christiefan915
Catalyst
And I thought our legislature was bad. The guys make ours seem like rookies. 
(CNN)Football reigns supreme in Alabama, where teams from the state have won five of the last nine national college championships.
The bare-knuckled bloodsport that is state politics, however, is producing an equally remarkable if more shameful record. A rare convergence of events has led to the state's three most powerful public officials -- Gov. Robert Bentley, House Speaker Mike Hubbard and Chief Justice Roy Moore -- each embroiled in scandals.
Bentley, the embattled second-term governor, is facing calls for his ouster over an inappropriate relationship with a former aide. Moore, chief of the state's supreme court, has been suspended over his flouting of federal law allowing same-sex marriage. Hubbard, meanwhile, goes on trial this week on felony corruption charges.
Three state leaders. Three branches of state government. Three potential stains on Alabama's image and history. It's enough to make Alabamans weep into their Crimson Tide towels. "It's not every day that you see three of the most powerful elected officials in a state come under fire like this at the same time," said Jordan Libowitz, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government ethics watchdog. Citizens need to know that their elected officials are acting in the public interest, not for their own personal gain."
Bentley's scandal features salacious hints of sex, lies and audiotape -- along with drier accusations of misusing state resources.
Hubbard is facing 20 years in prison over 23 felony ethics violations. Ironically, according to acting Attorney General W. Van Davis, most of those charges "involve violations of the ethics reforms (Hubbard) championed in 2010."
Although [Moore's] facing six ethics charges and the prospect of being ousted from the bench for a second time, Moore remains as defiant as ever.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/24/us/alabama-political-scandals-hfr/index.html
(CNN)Football reigns supreme in Alabama, where teams from the state have won five of the last nine national college championships.
The bare-knuckled bloodsport that is state politics, however, is producing an equally remarkable if more shameful record. A rare convergence of events has led to the state's three most powerful public officials -- Gov. Robert Bentley, House Speaker Mike Hubbard and Chief Justice Roy Moore -- each embroiled in scandals.
Bentley, the embattled second-term governor, is facing calls for his ouster over an inappropriate relationship with a former aide. Moore, chief of the state's supreme court, has been suspended over his flouting of federal law allowing same-sex marriage. Hubbard, meanwhile, goes on trial this week on felony corruption charges.
Three state leaders. Three branches of state government. Three potential stains on Alabama's image and history. It's enough to make Alabamans weep into their Crimson Tide towels. "It's not every day that you see three of the most powerful elected officials in a state come under fire like this at the same time," said Jordan Libowitz, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government ethics watchdog. Citizens need to know that their elected officials are acting in the public interest, not for their own personal gain."
Bentley's scandal features salacious hints of sex, lies and audiotape -- along with drier accusations of misusing state resources.
Hubbard is facing 20 years in prison over 23 felony ethics violations. Ironically, according to acting Attorney General W. Van Davis, most of those charges "involve violations of the ethics reforms (Hubbard) championed in 2010."
Although [Moore's] facing six ethics charges and the prospect of being ousted from the bench for a second time, Moore remains as defiant as ever.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/24/us/alabama-political-scandals-hfr/index.html
