new endorsement in the race. Both Durant and Britt have maintained they are the superior choice for Trump’s backing if the race goes to a runoff. At a speech in Phenix City, a town in the shadow of the U.S. Army’s Fort Benning, Durant pitched himself as the outsider in the race. He began a speech by describing his combat service — which included not just Somalia but Desert Storm and missions in Panama — and then working in the defense industry and founding an aerospace company. “I’m not a politician,” Durant said. “That is what people are tired of. That’s why people want outsiders. That is why people want straight shooters.” Durant said his military experience separates him from those in Washington who “don’t know what they’re talking about” when discussing deploying troops. “This is serious business. We don’t deploy troops, we don’t get in skirmishes, we don’t try to do nation-building unless we truly understand the commitment that we’re about to make, not only financially, but the lives of young men and women, our national credibility, all those things that are on the line.” Durant, a helicopter pilot who was held prisoner after being shot down, is seeking the endorsement of Trump, who once disputed that Sen. John McCain was a war hero because he was held as a POW. “I like people that weren’t captured,” Trump said in 2015. Asked about that, Durant said he thought the divisions between the two were “based on politics, not based on service.” Both Britt and Brooks have criticized Durant for “dodging debates” after his campaign declined three separate dates offered by the Alabama Republican Party. Durant said he is willing to debate but could not make it fit his schedule. Outside groups have pumped more than $20 million into the race to either support or oppose one of the frontrunners. The Super PACS have been responsible for many of the attack ads in the race. Alabama Patriots PAC spent $4 million to support Durant after receiving money from America’s Project, a Virginia-based PAC associated with Jacob Harriman,
Foundation for Moral Law wins religious freedom victory in Louisiana
The Foundation for Moral Law, an Alabama-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the defense of religious liberty, claimed victory in a Louisiana case involving Pastor Aaron Spell of Life Tabernacle in Central, Louisiana. Spell was cited for six misdemeanor violations of the Governor’s church closing order in 2020. In 2020, in response to the COVID pandemic, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued an executive order closing most businesses, including churches with ten or more people. Exceptions were provided for certain “essential” businesses, but the order did not classify churches as essential. However, Spell continued to hold worship services and was arrested for doing so. Pastor Spell contacted the Foundation for Moral Law for assistance. Judge Roy Moore, the founder of the foundation, agreed to defend him. They also retained Louisiana Attorney Jeffrey Wittenbrink as local counsel. While adjudication continues in federal court, now at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, Attorney Wittenbrink appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court to quash the criminal charges against Pastor Spell. Wittenbrink argued that this was unconstitutional state interference with the church in violation of the First Amendment and of various state constitutional provisions and statutes. On Friday, May 13, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled in favor of Pastor Spell and his church, quashing the misdemeanor citations. The Court held that the Governor’s orders were unconstitutional because they discriminated against religion by exempting other activities and that the Governor had failed to show evidence that these restrictions were necessary to protect the public. “Pandemic or not,” the Court said, “this court cannot look the other way when the state infringes upon a citizen’s fundamental right to exercise his religion.” Judge Moore said on behalf of Spell, “Religious liberty is the first and foremost right granted by God and guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and by the Louisiana State Constitution as well. The Foundation hails this case as a milestone in the defense of freedom.” Attorney Wittenbrink added, “Even the dissenting opinion refrained from saying the Governor’s orders were constitutional. The dissent only wanted to remand the case to the lower court to make more findings of fact to support its conclusion. But the majority held that the State had the burden to produce that evidence and that the State had failed to do so.” Pastor Spell thanked God for moving the courts to grant this victory and for leading him to the Foundation. “All along,” he said, we have placed ourselves in God’s hands and declared with the apostles in Acts 5:29, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’ We are thankful for this victory and will continue to preach and worship Jesus Christ as he has commanded us.” The case will now proceed in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on the issue of state interference with the church using COVID restrictions as an excuse to violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Anti-Trump posts from Casey Wardynski’s campaign manager resurface; call into question GOP loyalty
