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When longtime legal counsel for the Alabama Republican Party and adviser for Gov. Kay Ivey announced his run for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court on Thursday, it included some high praise from ALGOP Chairman John Wahl.
“Bryan Taylor has served the Alabama Republican Party with distinction, and we are grateful for his time with the ALGOP,” Taylor quoted Wahl in his press release. “As legislative counsel, his advice has been invaluable to help the party defend the people of Alabama and the conservative values we hold as Republicans. I wish Bryan the best of luck in his future pursuits.”
The problem is, that quote does not come from Wahl in relation to Taylor’s run for chief justice, but in a personal letter thanking him for his service upon his resignation as counsel for ALGOP.
A post on ALGOP Chairman John Wahl’s Facebook page.
In a statement released on his official Facebook page Thursday, Wahl clarified that his comments are not an endorsement or support of Taylor.
“My goal at the time was to thank him for his time with the Party, and should not be taken as support or an endorsement in the race for Alabama Chief Justice,” Wahl said. “As Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, I am committed to staying neutral in all Republican primary elections.”
Neither Taylor nor Wahl could be reached for further comment before publication.
“I am uniquely qualified to lead our state’s court system. 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,” Taylor said in his announcement. “What makes the chief justice position different than the other justices is the administrative side of the job – managing the court system and working with the governor’s office and the Legislature to advocate for the needs of the judicial system. I’m the candidate best prepared to do that.”
Taylor held senior positions in three Republican governors’ administrations, most recently as Gov. Kay Ivey’s chief legal advisor. In 2010, he became the first Republican ever elected to the Alabama
Senate from the 30th District.
Taylor is a co-founding member of the law firm of Bachus Brom & Taylor, LLC. He concentrates his practice in Constitutional law, appellate law, election law, business law and business litigation, and public policy. Taylor earned his B.A. in Communication cum laude from the University of Alabama in 1998. He went on to receive his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin in 2001.
