More Subpoenas Reported Today
State Board of Education members Ethel Hall and David Byers have also been subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury, along with Renee Culverhouse, the former acting chancellor of postsecondary education. (Associated Press story here.)
This after nine others reported yesterday. What other subpoenas are out there that we don’t know about?
I hope this is obvious and already understood, but receiving a suboena to testify does not necessarily mean that you are under suspicion. It could mean, for example, that you are being asked what you know about others who are being investigated.
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subpoenas are like napalm. Spread them out far and wide while it sticks to whoever gets near it. These people will always have the fact that they were subpoenaed thrown at them. I think that’s the goal here. It’s a fishing expedition to cause public image damage.
If Alice Martin had an agreement with Bradley Byrne to issue the subpoenas, why was it necessary to attempt to go onto the house floor and serve them?
These are the little things that people need to be watching for in order to determine the true goal of this endeavor.
By the way, isn’t Alice Martin under investigation for perjury by the Justice Department? we need to keep that in mind as we hear her comments in the coming weeks.
Comment by BlackJack — March 7, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
Folks also need to be watching for those who try to spin this story for partisan advantage.
Comment by walt moffett — March 7, 2008 @ 6:07 pm
At least three other board members have been subpoened and have appeared without being noticed by the press.
Also renee Culverhouse and ______Johnson Alabama Southern are soon to depart their jobs.
Comment by Anonymous — March 7, 2008 @ 6:13 pm
Well Walt why would you ever think anyone would spin this for partisan advantage it seems to me you are the man who likes to spin. Desperate Alice was trying to show how powerful she is by serving theses subpeonas on the floor it was all about Big Bob Riley’s smoke and mirrors routine. Everyone in Alabama knows the truth Walt this is part of BIg Bob’s plan to take over the house and senate in Montgomery truely it is no secret. This is partisan politics at its very worse but then again we are talking about desperate Alice who wants so bad to be a big time judge maybe they will make her judge in prison because that is where I think she is headed. She after all commited perjury and a Judge found that to be so why should we not bang her up for awhile in jail what fun that would be. Maybe she would like it and get a good understanding for what they did to siegelman
Comment by desperate alice — March 7, 2008 @ 9:07 pm
Al Capone was an Alter Boy
Hitler was framed
OJ was just pruning hedges
Alabama’s Elected Criminals should not be prosecuted
Comment by JD — March 7, 2008 @ 10:09 pm
Of course JD is the type of person who does not consider the illegal Mississippi gambling money going to Riley’s campaign through Jack Abramoff illegal, or the ignored evidence presented by Clayton Lamar (Lanny) Young Jr. that he gave illegal contributions to Richard Shelby and Bill Pryor. Nor would he consider anything wrong with Mike Hubbard using his position in the legislature to pass legislation that allows Auburn University Athletic Department to give him a a no bid contract for broadcasting rights for a few million less than another company offered. Nope, only Democrats actually violate the law.
Comment by jim gundlach — March 8, 2008 @ 5:35 am
A prior poster reminds us of a good point: US Attorney Martin apparently committed perjury in connection with a discrimination suit filed against her office (a suit that Martin lost, by the way). The Justice Department has been investigating the matter for several years now. Why has it taken several years? The answer is obvious — to deal with such a serious charge against one of their own, the Bush DoJ has swept the matter under the rug. They need run the clock out for ten more months.
There is a double standard.
Comment by Bridgette — March 8, 2008 @ 6:36 am
What “illegal” Mississippi gambling money? There’s been an Activist Democrat AG in Miss for several terms who has sued or proscecuted anyone Dickie Scrugg’s told him to.
A lot of Democrat Spin.
If your accusations had any truth to them, it would seem like you could find 1 of the 67 DA’s in Alabama to make the case.
Comment by Anonymous — March 8, 2008 @ 9:03 am
Professor Gundlack is mistaken about illegal gambling money being used in any of Riley’s campaigns. It is important to note that what Abramoff was convicted of was fraud–he was lying to his clients about what other people were doing in order to bilk money out of them. All of Riley’s campaign contributions are well documented.
And Profesor Gundlach is also very much mistaken about Mike Hubbard. This was hashed and rehashed during the last election and it was amply demostrated that this claim was nothing more than a political smear used by his well-funded (almost all the money was from Paul Hubbert) primary opponent.
Let’s remember, as Danny cautioned, that subponeas are just that. The grand jury is gathering evidence and one may be subpoened as a witness–it doesn’t mean one is under investigation. I think it is fairly obvious that Roy Johnson pledged to cooperate with the fed when he plead guilty and this is probably a further investigation of information her provided.