The battle for the 5th Congressional seat being vacated by Mo Brooks has become more heated as the Republican primary comes to a close. With it comes more questions and evidence of which candidates are loyal to the principles of the Alabama GOP and President Donald Trump. The primary candidates for the seat are John Roberts, Paul Sanford, Dale Strong, and Casey Wardynski. Wardynski’s decision to hire a decidedly anti-Trump campaign manager, his stance supporting Common Core, and his voting record have led some of his detractors to question Wardynski’s judgment. Chad Niblett, Wardynski’s campaign manager, is under fire for old social media posts that show anti-Trump views while Wardynski himself has a checkered past with Alabama GOP stances on hot button issues like Common Core. Another issue that has raised the question of Wardynski’s allegiance to the ALGOP is his decision to hire Niblett as his campaign manager. While Niblett also has experience with Rep. Jerry Carl’s campaign in the past, he also has quite a history of anti-Trump rhetoric. In one post, Niblett admitted to not voting for Judge Roy Moore in 2017. In that tweet, he also makes clear that he believes Trump’s accusers in allegations that Trump himself has claimed to be “false.” Niblett wrote on Twitter, “Also, the allegations against Moore were only one reason that I didn’t vote for him. I think it should be clear that I believe Trump’s accusers. I should have listened to them before, but I didn’t. I will in 2020.” While all of these Twitter posts have since been deleted from Niblett’s page, the screenshots provided to Alabama Today show a pattern of disparaging remarks about Trump. In 2019, Niblett commented to Kamala Harris via Twitter, stating, “Just wish the last administration would have. At least Trump has taken some steps. I can’t stand his orange a**, but your party hasn’t done anything either.” The only political undertaking of Wardynski prior to this campaign was when he sparred with The Alabama State Legislature in 2013 and argued about repealing mandatory Common Core standards. In 2013, while Wardynski was the Huntsville City School Superintendent, he strongly opposed SB 190, or the Alabama Accountability Act. Wardynski is on record stating, “None of this debate about moving away from Common Core makes any sense to me.” Wardynski went on to elaborate that, “Common Core Standards spell what we think children need to be able to master to be college and career ready.” Casey Wardynski argued that Alabama schools should look to guidance for curriculum standards in states such as Massachusetts and Vermont. Paul Sanford was one legislator that spearheaded the Alabama Accountability Act in 2013, and has concerns about his stance on Common Core and his on voting record, which shows he has rarely voted in a primary. “It comes as no surprise that Common Core Casey has been misleading the people of North Alabama to get their votes,” Sanford commented. “I spent years fighting him when I served the area as State Senator both at the state level with Common Core and at the local level when parents and teachers came to me with issues caused by his dictatorial style of leadership as Superintendent. Now, he wants to pretend he has been a dedicated Trump-supporter since the beginning, yet he didn’t even show up to vote in the 2016 or 2020 Republican Primary Elections — or any primaries since 2014 at that,” Sanford continued. “Given he has refused to vote in multiple elections, what makes us think he will actually vote for our conservative values in Congress. I think the people of District 5 deserve a representative that tells the truth, actively cares about our conservative values, and will show up both at the polls and on the floor for votes. It is clear some candidates will lie and mislead people about anything to win an election and I think it’s an absolute shame,” he concluded. A copy of Wardynski’s voting record below shows he has only voted in a Primary Election once in 2014. Colin Sudduth, campaign manager for Dale Strong, believes Wardynski’s record speaks for itself. “There is no record of Casey Wardynski ever attending a Republican meeting or supporting Conservative causes before he decided to run for office,” Sudduth commented. “In fact, Wardynski is best known for opposing Republican efforts to stop the Obama Common Core Standards in Alabama. Wardynski talks a lot about Trump, but he surrounds himself with people that have attacked President Trump personally and supported the fake Mueller investigation. Dale Strong was one of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters from day one, and that continues today. Wardynski couldn’t have supported Trump because there is no record he even voted in the 2016 Presidential Primary.” Here are additional examples of Niblett’s prior Twitter posts.
