Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard indicted on 23 felony corruption charges by Lee County Grand Jury

[KeepItReal]

Source: AL.com

Mike Hubbard, speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives and a powerful leader in the state Republican Party, has been indicted by a grand jury and charged with 23 counts, including using his office for personal gain and soliciting things of value.

Hubbard, 52, who led a historic Republican takeover of the state Legislature during the 2010 election, was charged after an investigation in his home county that has lasted more than a year.

The charges against Hubbard include 23 class B felonies. Those charges include:

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;
One count of using state equipment, materials, etc. for private gain.

According to the indictment, Hubbard solicited favors from some of Alabama's rich and powerful. They include 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.

Read more: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/10/mike_hubbard_indicted.html

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Quelle surprise.

Another GOPer in the dock.

[Garion_55]

2. gop just found its next presidential nominee?

[C Moon]

17. :D

[Ex Lurker]

3. Freepers falling all over themselves to declare this a political witch hunt

despite the fact the AG who called for the Grand Jury is a Republican.

[SoapBox]

4. Surprise, surprise?

Another crooked Puke?

...uh, not.

[Sanity Claws]

5. Did this guy play a role in the Siegelman case?

[starroute]

8. Riley and Canary sure did -- so it's quite possible

On edit: I find stuff in my notes that indicates Hubbard is really tight with both Riley and Canary, but nothing that ties him directly to the Siegelman prosecution.

[dixiegrrrrl]

21. Canary needs to be gone

Him and the Missus.

So nice this broke before the election.
Too bad we have hardly any Dems to vote for.

[randys1]

6. Will guarantee to be elected to Governor...cons love criminals

Can anyone say Michael Grimm?

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/embattled-rep-michael-grimm-real-shot-winning-election-article-1.1979176

This is why our system is completely broken and in need of a massive overhaul

[brooklynite]

7. One can always rely on our FRiends to suspect dirty tricks...

Very, looks like dem dirty tricks

Only in the rat realm does these things come out November 5.

Charges seem they could be flimsy. What’s the odds this is a judicial hit on a republican leader?

Don’t know but isn’t the timing just amazing.......

Doesn’t pass the smell test. You can accuse 100% of politicians of these “alleged” crimes.

Who is the prosecutor that filed the charges and what is his/her party affiliation?

Never mind...

FWIW, the Attorney General, who requested the Grand Jury, is a Republican. If it’s a witch hunt, it appears to be an intra-party one.

[jmowreader]

9. He either pissed off someone in his party, or someone higher up REALLY screwed the pooch

This looks like garden-variety Republican hijinks to me. The guy needs to be thrown in jail, and if he was a Democrat he would have been - yes, I am talking about Don Siegelman. For the GOP, these aren't overly serious crimes.

I'm inclining toward them trying to divert attention from bigger fish by throwing them this guy, but there's always the possibility he stepped on the wrong toes once too many.

[valerief]

10. I thought Republicans gave trophies for charges like that. nt

[Initech]

11. Gee what a surprise!

Said no one ever!

[Thor_MN]

12. Amazingly, Faux News never heard of this....

Most recent hit on his name is 18 months ago...

[Big_Mike]

13. Although I call it more a politician problem rather than a Repuk issue

Too many on both sides slide up to the trough for their eats. I sometimes think we should fill the Congress and the Statehouses with Draftees, and peg how much they make to the general progress of the country. Talk about self interest!

[Kingofalldems]

14. I don't. I call it a republican problem.

[Sheepshank]

15. ..and up next, Utah former Attorney Generals

Swallow and Shurtleff

[Fred Sanders]

16. Reuters will report Hubbard spoke before an overflow crowd and was wildly cheered?

[DemoTex]

18. About 1 month ago SC house speaker indicted on multiple criminal charges. Party? GOP.

Bobby Harrell (R-SC). What is it with these idiots?

[Enthusiast]

19. Republicans, they all do it. Typical weasel Republican.

Evil MFers.

[Crabby Appleton]

20. Surprise surprise