Are Rileys' Fingerprints All Over Jefferson County Judicial Controversy?

The interests of Gov. Bob Riley and his son, Rob, appear to be driving a process that is likely to end with the removal of Birmingham lawyer Kenya Lavender Marshall as a candidate for a seat on the Jefferson County Circuit Court.

The Alabama Democratic Executive Committee will meet in Montgomery today to vote on rescinding Marshall's candidacy and naming a replacement. Two Jefferson County Democratic groups have recommended Nicole Gordon Still as the party's pick, and Still is the favorite to receive the nod if Marshall is removed.

Legal Schnauzer has learned that Still, through her prominent lawyer father, has ties to the Rileys. That, plus the curious timing of the charges against Marshall, indicate political considerations are at least partially driving the process.

Race seemingly has played a strong factor in the case since the Alabama State Bar announced on August 3 that it was temporarily suspending Marshall's license over charges that she misappropriated $30,000 in a client's fund. Marshall and three other lawyers who have expressed an interest in the court position are black; Still is white.

Gov. Bob Riley appointed Still to the judgeship in June 2009, but she had to run for re-election this year. Still spent $105,000 on her campaign and outspent Marshall by almost 8:1. But in the July 13 primary, Marshall won handily with 55 percent of the vote; Still came in second.

No Republican has qualified for the race, so the Democratic nominee is likely to take office in January 2011. It increasingly looks like that nominee will be Still. And it appears that her family connections to Bob and Rob Riley are helping her cause.

Still's father is Bruce Gordon, who has practiced law in Alabama for 45 years and is a partner in the Birmingham firm Gordon Dana Knight &; Gilmore. Still was with the firm, and her name was on the masthead, until Bob Riley appointed her to a judgeship.

Still's campaign Web site notes that she was among three candidates chosen by a nonpartisan commission  to be submitted to the governor. But that might not tell the whole story.

For several years, Bruce Gordon and the Gordon Dana law firm represented a company called Alabama Pain Consultants in a lawsuit involving Aspen Medical Products. That case is ongoing, and the Gordon firm has withdrawn from representation of Alabama Pain Consultants. But the case establishes a tie between Bruce Gordon, Nicole Gordon Still's father, and Rob Riley.

Alabama Pain Consultants is owned by Thomas Spurlock and David Marshall. Spurlock, a chiropractor, works in the UAB Department of Surgery and is a business partner with Rob Riley. Spurlock is an owner and officer in Performance Group LLC, a company whose other owners include Rob Riley.

As we have reported here at Legal Schnauzer, Performance Group and Alabama Pain Consultants are among the defendants in a federal whistleblower lawsuit, alleging they have engaged in Medicare fraud.

Consider a few passages from the whistleblower lawsuit. Here's one:

Beginning during or before 2005, defendant Spurlock routinely forged the signatures of physicians on prescriptions for physical therapy services to be provided by Spinal Rehab and Performance Group. In addition, Spurlock forged the signatures of physicians on certificates of medical necessity for medical equipment to be provided by Alabama Pain.

Here's another:

Beginning during or before 2005, defendant Spurlock, a chiropractor, signed his name as "Thomas Spurlock, M.D." on prescriptions for physical therapy and certificates of medical necessity for medical equipment for the purpose of misleading others regarding his authority to order such items and ultimately have them paid by insurers, including Medicare. . . . (the whistleblower) has witnessed Spurlock forge the signatures of numerous doctors who practice in and around Birmingham.

How deep did the fraud go?

Beginning in 2005, defendants Spurlock and Marshall instructed employees of Spinal Rehab and Performance Group entities, including (the whistleblower), to provide every patient from those physical therapy clinics with medical equipment from defendant Alabama Pain, a medical equipment company owned by Spurlock and Marshall. Employees were instructed to ensure that each physical therapy patient received a back brace, a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator ("TENS unit"), and/or a cervical collar. Pursuant to the instructions of Spurlock and Marshall, these items were to be provided regardless of whether they were medically necessary.

And here is more:

As an inducement to carry out this fraudulent scheme, Spurlock and Marshall paid employees bonuses or commissions for each piece of Alabama Pain medical equipment provided to physical therapy patients. Employees received $50 for each back brace, $25 for each TENS unit, and $25 for each cervical collar. . . . As a result of this fraudulent scheme, hundreds of claims were submitted to Medicare for medical equipment that was not medically necessary.

This alleged fraud was being conducted by Rob Riley's business partners. And those partners eventually were defended in another lawsuit by Bruce Gordon. A source tells Legal Schnauzer that Gordon and his firm, which included Nicole Gordon Still at the time, represented Alabama Pain Consultants well into 2008 and only withdrew when the company failed to pay legal bills.

Did Bruce Gordon's efforts to help bail out Rob Riley's business partners have a payoff? Well, Gordon's daughter was appointed to a judgeship in 2009.

And when Nicole Gordon Still failed to win the Democratic primary in mid July, the Alabama State Bar waited about three weeks before suddenly coming up with charges against the woman who beat her--Kenya Lavender Marshall.

Much remains unclear about this story. But this much is clear:

* Rob Riley and his business associates have stepped in some major legal doo-doo and probably could use some friendly judicial faces to help them wipe the stink off their shoes.

* Rob Riley and Nicole Gordon Still have quite a bit in common. They both have lived charmed, prosperous lives, driven largely by the fact they have powerful, influential daddies.

Are these powerful white families--and the Alabama legal establishment--joining forces to ensure that a black candidate never is seated as a judge, even though she apparently won an election fair and square?

Alabama citizens who care about justice should be giving that question a lot of thought over the next few days?