Comment by Susan Fillippeli — March 8, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
WELCOME TO THE BUSH DOJ WITCH TRIALS OF ALABAMA WHERE THE CRIME IS BEING A DEMOCRAT BIG BOB RILEY DOESN’T LIKE . INFACT HE COULD LIKE YOU BUT IF YOUR A DEMOCRAT WITH POWER THAT IS A CRIME YOU ARE A TARGET OF THE DOJ. MAYBE BIG BOB WILL PUT ON A WHITE ROBE AND BURN THESE DEMOCRATS ON CROSSES SINCE THEIR SIN IS THE PARTY THEY SUPPORT. IT TRUELY IS A HATE CRIME YA’LL ALL REALIZE THAT DON’T YA. HE HAS BROUGHT THEM TO THE DOJ ALTER OF JUSTICE TO BE DESTROYED SO HE AND HIS FRIENDS CAN BE HEAD OF THE ALABAMA BANANA REPUBLIC. IT APPEARS ALICE WILL DO ANYTHING SHE IS ORDERED TO DO TO HUMILATE THESE DEMOCRATS AND STEAL THE POWER THEY POSSESS GIVEN BY THE VOTERS THAT SENT THEM TO MONTGOMERY BECAUSE SHE SO WANTS TO BE A FEDERAL JUDGE. ALICE IT IS BELIEVED SENT TV CREWS AND JOURNALIST WITH THE US MARSHALLS TO CAPTURE PHOTO’S AND VIDEOS’S OF THE DEMOCRATS BEING SERVED SUBPEONAS TO PROBABLY BE USED AT A LATER DATE IN GOP CAMPAIGN ADS NOW IS THE THE TIME TO SIGN UP AND SEND LETTERS TO MUKASEY TELLING HIM THE POLITICAL HATE CRIMES OF THE RILEY ADMINSTRATION MUST BE STOPPED IT IS VIOLATING THE VOTER RIGHTS OF ALL THE CITIZENS OF ALABAMA . DEMAND THAT MUKASEY STOP THE POLITICAL HATE CRIMES IN ALABAMA TODAY .
Comment by POLITICAL HATE CRIME FOUNDATION — March 8, 2008 @ 3:05 pm
SUSAN SUSAN YOU ARE WRONG MAYBE YOU SHOULD ASK BOB RILEY WHY ROB SIGLER WAS OPERATING CRIMSONICA OUT OF HIS SON’S {ROB}OFFICE DURING THE 2002 CAMPAIGN AND MAYBE YOU SHOULD ASK IF CRIMSONICA WAS OPERATING A ANOTHER COMAPANY CALLED PARAGON GAMING. SUSAN IA HAVING BEEN WATCHING YOUR POST FOR AWHILE AND YOU CLEARLY ARE CLULESS ABOUT BOB AND HIS GAMBLING ACTIVITIES BUT NEVER FEAR WE WILL MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND IN TIME THAT PARAGON GAMING WAS OPERATING OUT OF BOB JR’S OFFICE AND THERE IS TONS OF EVIDENCE TO PROVE IT. SO GO BACK TO YOUR LITTLE WOMAN’S GROUP AND TELL THEM YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOOUT BECAUSE AS I SAID YOU MY FRIEND HAPPEN TO BE CLULESS.
Comment by SUSAN YOUR VERY WRONG — March 8, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
Wow. I think posts # 10 and 11 make my case about the insane paranoia of Alabama’s Democrats better than I ever could. Thanks.
Comment by Susan Fillippeli — March 8, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
I don’t think the Democrats could have found a less literate defender than the person in #10 and #11. That said, how can a man who is term limited set up a banana republic? Remember, he will be leaving office in a couple of years, but our legislators might be with us until they take their last breaths. Further, it amazes me that people are satisfied to be cheated by their own public servants. For example, how can it be possible that Ken Guin was managing two full time jobs along with his duties as majority leader for the House. Could he possibly be three places at one time? We, as tax payers, were certainly paying him as if he were. Sadly, our leaders have used the 2 year college system for years to funnel jobs and money to themselves and their friends and relatives.
Comment by Margaret — March 8, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
Margaret-
Obviously, you never read the contracts Guin had with the two schools. In truth, neither position was full-time, but then why let facts interfere with a good slur? Your story certainly inflames people much more. Not that what Guin did was necessarily right - but as a lawyer, you can certainly have contracts with multiple clients, which is what this, on the surface, appears to be. Whether he used his position to gain the jobs is the question that should be asked.
Comment by Montgomery — March 8, 2008 @ 7:44 pm
So are you saying he had 3 part time jobs that paid approximately $50,000 each?
Comment by Margaret — March 8, 2008 @ 7:51 pm
If this is the Professor Gundlack that wrote the story of the 2000 Baldwin Co. Vote, then misguided might be to weak of a word.
Comment by JD — March 8, 2008 @ 7:58 pm
don’t forget Ken Guin had two bogus jobs, was a state rep, and was majority leader of the house
basically four jobs, and three were with the state taxpayers footing the bill
Comment by OldCloverdale — March 8, 2008 @ 8:52 pm
Who is this Gundlach?
Comment by Margaret — March 8, 2008 @ 8:58 pm
FWIW, I edited a couple of comments.
Honest political disagreements are expected. Gratuitous name-calling is not.
If you believe your comment was edited unfairly, feel free to contact me.
Comment by Danny — March 8, 2008 @ 10:33 pm
Yo, we be spinnin, you be illin, we be stealin…you cant touch dis!!
Comment by LL Ethel Hall Master Jam DMC — March 9, 2008 @ 2:29 pm
Feds talkin to us try to tell us how to live….
I dont listen to em cause my head is like a sieve…
Comment by LL Ethel Hall DJ Master Jam — March 9, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
Margaret- (in response to #15), that isn’t what I am saying; that is what the contracts say (at least for the two jobs at the colleges - I am assuming you are counting his legislative position as the “third job”, for which, of course, there is no written contract.) Of course, the contracts also said he had to pay his own expenses, secretarial support, etc., just as all legislators must pay their own travel expenses. So, I cannot in any way speak for what he spent in support of the two college positions, but I do know, in general, that out-of-Montgomery legislators do spend a large portion of their compensation on hotel rooms, gas, etc. In fact, most of that compensation is styled as expense payments, although in reality it is taxed as income, and deductions are allowed for legitimate expenses in support of the position.
Comment by Montgomery — March 10, 2008 @ 9:24 am
[…] A lawyer close to the subpoenaed legislators visited with the Parlor and talked a bit about the situation. […]
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