Former Justice and Republican candidate for Attorney General Jay Mitchell released a statement on Wednesday requesting that his opponent in the AG race, Katherine Robertson, return funds he called “anti-MAGA, dark money.”
Mitchell has been critical of Robertson’s donation sources. In August, Robertson received $1.1 million from First Principles Action Inc., a group that Peter Bisbee, the former executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association, founded. RAGA endorsed Robertson last week, a rare move for the group, which has only endorsed candidates in 10 open-seat races in the last 27 years.
“This is the largest dark money contribution to any candidate in Alabama history. The people of Alabama deserve to know who’s behind it,” Mitchel said in the release.
Mitchell has also been critical of a $150,000 donation from Hugh Culverhouse Jr., noting his “national smear campaign against the state of Alabama.” Hugh Culverhouse Jr. is a real estate investor, lawyer and philanthropist. Mitchell refers to Culverhouse as a “pro-abortion activist.”
In 2019, Culverhouse Jr. donated $26.5 million to the University of Alabama. Shortly after, he called on students to boycott the school over the state’s new abortion ban. The UA Board of Trustees ultimately voted to return the donation, saying it was in an “ongoing dispute” with Culverhouse over the way his donation was to be handled.
Mitchell also pointed to a $10,000 donation from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in July, referring to this donation as a contribution from “big gambling.” PCI, while most widely known for its casinos in the state, also owns other businesses within Alabama’s hospitality industry.
“The Attorney General’s Office has long been the firewall against casino expansion in Alabama. It is the responsibility of the AG to enforce the law against illegal gambling and prevent the harm it does to communities statewide,” said Mitchell.
“Ms. Robertson should give the money back: the dark money, the abortion money, the gambling money—all of it. Every cent. None of that money belongs anywhere near an Alabama Republican primary.”
Campaign finance records show Mitchell sports a war chest of $2 million since announcing his candidacy earlier this year, though around $600,000 of that was leftover from his reelection campaign to the Alabama Supreme Court.
“The Attorney General’s Office is NOT for sale. If Katherine Robertson wants to serve the people of Alabama, she should return every cent of this money and earn her support from Alabama voters.
“Our campaign is powered by Alabama conservatives, small business owners, and families—Alabamians who share my vision to advance President Trump’s agenda and protect our Alabama values,” said Mitchell.
