Bribery Trial Guilty Verdict Sends Message Through Alabama Politics
Alabama’s latest corruption trial ended Friday with guilty verdicts. A jury on convicted attorney Joel Gilbert, formerly of the firm Balch and Bingham, and David Roberson, an executive with coal company Drummond, of bribing a state lawmaker. Prosecutors say the two paid former State Representative Oliver Robinson to help fight expansion of a toxic cleanup site around north Birmingham. Drummond would have been responsible for some costs if that happened. WBHM’s Andrew Yeager discussed to the verdict with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Interview Highlights
How he reacted to the verdict:
“It was a little astonishing, honestly, because it sends such a message really. This is the sort of thing that many looked at as business as usual sometimes. It probably wouldn’t have come to trial if Oliver Robinson hadn’t been caught up in more crimes involving tax evasion. And if a couple of people on both sides hadn’t written it down in places where this was visible, it would have gone under the radar.”
On who else deserves scrutiny following details revealed in the trail:
“A lot of people do…There was testimony that the head of the [Birmingham] NAACP, the [Jefferson County chief] deputy tax assessor had involvement on one end. Everyone who contributed to Robison’s foundation in other forms, the biggest businesses in Alabama…at least have some connection to this. That of course was used as a defense for him to say he was legitimate. What we see here is that across the state all of the powers that are involved in this sort of activity just need to be looked at.”
How this trial differed from other corruption trials:
“The focus of this trial was not the public official. The focus of this trial was the mechanism that allows that sort of bribery to continue always. And we characterized bribery as something different than we have in the past. It doesn’t have to be an envelope full of money.”
Ivey, Ledbetter go to court to try and allow voucher students to participate in athletics
Gov. Kay Ivey and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter filed the complaint in Montgomery Circuit Court against the Alabama High School Athletic Association. They are asking a judge to block the association's ruling on eligibility and pave the way for the students to participate in athletics this year.
The world’s oldest and largest iceberg will soon be no more
The iceberg, known as A23a, has been on a journey following the current into warmer waters for months. Now, it has begun the predicted and natural process of breaking apart, and eventually melting.
Etsy sellers are being hit hard by tariffs and the end of the de minimis rule
For years, the U.S. was essentially "an extension of our domestic market," says an Etsy seller in Canada. But now the rules and costs are far more imposing.
What ICE agents can and cannot legally do during arrests
Tactics by immigration agents attempting to arrest undocumented immigrants have shocked the public and led to protests. But what is, and isn't, allowed by law when it comes to ICE arrests?
Trump’s D.C. takeover has led to more arrests. NPR looks at cases of those swept up
NPR combed through court records and other data related to Trump's takeover of D.C. police to get a better understanding of who has been swept up in the federal surge and what charges they are facing.
Who did a Fox News executive call a ‘reckless maniac’? Find out in the quiz
This week, we have monopolies (not the game), casting decisions and fashion passings. Plus a new Stephen King book! Have you been paying attention?