Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard was arrested Monday on nearly two dozen felony ethics charges. The prominent Republican turned himself in to Montgomery, Alabama, authorities after being indicted on 23 felony counts, including the misuse of his public office for personal gain.
Hubbard, whose book “Storming the Statehouse” details the 2010 Republican takeover of the state’s legislature, which had been led by Democrats for 136 years, was indicted as part of an ongoing investigation in Alabama.
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Eleven of the charges against the politician allege that he solicited or received items of value “from a lobbyist or principal.” Hubbard was also charged with using his office as Alabama Republican Party chairman for personal gain, voting for legislation despite a conflict of interest, and collecting a fee in exchange for his lobbying services.
If convicted, Hubbard, 52, could face between two and 20 years in prison, and fines of as much as $30,000 for each of the 23 counts.
The indictment alleges that Hubbard solicited favors from former Alabama Governor Bob Riley, as well as from numerous prominent businessmen and political operatives. Hubbard claims that the charges are the result of “a political witch hunt,” according to AL.com. “This [investigation] has been going on for two years, dragging on and on, and here they come two weeks before an election and make these allegations,” he told the media outlet. “The fact is that we’ve done some great things in this state and some powerful people don’t like it.” The probe, which is being heard by a special grand jury, also netted two other Alabama Republicans — Rep. Greg Wren and Rep. Barry Moore — earlier this year. Wren pleaded guilty to using his office for personal gain, while Moore pleaded not guilty to perjury and giving false statements.
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