By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—The Appointment of a new Chief Deputy at the Attorney General’s Office should have all of the crooked politicos sleeping with the lights on.
Alice Martin, former US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, will take the job of serving as number two, under Attorney General Luther Strange.
Martin has the reputation of a leader who inspires those around her to get the job done. She is also known for her vigilance in prosecuting public corruption. One former colleague referred to her as the “Steel Lady.”
Currently working at the Attorney General’s office is a close, former associate of Alice Martin, Miles Matthew “Matt” Hart. Just a glance at their work histories will tell you that they virtually have no equals when it comes to fighting corruption in Alabama.
If headlines like these jog your memory, then you know at least some of the public corruption cases that were a result of the collaboration between Martin and Hart:
“Larry Langford Found Guilty on All 60 Counts”
“Lobbyist Al LaPierre Agrees to Plead Guilty”
“William B. Blount Pleaded Guilty to Federal Bribery and Conspiracy Charges”< “The Federal Criminal Case in Alabama’s Two-year College System Results in Convictions of 15” In 2004, Martin was listed as one of the Top Ten Corporate and White Collar Crime Prosecutors in the country. But that was just the beginning. In the next few years, her office would be third in the Nation for successfully prosecuting public corruption. Her office prosecuted more white collar crime than Miami, Atlanta, DC and Chicago all much larger than Alabama Northern District. Martin served as US Attorney for the Northern District from September 29, 2001 until June 2009, during which time her division set numerous records for prosecuting white collar crimes. Hart was the man Martin handpicked to lead the Special Crimes Unit. Sources inside the Attorney General’s Office say that the selection of Martin is a big plus for the office as a whole, and should send a clear signal that Hart and his Special Prosecutions Division will receive the support they need to carry out their jobs. Martin has served as Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts since 2013.