Additional plaintiffs added to lawsuit against Kay Ivey and Scott Harris over COVID shutdowns
The Alabama Center for Law and Liberty (ACLL) has added plaintiffs in a March 2022 lawsuit stemming from Alabama’s COVID-19 lockdowns, 1819 News reported. According to a release from the ACLL, O’Dell Equipment Rental, LLC, and JoJo’s Mini Golf & Frozen Yogurt, both owned by Jonathan O’Dell, have been added to the Riccio v. Harris lawsuit that was filed in March against Gov. Kay Ivey and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris. On March 19, the ACLL filed suit on behalf of Saranne Riccio and her business, Uncorked Providence, which also went out of business after the lockdowns. The suit claims that, after COVID hit in March of 2020, the lockdowns imposed by Ivey and Harris forced JoJo’s to close its doors because it was considered a “nonessential” business. It was shut down until May, and then only at half capacity. “JoJo’s was subject to that order until November 2020,” the release read. “These orders resulted in JoJo’s losing over 77% of its revenue, and it was forced to close in December of 2020. O’Dell was also forced to sign JoJo’s property back over to the bank.” “This suit is about three things: compensating our clients for their losses, holding our government accountable for its actions, and defending the principle of separation of powers.” ACLL President Matt Clark stated. “Dr. Harris and Gov. Ivey ran the state for an entire year without any meaningful input from the legislature. Just as taxation without representation was a major grievance of the American Founders, ‘shutdown without representation’ is the major grievance in this suit. The Alabama constitution gives the legislative branch the authority to make the law and the executive branch the authority to execute the law. When the two powers are combined in the executive branch, people get hurt, as our clients’ case demonstrates.” Other lawsuits have been filed against Harris and Ivey, including one lawsuit filed by seven Alabama residents. The group is represented by former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore and The Foundation for Moral Law. Their suit claims the two abused their power to impose Covid restrictions. “The Governor and State Health Officer of this State have clearly and repeatedly exceeded their authority under both the Constitution of the United States and the Alabama Constitution over the last six months,” Moore stated. “Unconstitutional restriction of church assembly and worship, discriminatory closing of businesses, stay at home orders, social distancing, wearing of masks, and restriction on travel are simply against our rights secured by the Constitution of the United States.” “Because the legislature failed in 2020 and 2021 to rebalance the powers of the legislature and the executive, and since Gov. Ivey views the people’s representatives as a ‘herd of turtles’ unworthy of a vote, the people have no other choice than to resort to the courts to ensure that something like this never happens again,” Clark stated. “Suits in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania have resulted in successful precedents holding that, even in a pandemic, the executive branch’s authority is still limited. We hope that the Alabama courts will agree.”
Steve Flowers: Significance of Donald Trump endorsements in Alabama races
Former President Donald Trump was a very-popular president with Alabama Republican voters. Trump was a proven conservative president. He walked the walk. He did not just talk the talk. He has a legacy as president, especially in changing the philosophical tilt of the U.S. Supreme Court. He remains popular with GOP primary voters in the Heart of Dixie. Trump continues to stay in the spotlight. He almost feels compelled to endorse candidates for senate and governor in very conservative, southern, and Midwest Republican states like Alabama, where he still remains popular. Trump has indeed endorsed Congressman Mo Brooks in his quest to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Senator Richard Shelby. Brooks is basing his entire campaign on Trump’s endorsement. Gubernatorial candidate Lindy Blanchard, who has been a stalwart Trump supporter, is hoping for Trump’s blessing in her quest to unseat Governor Kay Ivey. Trump’s endorsement in this race would indeed be important in Ms. Blanchard’s mission. In the senate race, polling by two reputable and independent polling firms indicates that Mo Brooks and Katie Britt are in a dead heat contest, each with about 25%, with Mike Durant at 18%. Their numbers are not rock solid. Britt has more favorable numbers than Brooks on likeability. The poll indicates that if President Trump continues to be for Brooks, it will help him immensely. If Trump becomes disenchanted with Brooks, he can kiss this race goodbye. Brook’s campaign would simply vanish and sail away. Therefore, the prevailing question is what is the significance of Trump’s endorsement in the senate race and also if Trump endorses the governor’s race? My observation of Alabama politics over the last 60 years is that Alabamians, more than any other state, have a pronounced proclivity of not voting for a candidate that someone endorses; they will actually vote against them for that reason. Alabamians are independent and like to make their own choices for individual candidates. It has happened over and over again in my lifetime as though