Strange Still Dogged By Corruption Accusations Five Days Before Runoff
Two Alabama state reps are accusing the senator of a coverup
Five days before his showdown with Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore in the Republican primary runoff for the Alabama Senate special election, Sen. Luther Strange still finds himself batting away corruption accusations from state legislators in Montgomery.
State Reps. Ed Henry and Mike Ball, both Republicans, voiced concern at a joint news conference Wednesday regarding Strange’s role in an investigation that saw the conviction of former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard on 11 corruption charges.
Henry and Hart accused Strange, Alabama’s attorney general at the time, of covering up prosecutors’ misconduct in the case.
“Luther Strange has bragged about his public corruption unit that he put together [when he was attorney general],” Henry said. “I know a lot of things about what went on during that [Hubbard’s] investigation. It’s been one of the issues that’s really torn at me in this election that the people of Alabama don’t know the whole truth about.”
Henry has publicly endorsed Moore in the special election primary.
The case against Hubbard was prosecuted by an anti-corruption unit led by the state’s then-Deputy Attorney General Matt Hart. Strange, then the AG, has said that he withdrew from the prosecution process because he had business relationships with Hubbard that could have represented a conflict of interest.
“This is the same thing these two guys have been trying to tell reporters for three months,” Strange campaign spokesman Cameron Foster told AL.com of the allegations levied against him. “They’re both huge Mike Hubbard guys. They’re both [upset] that Mike Hubbard got thrown in jail.”
Henry said he has requested that his own grand jury testimony in relation to the case be made public, indicating it would “blow the top off everything.” He said he’d even considered violating the law and going public with his testimony, which is, by law, to remain secret.
“I believe it’s important enough that the people of Alabama know what really happened in Lee County,” Henry added, “and how Luther Strange’s public corruption team is really corrupt.”
Foster said Strange is not concerned about Henry and Ball’s accusations because voters don’t pay attention to them.
“My question to [Henry and Ball] has always been, ‘Did Mike Hubbard commit a crime?’” Foster said. “Neither of them will admit Mike Hubbard committed a crime. When you lock up people like Mike Hubbard, you’re going to make enemies.”
Hubbard was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 but is free as he appeals the decision.
The Republican primary runoff is on Tuesday.