Author: Virginia Martin
2 Lawyers, Drummond Exec Indicted in Corruption Probe
A six-count indictment filed by a federal grand jury Wednesday charges two partners in a Birmingham law firm and a vice president of one of the world’s largest coal companies with conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud and money laundering.
Investigators in a press conference Thursday alleged that the scheme, involving the bribery of a former state legislator from Birmingham, was designed to thwart EPA action on a toxic waste cleanup in the city of Tarrant and the adjacent Inglenook neighborhood of Birmingham.
Joel Iverson Gilbert and Steven McKinney, both partners in the Birmingham law firm of Balch and Bingham, and David Roberson, vice president of government and regulatory affairs of Birmingham-based Drummond Company, are accused of paying bribes through a non-profit foundation to former Rep. Oliver Robinson Jr., also a former UAB and NBA basketball player.
U.S. Attorney Jay Town announced the indictments in a news conference Thursday.
Robinson was indicted last month, accused of taking bribes from the two attorneys in exchange for his help to keep the federal Environmental Protection Agency from putting the 35th Avenue Superfund site on a national priority list. The idea was to have the matter handled by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, instead, which potentially would save Drummond “tens of millions of dollars,” Town said. Read more.
Grand Jury Indicts 2 Lawyers, Drummond Exec in Corruption Probe
A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted two Birmingham lawyers and an Alabama coal company executive on charges of conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud and money laundering.
The indictment charges the three paid former state Rep. Oliver Robinson to take official action favorable to their interests in connection with EPA actions in north Birmingham. Read more.
In Their Own Words: Birmingham School Board Candidates Answer BW Questions, Talk Improvement Goals and Difficult Decisions
A majority of seats on the Birmingham Board of Education still are up for grabs in the Oct. 3 runoff election.
BirminghamWatch asked the 10 candidates in runoffs for five seats a series of questions about their intentions toward the new school superintendent, the possibility of closing schools, their goals for city school graduates, improvements they’d like to see in city schools and the role they think the mayor and City Council should take in relation to the schools. Races on the runoff ballot are Districts 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8.
Read what the candidates have to say about the issues in their own words.
Moore Gets More: Former Alabama Chief Justice Defeats Luther Strange in Republican Senate Runoff
Luther Strange had almost everything that a candidate could ask for in the race to retain his seat in the U.S. Senate.
Besides being the incumbent, the former state attorney general had the endorsement of President Donald Trump, something he mentioned to voters repeatedly in the week leading up to Tuesday’s GOP runoff election. He also had millions of dollars in advertising support from the Senate Leadership Fund, controlled by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, as well as the National Rifle Association’s political action committee. Both PACs flooded Alabama television and radio stations with commercials, and they were omnipresent on the internet as well.
But Roy Moore had more. In particular, he had more votes. Read more.
U.S. Senate Election Results
Roy Moore has beaten out Luther Strange in the race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
With about two-thirds of the polls reporting, Moore led Strange 56 percent to 44 percent.
Strange conceded the race and called Moore to “wish him the best,” he said during a speech at his after-election gathering.
Moore in a victory speech that sounded much like a sermon gave the credit for his win to God.
He said he will support President Trump even though Trump did not support him – provided that Trump’s actions are constitutional.
“We want to bring our country back to its greatness, and we can and we will,” Moore said.
Moore will face Democratic nominee Doug Jones in the general election Dec. 12.
JeffCo Commission Closing Its Books on Time and on Budget
Birmingham City Council Passes Non-Discrimination Ordinance
Sept. 26, 2017 – The Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to approve a human rights ordinance that was first proposed more than four years ago.
In a 7-0 vote, the council passed the City of Birmingham Non-Discrimination Ordinance, which would put into place protections against discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or familial status. Read more.