they are saying to a governor, in this case a former president, we elected you to your office, and you ought to be thankful for that and not be presumptuous or try to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. Stick to your own knitting. George Wallace, in his heyday, when he was very popular, more popular than Trump in Alabama, would endorse candidates, and they would universally, invariably lose even if they were favored. It was as though his endorsement was the kiss of death. He gave up and quit endorsing. Trump has already had a dose of this Alabama anti-endorsing elixir. He made two endorsements in the 2017 special senate elections. Trump endorsed Luther Strange, and he lost. Trump then endorsed Roy Moore, and he lost. Other southern states have illustrated this anti-endorsing history. During the Franklin Delano Roosevelt presidency, which lasted four terms throughout the Great Depression and New Deal, FDR was beloved and revered throughout the South. He was especially loved in Georgia, where he would spend a good amount of time at his home in Warm Springs. FDR had become like a king. He was immensely popular. However, he was having problems with the conservative establishment-oriented aging U.S. Supreme Court. Roosevelt responded with a bold, audacious move to pack the court with six new members whom he could select and move the Supreme Court from 9 to 15 justices. FDR wanted to control the Supreme Court. A good many U.S. Senators, who had been loyal to Roosevelt’s New Deal agenda could not go along with this brazen power play. Georgia’s venerable Walter George was one of those who opposed the FDR Court-packing plan. Senator George was running for reelection, and there was a tremendous ceremonial event of a water dam that Senator George had secured for Georgia. The ceremony was less than a month before the election. FDR came to the event and lambasted Walter George and openly asked Georgians to vote against him for reelection. When it came time for Senator Walter George to speak, he calmly and gentlemanly went to the podium and said in a dignified voice, “Mr. President, we Georgians appreciate you, we love you and admire you, but Mr. President, Georgians will elect their U.S. Senator.” Walter George was reelected overwhelmingly a few weeks later. 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.
Jury: No defamation from Roy Moore or woman who accused him
A jury on Wednesday found that no defamation occurred between former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore and the woman who accused him of molesting her when she was 14. In allegations that roiled the 2017 Senate race in Alabama, Leigh Corfman said Moore sexually touched her in 1979 when she was a teen, and he was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney. Corfman filed suit alleging Moore defamed her by branding her a liar when he denied the accusations. Moore countersued, claiming Corfman injured his reputation with false allegations meant to hurt him politically. The jury deliberated for about three hours before ruling that neither party had prevailed in their claim against the other. Moore said afterward that the decision was vindication for him, and a “very heavy burden” had been lifted. “There is no other way to interpret this but a victory,” Moore said, with his wife, Kayla, standing beside him. “I’ve always said these allegations were false and malicious. I mean that today. I’ll say that today very clearly. There were meant to overturn a very successful election in 2017 to the United States Senate, and they did exactly that,” Moore said. Corfman’s attorneys rubbed her back, seemingly to comfort her after the verdict was read. Corfman attorney Neil Roman said the decision was not what they had hoped for but noted that jurors must have given credibility to her claim because they didn’t rule Corfman defamed Moore when she told The Washington Post he molested her. “This is not a victory for Roy Moore. It is not a vindication of him. Although we are disappointed that the jury did not find that Mr. Moore’s statements about Leigh rose to the level of defamation, we are gratified that the jury necessarily found Leigh was telling the truth about her experiences with Mr. Moore in 1979,” Roman said. Roman maintained the jury “believed Leigh.” “And that’s important,” Corfman interjected. Asked about her reaction to the verdict, Corfman said the trial was somewhat emotional for her. “I’ve lived with this for over 40 years. And to have it once again brought out in this manner is difficult for me,” Corfman said. After meeting for about an hour Tuesday, the jury asked to view videos when they returned Wednesday of statements Moore made at campaign events and in media interviews denying the accusations. Jurors also asked for a definition of defamation under state law. Circuit Judge John Rochester repeated instructions on the law, including that to find defamation, jurors must determine that Moore or Corfman made false public statements — either knowingly or with reckless disregard for the truth — that damaged the reputation of the other. Although Corfman was seeking only a declaration that she was defamed, Moore was asking for money. Corfman’s allegations, first reported by The Washington Post, upended Moore’s Republican campaign in 2017, and he lost to Doug Jones, a former federal prosecutor who became the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in 25 years. Jones lost the next election to Republican Tommy Tuberville, who now holds the Senate seat. Moore, a conservative Christian known as the “Ten Commandment judge” for displaying the Old Testament laws in courthouses, was twice removed as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court for violating judicial ethics rules. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Jury begins deliberations in Roy Moore defamation case
