State: Ex-speaker Hubbard’s words show apology was insincere

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2021/11/AP650837149946-e1637174795696.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1200;s:6:"height";i:675;s:4:"file";s:41:"2021/11/AP650837149946-e1637174795696.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"AP650837149946-e1637174795696-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"AP650837149946-e1637174795696-771x434.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"AP650837149946-e1637174795696-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"AP650837149946-e1637174795696-768x432.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"AP650837149946-e1637174795696-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"AP650837149946-e1637174795696-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"AP650837149946-e1637174795696-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"AP650837149946-e1637174795696-553x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"AP650837149946-e1637174795696-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"AP650837149946-e1637174795696-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:2:"AP";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:358:"Mike Hubbard and Susan Hubbard walk to the Lee County Justice Center for his trial on Friday, May 27, 2016  in Opelika, Ala.  Prosecutors have accused Hubbard of using his political positions to solicit $2.3 million in work and business investments from people with business before the Alabama Legislature. (Todd J. Van Emst/Opelika-Auburn News via AP, Pool)";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:10:"1464338084";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:27:"Mike Hubbard, Susan Hubbard";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"1";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Todd J. Van Emst
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => Opelika-Auburn News via AP, Pool
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => This photo from 2016 shows former Alabama Speaker Mike Hubbard and his wife, Susan Hubbard, walking to the Lee County Justice Center for his ethics trial.
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:11:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1200;s:6:"height";i:970;s:4:"file";s:18:"AP650837149946.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"AP650837149946-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"AP650837149946-336x272.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:272;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:17:"medium_large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"AP650837149946-768x621.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:621;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"AP650837149946-771x623.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:623;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"AP650837149946-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"AP650837149946-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"AP650837149946-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"AP650837149946-385x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:385;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"AP650837149946-328x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:328;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:26:"AP650837149946-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

)
1663940073 
1637143219
This photo from 2016 shows former Alabama Speaker Mike Hubbard and his wife, Susan Hubbard, walking to the Lee County Justice Center for his ethics trial.

This photo from 2016 shows former Alabama Speaker Mike Hubbard and his wife, Susan Hubbard, walking to the Lee County Justice Center for his ethics trial.

Todd J. Van Emst, Opelika-Auburn News via AP, Pool

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Convicted former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard told people he was innocent and “held my nose” as he signed a letter apologizing for his crimes, according to state prosecutors who used Hubbard’s own phone calls and emails from prison to cast doubt on his claims of remorse as he seeks early release.

The attorney general’s office combed through emails and 600 of Hubbard’s phone calls from prison and cited some of the conversations as they oppose his request for early release from prison. State attorneys said the communications show he was “not truthful” when he signed a letter apologizing for his 2016 conviction for violating state ethics law, including using his public office for personal financial gain.

Hubbard submitted the letter in September along with a request for early release from prison. In the letter, Hubbard said, “I recognize and admit my errors.” Hubbard wrote that his conviction embarrassed the state and his family and “for this, I am severely sorry and respectfully ask forgiveness from everyone affected.”

According to the Monday court filing, Hubbard told a friend before submitting the apology letter that, “I promise you I did nothing wrong.” On the day he signed the apology letter to the court, Hubbard told his wife that part of the letter he liked was removed, but he was “looking at the ultimate goal” and “held [his] nose and signed it.”

Prosecutors said Hubbard also talked to friends about efforts to add language to a community corrections legislation that could benefit his release. According to state lawyers, Hubbard told an attorney that someone should contact a state senator to urge a filibuster. The court filing did not include many specifics but said that Hubbard did not get his wish.

“Hubbard has already been removed from office for breaching his duty to the public. Now he has been caught breaching his duty to this Court. He deserves condemnation, not mercy,” state attorneys wrote.

The former House speaker also referred to the lead prosecutor in his case as corrupt, suggested politics was behind his prosecution and was baffled that the Alabama Supreme Court did not completely overturn his conviction.

“I hope the folks there know I didn’t do anything wrong, and this was just a political hit job,” Hubbard told one friend according to the court filing. He told another that, “according to the way they’ve interpreted the law, they could indict and convict anybody in the Legislature who has a job.”

Phone calls made by prisoners have a message at the beginning informing recipients that the call may be monitored. State lawyers said Hubbard must have been aware of this because he used a variety of code names such as calling his wife the quarterback and state officials either Martians or the Taliban.

Hubbard has served about one year of a 28-month sentence. He is imprisoned at Limestone Correctional Facility.

Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging his powerful public office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses, violating the prohibition against giving a “thing of value” to an elected official. His defense maintained the contracts were legitimate work and unrelated to his position as House speaker.

In upholding the conviction this spring, justices noted that when contacting a company for one client, Hubbard “identified himself as a state legislator and as Speaker of the House of Representatives.” They also noted how one company executive wrote in an email that Hubbard could get the company, “in front of any speaker in the country regardless of party.”

The Republican was one of the state’s most powerful politicians until the ethics conviction in a corruption case ended his political career. Hubbard, the architect of the GOP’s takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010, was a legislator from Auburn and former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. He was elected House speaker soon after Republicans won control.

 

ICC charges former Philippine President Duterte crimes against humanity

Duterte was arrested in March by Philippine authorities on a warrant issued by the ICC. He is now being held at an ICC facility in the Netherlands.

Did Amazon trick people into paying for Prime? Federal case goes to trial

The U.S. government says Amazon manipulated people into signing up for Prime memberships that were purposefully hard to cancel. The company says its designs and disclosures follow industry standards.

Georgia senators demand answers on more than a dozen deaths in immigration detention

Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are asking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for answers after more than a dozen people died in immigration detention, as the department rushes to expand.

5 takeaways from Kamala Harris’ new book about her sprint for the presidency

Former Vice President Kamala Harris writes about her brief run for the presidency last year and her relationship with former President Joe Biden in her new book, out on Tuesday.

How to reintegrate over a million veterans? Groups in Ukraine are working on it

Many Ukrainian war veterans have physical and mental trauma, and struggle to return to civilian life. Here is a look at some groups trying to help ease them back into the community.

Judge orders Trump administration to restore $500 million in grant funding to UCLA

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore $500 million in federal grant funding that it froze at the University of California, Los Angeles.

More Front Page Coverage