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Alabama Ethics Commission

Elections / News / State

Lipscomb calls Vaughn ballot lawsuit frivolous

Friday, B. Craig Lipscomb responded to Jared Vaughn’s lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgment to have him removed from the November 6 general election ballot. “The Alabama ethics commission attorney told Judge Rhea in open court that my paperwork was in order and correct and that I was in compliance,” Lipscomb said. “The judge dismissed the … Continued
August 27, 2018

Judge dismisses McKay’s ballot challenge citing no jurisdiction

Thursday, Judge William Rhea dismissed Robert McKay’s lawsuit against House District 30 Republican nominee B. Craig Lipscomb (R) citing the lack of proper jurisdiction. Former Ashville Mayor Robert McKay was narrowly defeated by Gadsden area architect Brandon Craig Lipscomb in the July 17 Republican primary runoff for House District 30. On Thursday, McKay sued: Lipscomb, … Continued
August 23, 2018

Trump-bashing attorney represents AG Marshall’s mega donor in lawsuit

As if the attorney general’s race couldn’t become more bizarre, enter Washington, D.C. election lawyer Charlie Spies, who is defending appointed Attorney General Steve Marshall’s PAC contributions from the Republican Attorney Generals Association (RAGA). Spies is best known for his epic troll of then-candidate Donald Trump when he represented failed GOP presidential candidate and Never-Trumper … Continued
July 12, 2018

King files ethics complaint against AG Marshall

Troy King has filed an ethics complaint against Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, alleging the Marshall campaign has accepted illegal campaign donations. The complaint, filed on Monday by King, who is challenging Marshall in a runoff for the AG’s office, alleges that Marshall accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the Republican … Continued
July 10, 2018

Ethics Commission clears Luther Strange

Luther Strange is off the hook. The executive director of the Alabama Ethics Commission told APR on Wednesday that the commission determined a few sessions ago that allegations that Strange violated campaign finance laws were unfounded. The two allegations, which were filed by Secretary of State John Merrill’s office during Strange’s special election campaign for … Continued
June 21, 2018

Ethics Commission again rewrites campaign finance laws

Ignorance of the law is no defense, unless you happen to be a person who makes the laws. The Alabama Ethics Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to — for the third time — wipe away the fees levied against politicians, donors and political action committees who violated campaign finance laws by filing reports late. In … Continued
June 7, 2018

Is leadership in the Alabama Legislature planning a bait-and-switch on HB317?

The wall is crumbling. Last week, a small group of senators held firm against an ethics bill, HB317, that would, among other things, exclude full-time and part-time “economic developers” from laws requiring them to register as lobbyists. Heading into what should be the final week of the 2018 session, sources say that small group has … Continued
March 27, 2018

Ethics Commission could pull back veil on BCA conference donations

By Josh Moon Alabama Political Reporter The Alabama Ethics Commission will vote on an opinion Wednesday morning that will change the way multiple-sponsor events report gifts to lawmakers and state employees, a ruling that would close a loophole in Alabama’s ethics laws that has benefited the Business Council of Alabama. For years now, the BCA … Continued
February 7, 2018

Secretary Merrill: Ethics Commission undermined campaign finance law

By Josh Moon Alabama Political Reporter The law doesn’t matter if you try harder not to break it the next time, according to the Alabama Ethics Commission. Earlier this week, the five-person commission voted 4-1 to dismiss fines levied by the Alabama Secretary of State’s office for the late filing of required campaign finance reports … Continued
December 6, 2017

Senator Dial’s Joint Legislative Committee sends report to the State Bar Association

By Samuel Mattison Alabama Political Reporter An internal Alabama State Department of Education report will now head to the Alabama State Bar Association following a Joint Legislative Committee meeting. The committee, headed by State Senator Gerald Dial (R-Lineville) and Quinton Ross (D-Montgomery), met Tuesday to review new materials in a report by ALSDE Attorney Michael … Continued
July 26, 2017