Jurors began deliberating Tuesday on dueling defamation claims filed by former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore and a woman who accused him of sexually molesting her decades ago when she was 14. An attorney for Leigh Corfman, whose account was first published by The Washington Post in 2017, told jurors in closing arguments that the case is ultimately about who they believe is telling the truth. “Who do you believe? Do you believe Leigh Corfman or do you believe Roy Moore?” attorney Jeff Doss asked. Corfman maintains that Moore sexually touched her in 1979 when she was a teen and he was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney. Corfman filed suit alleging Moore defamed her by branding her a liar when he denied the accusations. Moore countersued, claiming Corfman injured his reputation with false allegations meant to hurt him politically. Jurors will decide both claims at the trial. After meeting for about an hour, the jury asked to break for the day and view videos in evidence when they return Wednesday. The judge said they could. The panel did not indicate what videos they wanted to see. Moore attorney Julian McPhillips told jurors that the accusations, raised during the 2017 Senate race in Alabama, “put Mr. Moore and his family through holy hell.” “She couldn’t have hurt Roy Moore more if she had shot him with a gun, shot him through the heart,” McPhillips said of Corfman. Corfman said she met Moore at the Gadsden courthouse when he offered to sit with her while her parents were in a custody hearing. She said he asked for her telephone number and twice brought her to his home. On one occasion, she said, he took off her clothes and touched her over her bra and panties. Moore testified that the accusation was false and denied that he knew Corfman. Attorneys in closing arguments gave diverging views about the truth and who was damaged in the wake of the accusation that rocked the Senate race. “Your verdict will send a powerful message to Roy Moore that the truth still matters,” Doss said. Melody Eagan, another of Corfman’s attorneys, said Moore victimized Corfman twice: once in 1979 and again in 2017 when he “drug her good name through the mud.” Moore’s attorneys asked jurors to find that Corfman defamed the former Alabama judge with the accusation that seemingly brought an end to his political career and led to national scorn. McPhillips suggested the accusation was the product of either teenage imagination or politics. Moore is asking the jury to award him monetary damages. “If there was any truth to this or any motive that was good or decent, it would have come out long before — long before 32 days before an election,” McPhillips said. Corfman’s attorneys told jurors her account is corroborated by other testimony. Two childhood friends testified during the trial that Corfman as a young teen told them she was seeing an older, adult man, and one said she named Moore. Corfman’s mother and an attorney testified that Moore sat with Corfman outside a 1979 custody hearing, although attorney Charles Boyd conceded on cross-examination that he might be wrong about the year. Corfman’s attorneys presented the testimony of two women who said they dated Moore as teens and three others who said Moore asked them out when they were teens. Wendy Miller testified that Moore asked her out when she was 15 or 16, although she wasn’t sure if Moore knew her age. Another testified that Moore called her high school when she was in trigonometry class after meeting her at the mall. Moore’s attorneys noted in closing arguments that none of the women alleged wrongdoing by Moore. “I don’t know when it became a crime to date people,” McPhillips said during closing arguments. McPhillips appeared to downplay the accusation at one point, saying the alleged touching was “child’s play” to what two former presidents have been accused of doing. He did not elaborate. Eagan responded in her closing argument that she was horrified McPhillips used that phrase when discussing the touching of a 14-year-old girl “over her bra and over her panties.” Corfman’s allegations roiled Moore’s campaign and he ended up losing to Doug Jones, who became the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in 25 years. Jones lost the next election to Republican Tommy Tuberville, who now holds the Senate seat. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Roy Moore gives combative testimony in defamation case
