Mike Raita, a former Birmingham sports anchor and former regional director for Senator Tommy Tuberville, was arrested last week on charges claiming he improperly benefitted from his role as executive director for the Alabama Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Raita turned himself into the Talladega County Sheriff’s Office last Thursday. He was released the same day on $25,000 bond. A grand jury in Talladega County indicted him prior to him turning himself in.
Raita’s indictment stemmed from allegations contained in an audit released last October. The audit detailed numerous troubling findings—which led to Governor Kay Ivey’s decision to remove and replace the entire Motorsports Hall of Fame Commission—that included mismanaged funds, improper oversight of property and failed oversight.
Raita was specifically mentioned by his title, executive director, in the report as having benefitted personally from two questionable auctions of goods. In one instance, the report noted that he was the sole bidder for a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro pace car for $15,000. The car had received more than $23,000 in repairs by the Commission and an advertisement placed in a local newspaper announcing the auction stated only that a “1968 Chevrolet” was being auctioned.
In another instance, the audit report stated Raita’s wife purchased a 1998 Ford F-150 that was owned by the Hall of Fame for just $1,000. She was the only bidder, according to the report, and the auction announcement revealed only that a “1998 Ford truck, as is” was being offered.
Raita’s attorney, Tommy Spina, told al.com that Raita planned to plead not guilty to the charges and said his client had not knowingly done anything wrong. Former board member and longtime state Senator Gerald Dial told media a few months ago that there had been no wrongdoing by the board and that any problems would be corrected by Raita returning the vehicles.
Spina said that everything Raita has done, he did “with the authority and blessing of the Hall of Fame chairman and board of directors.”
