The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Alabama AG Troy King Acts Tough On Crime. Corruption? Not So Much

Posted on | April 28, 2010 | 4 Comments

Nice “America’s Most Wanted” imitation here by the suspiciously gambling-friendly attorney general Troy King:

Unlike John Walsh, however, Troy King has been the target of a federal investigation, and this new TV ad raises a question: Where did those cop cars come from? If those are Alabama police cars . . . well, the state law is quite clear on such issues:

Section 36-12-61 —
Use, etc., of state-owned property for promotion or advancement of interests of candidates for public office. It shall be unlawful for any officer or employee of the State of Alabama to use or to permit to be used any state-owned property of any character or description, including stationery, stamps, office equipment, office supplies, automobiles or any other property used by him, in his custody or under his control for the promotion or advancement of the interest of any candidate for the nomination or election to any public office of the State of Alabama.

Section 36-25-5 —
Use of official position or office for personal gain. (c) No public official or public employee shall use or cause to be
used equipment, facilities, time, materials, human labor, or other public property under his or her discretion or control for the private benefit or business benefit of the public official, public employee, any other person, or principal campaign committee as defined in Section 17-22A-2, which would materially affect his or her financial
interest, except as otherwise provided by law or as provided pursuant to a lawful employment agreement regulated by agency policy. Provided, however, nothing in this subsection shall be deemed to limit or otherwise prohibit communication between public officials or public employees and eleemosynary or membership organizations or such
organizations communicating with public officials or public employees.

(Acts 1939, No. 657, p. 1031, §1; Code 1940, T. 41, §147(1).)

Sources in Alabama who’ve seen the ad say it was shot in Montgomery, but they’re not sure whether the police cars are Montgomery P.D. or not. If you do a freeze-frame and look closely — and some folks in Alabama have looked very closely indeed — there are no state, county or municipal markings on the cars. But these may have been purposely obscured in post-production.

Suspicions of corruption have been haunting the AG’s office fo months. The situation in Florida — where allegations of GOP corruption have become a potentially damaging scandal — shows the danger for Alabama Republicans of stuff like this. The FBI has been all over Montgomery lately and Republicans have to wonder what will happen if the Justice Department waits until after the June 1 primary to start issuing indictments and making arrests.

UPDATE: Linked at Riehl World View.

Category: Alabama, Corruption, Republicans, Scandal

Comments

4 Responses to “Alabama AG Troy King Acts Tough On Crime. Corruption? Not So Much”

  1. Rhymes With Right
    April 28th, 2010 @ 9:26 pm

    I’d have to say “NO”.

    The property is in no sense being used, unless you can show that he ordered these vehicles moved to the site of his commercial or stopped their being moved from that location.

    All he did was film a commercial in a public place, with no expense accruing to the taxpayer and no appropriation of the property.

    Unless, of course, you want to argue that a commercial with the state capitol buildingin the background also violates the state law.

  2. Rhymes With Right
    April 28th, 2010 @ 4:26 pm

    I’d have to say “NO”.

    The property is in no sense being used, unless you can show that he ordered these vehicles moved to the site of his commercial or stopped their being moved from that location.

    All he did was film a commercial in a public place, with no expense accruing to the taxpayer and no appropriation of the property.

    Unless, of course, you want to argue that a commercial with the state capitol buildingin the background also violates the state law.

  3. Pragmatic
    April 28th, 2010 @ 10:59 pm

    I hate to burst your pre-conceived bubble, but those vehicles are not state vehicles. We who live in Alabama can tell by looking at the colors and logos, without freeze-framing.

  4. Pragmatic
    April 28th, 2010 @ 5:59 pm

    I hate to burst your pre-conceived bubble, but those vehicles are not state vehicles. We who live in Alabama can tell by looking at the colors and logos, without freeze-framing.