A combative Roy Moore took the witness stand Thursday in a defamation case against him, insisting he did not know a woman who says he sexually molested her when she was 14. Moore was called to testify by attorneys for Leigh Corfman in a trial dealing with dueling defamation lawsuits they filed against each other in the wake of a sexual misconduct allegation that rocked the 2017 U.S. Senate race in Alabama. Corfman says the former Alabama judge and failed Senate candidate defamed her when he denied her accusations as false and malicious. Moore countersued. “I never met that woman,” Moore said loudly, pointing at Corfman as she sat with her attorneys. The outburst followed an emotional moment earlier in the trial when Corfman testified that Moore knows what he did to her. Corfman said she met Moore in 1979 when she was 14 and he was in his 30s. She described how he touched her over her underwear after bringing her to his home. At one point Corfman stared from the witness stand at Moore, who stared back at her. “It did happen, and he knows that it happened,” Corfman testified Tuesday. She said his denials damaged her reputation. The allegations overshadowed the conservative Republican during the 2017 campaign when Corfman shared her story with a reporter from The Washington Post. Moore ultimately fell in a stunning red state defeat to Doug Jones, the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in 25 years. Republican Tommy Tuberville defeated Jones in the next election. The presiding judge had to gently chide Moore multiple times Thursday to answer questions as they were asked. Asked if he was afraid 2017 voters would view the conduct as inappropriate, Moore said: “The only thing inappropriate in this case is the testimony that I knew her and did anything to her.” Corfman’s attorneys earlier in the day presented the testimony of four women who said Moore asked them out or dated them when they were teens. None accused him of misconduct Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Dueling defamation suits: Woman testifies against Roy Moore
A woman who accused failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of molesting her decades ago when she was 14 testified Tuesday that Moore “knows that it happened” despite his public denials. Leigh Corfman took the witness stand in a trial dealing with dueling defamation lawsuits that she and Moore filed against each other in the wake of a sexual misconduct allegation that rocked the 2017 U.S. Senate race in Alabama. Corfman testified about meeting Moore in 1979 when she was 14 and how he touched her after bringing her to his home. At one point, Corfman stared from the witness stand at Moore, who stared back at her. “It did happen, and he knows that it happened,” Corfman said. She said his denials damaged her reputation. “He has done everything possible to damage my veracity, the truth of my words, the statements I have made about his sexual molestation of me at 14. He knows just as well as I do that he was there,” Corfman testified. The allegations overshadowed the conservative Republican during the 2017 campaign as Moore ultimately fell in a stunning red state defeat to Doug Jones, the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in 25 years. Republican Tommy Tuberville defeated Jones in the next election. Corfman testified that she decided to tell her story in 2017 when approached by a reporter from The Washington Post. Attempting to link the accusation to political motivations, Moore’s attorney Melissa Isaak, questioned Corfman during cross-examination on whether she hoped Moore would lose the 2017 election. Isaak also asked Corfman if she objected to her photo being used on anti-Moore campaign materials. “Well, I didn’t want to see my predator sitting in the Senate,” Corfman responded. Corfman conceded that Moore didn’t use the word liar to describe her but said he used words to the same effect. During opening statements, lawyers gave divergent views of Corfman and Moore and what happened in 1979. Lawyers for Moore told jurors that he doesn’t know Corfman, whom they described as being motivated by politics and a desire to be in the limelight. Julian McPhillips, an attorney representing Moore, told jurors that Moore had never even seen Corfman until they were in the same room for jury selection. “Judge Moore dared to prove his innocence. He dared to deny he even knew her,” McPhillips said. He suggested Corfman’s accusations were brought to keep Moore from winning the 2017 Senate race. “The political motivation should be clear; why else would she do it?” McPhillips said. Melody Eagan, an attorney representing Corfman, told jurors earlier that you have to decide who you believe.” She said Moore victimized Corfman twice: once in 1979 when he sexually touched her in his home when she was 14 and decades later in 2017 when he “defamed her by dragging her name through the mud.” Eagan said Corfman met Moore in 1979 when she was 14 and sitting with her mother outside an Etowah County courtroom for a custody hearing, and Moore, an assistant district attorney at the time, offered to sit with her. After getting her telephone number, Moore brought her to his home on two occasions, kissing her and taking off her clothes, Eagan said. “He touched Leigh over her bra. And he touched Leigh over her panties …. She was terrified,” Eagan said. Moore’s attorneys tried to put Corfman’s character on trial, calling her vindictive, attempting to question her about drug and alcohol use as a teen and adult, and questioning a decision by her mother, Nancy Wells, to let her daughter read Harlequin romance novels as a young teen. Wells, the first witness, said she had no doubt that it was Moore who approached her and her daughter at the courthouse in 1979. She said it was years later, when Corfman was an adult, that Corfman told her about what Moore had done. One of Corfman’s attorneys asked Wells if she had any personal knowledge of misconduct by Moore, who rose to prominence in state politics after hanging a Ten Commandments plaque on a courtroom wall. Moore was twice elected and removed as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. “I just have what my daughter told me,” Wells replied. It’s unclear how long the trial might last. While Corfman is seeking only a ruling that Moore defamed her, McPhillips said Moore is seeking monetary compensation. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Trial begins in accuser’s defamation case against Roy Moore
