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Josh Blades

News / Legislature / State

Mark Tuggle hired as speaker’s chief of staff

Wednesday, Alabama Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) announced that he has hired former State Representative Mark Tuggle (R-Alexander City) to serve as his Chief of Staff. “As a member of the Alabama House, Mark set himself apart as a leader and proved a valuable source of wise counsel, so I’m pleased to continue … Continued
November 8, 2018

Attorney paid by unnamed client to write, negotiate HB317

Is it appropriate for a lawyer working for an unidentified private client to write laws for a department of state government? Doesn’t the public have a right to know if a private individual pays for a bill to be written? How is it ethical for a piece of legislation to be sponsored by a member … Continued
April 17, 2018

Last Day of Hubbard Trial More Witnesses Were on Hand

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Perhaps the most damning piece of evidence in the trial of Mike Hubbard, was the proffer he signed in March, 2014. Certainly, when Lead Prosecutor, Matt Hart, revealed that Hubbard’s dead “close” friend was actually alive, that was the final nail in his coffin. After Hubbard, the State called … Continued
June 22, 2016

Hubbard Trial Day Twelve: Prosecution Stings Hubbard

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter OPELIKA—The State of Alabama v. Michael G. Hubbard, day twelve, marked the beginning of the end for the criminal trial that has been years in the making. It is tempting to use a multitude of adjectives to describe the most surreal day to date. Suffice it to say, it … Continued
June 10, 2016

Hubbard Trial Day Seven: Only The Jury Knows

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter OPELIKA—On Day seven of the Speaker Mike Hubbard criminal public corruption trail, we heard testimony from Bobby Abrams, Rob Burton, and Jimmy Rane. Abrams, who owns the company Capitol Cups, paid Hubbard $10,000 a month ostensibly to sell cups. Abrams admitted that if Hubbard had secured the letter for … Continued
June 3, 2016

Hubbard Trial Day Five: Sumner Fries Hubbard

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter OPELIKA—Former Alabama Ethics Commission Director, Jim Sumner, testified authoritatively and effectively with devastating consequences for the defense on Day Five of the criminal trial of Speaker Mike Hubbard. In spite of Hubbard’s attorney, Bill Baxley, attempting to marginalize Sumner’s testimony, Judge Jacob Walker, III sided with the State and … Continued
June 1, 2016

Hubbard Trial Day Three: Witness Changes Testimony, Shocks Prosecution

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter OPELIKA—A series of witnesses made it clear that Speaker Mike Hubbard was intimately involved in placing language into the Medicaid portion of the General Fund Budget that would give his client, American Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc. (APCI), a monopoly over the multi-million dollar Medicaid pharmacy business. That was until former … Continued
May 27, 2016

Hubbard Trial: Day Two “100,000 Reasons”

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter OPELIKA—”A bad day for the defense” is how one prominent defense attorney described Day Two of the Mike Hubbard felony trial. Hubbard’s former chief of staff, Josh Blades, was the State’s star witness on this second day of testimony. Blades revealed Hubbard’s actions regarding the adding of 23 words … Continued
May 26, 2016

Witnesses for the Prosecution: Politicos, Business Titans, Lobbyists

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—A who’s-who of politicos, business titans, lobbyists, and operatives, are among the some 135 witnesses called by the prosecution, in the felony public corruption trial of Speaker Mike Hubbard. It has been said, that Hubbard would be very surprised to see who may be testifying against him. Given the … Continued
April 19, 2016

Hubbard Made $17,500/Month to Represent Companies with Business Before the State

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter Series: Emails on Hubbard’s Road to Perdition, Article 4 The emails below were released by the State of Alabama in February 2015, in response to Hubbard’s demand for a more defined statement of facts concerning his indictments. Other articles on emails: Article One Article Two Article Three MONTGOMERY—Court documents … Continued
March 15, 2016