Mike Hubbard ethics investigation, 2016
| Rep. Mike Hubbard Investigation |
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| Term in office: 1998-2016 |
On June 10, 2016, Alabama Representative Mike Hubbard was convicted on 12 felony charges of ethics violations. Hubbard was sentenced to four years in prison on July 8.
Background
Mike Hubbard was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1998. He was featured in a 2014 New York Times series that explored state government trifectas, as Hubbard had helped lead the effort to flip the Alabama State Legislature from Democrat to Republican in 2010. After the legislature fell under Republican control, Hubbard was selected as Speaker of the House.[1]
Allegations
A grand jury indicted Hubbard on 23 total counts, including "four counts of using of his office as Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party for personal gain, one count of voting for legislation with a conflict of interest, eleven counts of soliciting or receiving a thing of value from a lobbyist or principal, two counts of using his office as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives for personal gain, four counts of lobbying an executive department or agency for a fee and one count of using state equipment and materials for private gain."[2]
Hubbard allegedly used his position and resources to solicit various favors from a number of powerful Alabama citizens, including "former Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Business Council of Alabama CEO Billy Canary, Hoar Construction CEO Rob Burton, Great Southern Wood CEO Jimmy Rane, former Sterne Agee CEO James Holbrook, lobbyist Minda Riley Campbell, Harbert Management Corp. vice president Will Brooke and political operative Dax Swatek." According to the indictment, Hubbard traded his services and resources for favors and personal gain, such as investments in his company Craftmaster Printing.[2]
Trial and hearings
Hubbard was first indicted on October 20, 2014, and was booked at the county jail that same day. The indictments did not strip him of his title or position, and Hubbard continued to serve in his position as a state representative and Speaker of the House until his June 10 conviction. The trial had originally been scheduled to begin on March 28, 2016. It was then pushed back to April 11, 2016 by circuit judge Jacob Walter. Scheduling conflicts resulted in another rescheduling, leading to the date of May 24, 2016. In April 2016, prosecutors announced plans to introduce new evidence against Hubbard.[3]
Hubbard denied the accusations, insisting that the charges were politically motivated. He claimed that the allegations were the result of a "political witch hunt," and that the indictment had been intentionally placed two weeks before the 2014 elections as a political stunt.[2]
On June 1, 2016, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley testified in Hubbard's trial. Bentley stated that, although Hubbard did have many business meetings, he felt Hubbard was operating within his capacity as speaker in those meetings. Bentley testified that, because Hubbard sought agreements that would benefit the state of Alabama, he did not commit any ethical violations. Prosecutors argued that these dealings benefited Hubbard's own properties and private businesses, including Auburn Network, and therefore violated ethics laws.[4]
Bentley is currently facing his own ethics investigation.
On June 10, 2016, Hubbard was acquitted of 11 charges and convicted on 12 felony charges, which automatically removed him from office according to state law; the jury spent seven hours deliberating. Following the verdict, Hubbard was taken into custody at Lee County jail and released on a $160,000 bond later that night. Hubbard stated he intended to appeal the decision, again denouncing it as a political attack, while Attorney General Luther Strange called the verdict "a clear message that in Alabama, we hold public officials accountable for their actions.”[5][6]
On July 8, 2016, Hubbard was sentenced to four years in prison. He was also ordered to pay $210,000 in fines.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ New York Times, "Taking the Battle to the States," January 11, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 AL.com, "Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard indicted on 23 felony corruption charges by Lee County Grand Jury," October 20, 2014
- ↑ theplainsman.com, "Prosecutors file motion to introduce new evidence in Mike Hubbard's ethics trial," accessed April 19, 2016
- ↑ Al.com, "Gov. Robert Bentley testifies he talked jobs with Mike Hubbard," accessed June 9, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Michael Hubbard, Alabama House Speaker, Is Convicted on 12 Felony Ethics Charges," June 10, 2016
- ↑ Montgomery Advertiser, "House Speaker Mike Hubbard convicted on 12 ethics charges," June 11, 2016
- ↑ Al.com, "Former Alabama speaker Mike Hubbard sentenced to prison," accessed July 8, 2016