A jury was selected Monday in the defamation lawsuit filed by a woman who had accused failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of molesting her when she was 14. Leigh Corfman said Moore defamed her and made false statements as he denied her accusations during the 2017 U.S. Senate race in Alabama. The sexual misconduct allegations helped derail Moore’s hopes of winning the election. Moore, a Republican, lost the 2017 race to Doug Jones, the first Alabama Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in 25 years. Jones was defeated in the next election by Republican Tommy Tuberville. A jury of seven men and five women — plus four alternates -— was seated Monday. Opening arguments are expected Tuesday. Corfman said she was a teen when Moore, then a 32-year-old assistant district attorney, touched her sexually during a 1979 encounter. Corfman was one of several women who said Moore pursued them when they were teens, and he was an adult. Moore has denied the accusations and countersued Corfman and other accusers for defamation. Her attorney, Neil Roman, said Monday that Corfman “is excited that after four years of waiting, she finally gets to make her case to a jury of her peers.” “By this lawsuit, I seek to do what I could not do as a 14-year-old — hold Mr. Moore and those who enable him accountable,” Corfman said in a 2018 statement when the lawsuit was filed. Moore has denied Corfman’s accusations. His lawyers maintain that he only defended himself against the accusations. “We just want the truth to prevail,” Moore told reporters as he left the courtroom. His attorney, Julian McPhillips, called the case an extension of Corfman “hungering for the limelight.” Corfman and Moore sat with their attorneys as their respective lawyers questioned potential jurors about the case, including their views on Moore. Corfman’s attorney asked if any had donated to the legal group that Moore founded. Moore’s attorneys asked potential jurors about their views on gay marriage, the public display of the Ten Commandments. Moore was twice removed as Alabama’s chief justice for defying, or urging defiance, of court orders regarding same-sex marriage and the public display of the Ten Commandments in a state court building. Both lawyers for Corfman and Moore said they were pleased with the selected jury. McPhillips said Corfman’s attorneys used their strikes to remove white panelists, leaving an almost entirely Black jury to hear the case against Moore, who is white. Lawyers said Circuit Judge John E. Rochester on Monday denied Moore’s request to dismiss the lawsuit before it went to trial. Corfman had also sued Moore’s campaign, but a judge dismissed that defamation claim. Corfman and her mother have said that Moore first approached her as she waited outside a custody hearing at the Etowah County courthouse. Corfman said she later arranged to meet Moore, and he took her to his home, where he initiated the encounter. Corfman said he took off her shirt and pants and removed his clothes except for his underwear before touching her over her bra and underpants. Corfman’s accusation was first reported by The Washington Post. Moore’s campaign was roiled by the accusations as he sought the U.S. Senate seat previously held by former President Donald Trump’s one-time attorney general, Jeff Sessions. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Roy Moore’s campaign dismissed from Leigh Corfman’s defamation suit
The 2018 lawsuit against Judge Roy Moore for U.S. Senate Committee brought on by Leigh Corfman was recently dismissed by Circuit Court Judge John E. Rochester in Montgomery, Alabama. The ruling specifies that the Senate campaign could not be sued, however, a trial with Moore as the sole defendant is scheduled for Nov. 1, Al.com reported. In 2018, Corfman accused former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexually assaulting her when she was 14. Moore vehemently denied Corfman’s allegations of abuse, calling them “politically motivated” and “malicious.” Moore then countersued Corfman for slander and defamation. “The statements made by Leigh Corfman were slanderous, libelous, and were of such magnitude as to amount to defamation of Mr. Moore,” read the counterclaim. “No evidence other than the self-serving testimony of Leigh Corfman exists to support her contention that she was sexually abused or pursued romantically by Mr. Moore when she was fourteen years of age.” The ruling stated Corfman had been found to be a limited-purpose public figure as a matter of law, making it even more difficult for her to prove defamation in this case. Judge Moore stated, “The court has finally recognized what we knew all along. My campaign for US Senate has in no way defamed plaintiff Leigh Corfman. We look forward to proving in open court, before a jury, her political motivation for making false allegations in my Senate campaign.”
