By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—There were no fireworks at the House Republican Caucus meeting on Monday. Speaker Mike Hubbard read a prepared statement in which he assured the members trial Judge Jacob Walker III would postpone his trial until after Session, that he was not guilty and his case would be dismissed before going to trial. He also railed against the Attorney General’s Office and “rogue” prosecutors.
Hubbard’s opposition says, they currently do not have the votes to remove Hubbard as Speaker, which gives him ample time to use his position during the 2016 Legislative Session, to solicit funds for his anemic legal defense.
However, several corporations have been advised by counsel that funding Hubbard could come back to haunt them in the long run.
As one House member put it, “Giving money to a dead man walking, looks bad to shareholders and law enforcement.”
Hubbard still owes the firm of White, Arnold and Dowd a reported $1 million plus for their services.
Before Christmas, it was said that Rep. Jack Williams and Hubbard’s attorney, Rob Riley, were making frantic calls ahead of White, Arnold and Dowd’s departure.
A caucus member described the 2016 House agenda as bland vanilla.
Hubbard said he read his statement because if it was recorded and leaked to the press, he wanted to be quoted accurately, as to avoid any media distortion by those who regularly criticize him.
Hubbard’s recently elevated lead attorney, Lance Bell of Pell City, has cited this publication as, “especially tenacious and persistent, as well as consistently antagonistic and hostile toward Hubbard.” We appreciate Bell noticing our efforts to expose Hubbard over the last three years.
He also said our reporting was, “erroneous and skewed.” As Bell is a defense attorney without a history of high-profile cases, we will assume he is simply mimicking Hubbard in his erroneous and skewed accusation.
Hubbard was arrested on 23 felony counts of public corruption, in October 2014.