Meanwhile, here is a video of Kenya Lavender Marshall's appearance before a Democratic Party group earlier this week:

No Wonder Alabama Democrats Are In Pitiful Shape

George Beck

If you want to know why Democrats are in perhaps their weakest position in Alabama history, consider two stories that have broken in recent days.

The stories reveal that too many Alabama Democrats, particularly those of the white variety, have no principles and no spine. And one of the stories adds to the Obama administration's already horrible record on justice issues in our state.

First, comes word that Montgomery lawyer George Beck is likely to become the new U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Then we learn that Birmingham lawyer Nicole Gordon "Nikki" Still, who claims to be a Democrat, has been appointed to a Jefferson County judgeship for the second time by Republican Governor Bob Riley.

With appointments like these, things are likely to get worse before they get better for Democrats in Alabama.

The Alabama Democratic Party's Presidential Advisory Committee has endorsed Beck, even though he comes from a law firm with ties to Republican strategist Karl Rove and Business Council of Alabama (BCA) President Bill Canary. A source tells Legal Schnauzer that Beck's firm, Capell and Howard, often serves as a home base for Rove when he visits Alabama.

If Beck is nominated and confirmed, he will replace Leura Canary, the abominable George W. Bush appointee who ramrodded the Don Siegelman prosecution and, inexplicably, has served for more than two years under the Obama administration. Leura Canary, of course, is married to the BCA's Bill Canary, and given Capell and Howard's ties to Rove, we probably can look for more political prosecutions under George Beck.

Perhaps most troubling is the role Beck played in the Siegelman case. Beck represented key government witness Nick Bailey and allowed him to be bullied by federal prosecutors, who questioned Bailey some 70 times. Then there is this, which we reported in an earlier post:

Numerous reports have indicated that government prosecutors had Bailey write down portions of his statement in order to help him keep it straight. Those notes should have been turned over to defense counsel, but they were not.

Was Beck aware that this exculpatory material was withheld from the defense? If so, why did he quietly let it happen? Is this a serious breach of legal ethics? Does it approach a conspiracy to obstruct justice?

Sounds like just the kind of guy we need as a U.S. attorney, doesn't it? What are Alabama Democrats thinking? Are they thinking at all?

As for Nicole Gordon "Nikki" Still, we know what she's thinking. She's desperate to be a judge, and if she has to jump in bed with perhaps the most corrupt governor in Alabama history . . . well, so be it.

Nicole Gordon Still

Still now has twice accepted judicial appointments from Bob Riley. What does that say about Still's principles? Consider that Riley has documented ties to Jack Abramoff, Michael Scanlon, Karl Rove, Bill Canary . . . the list goes on. He represents the worst the Republican Party has to offer--and that's saying something. But Nikki Still is more than happy to suck up to Alabama's King of Sleaze.

Still's first appointment didn't end so well. When she had to run for election, she lost in the Democratic primary to Kenya Lavender Marshall. That prompted the Alabama State Bar, apparently at Riley's urging, to conduct a witch hunt against Marshall, suspending her license and causing her to be disqualified.

When the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee bypassed Still and nominated Elisabeth French, Still pitched a major snit.

Unable to win an election, Still jumped back in Riley's lap and was chosen to replace Judge G. William Noble, who retired last month. Still will serve the final two years of Noble's term before she has to face election again.

Why is Still so cozy in the Riley camp? Her father, prominent Birmingham attorney Bruce Gordon, has ties to Riley's son, Rob Riley. Here's how we explained it in an earlier post:

For several years, Bruce Gordon and the Gordon Dana law firm represented a company called Alabama Pain Consultants in a lawsuit involving Aspen Medical Products. That case is ongoing, and the Gordon firm has withdrawn from representation of Alabama Pain Consultants. But the case establishes a tie between Bruce Gordon, Nicole Gordon Still's father, and Rob Riley.

Alabama Pain Consultants is owned by Thomas Spurlock and David Marshall. Spurlock, a chiropractor, works in the UAB Department of Surgery and is a business partner with Rob Riley. Spurlock is an owner and officer in Performance Group LLC, a company whose other owners include Rob Riley.

As we have reported here at Legal Schnauzer, Performance Group and Alabama Pain Consultants are among the defendants in a federal whistleblower lawsuit, alleging they have engaged in Medicare fraud.

Bottom line? Bruce Gordon has tried to help Rob Riley and his buddies fight off charges of health-care fraud. Bob Riley probably would like to have a friendly judge on the Jefferson County bench to help limit Junior's exposure. And thus, an alliance is born between the Gordons (supposedly Democrats) and the Rileys (the sleaziest of Republicans).

As we said, so much for principles.

The problems for Alabama Democrats, however, go way beyond George Beck and Nikki Still.

Consider the Birmingham law firm of Wiggins Childs Quinn and Pantazis (WCQP). It's the largest employment law firm in the state, and in local legal circles, it's labeled a "Democrat law firm." But does WCQP exhibit solid progressive principles? Not exactly.

Bruce Gordon used to be a named partner at WCQP before leaving to start his own firm. The ties, however, between WCQP and the Gordon family appear to remain strong. Public documents show that Nicole Gordon Still has done extensive work with Dennis Pantazis, a current named partner at WCQP.

On its Web site, WCQP touts itself as "a leader and advocate for the rights of individuals." But I've seen evidence that the firm avoids cases that might shine light on Bob Riley's dark regime, probably because it wanted to help Nicole Gordon Still become a judge.

Nikki Still is hardly the only opportunist among Alabama Dems. Doug Jones, a former Clinton-era U.S. attorney, jumped in bed with Rob Riley to help earn hefty attorney fees in a federal lawsuit involving individuals and entities connected to HealthSouth Corporation.

Perhaps saddest of all is Obama's appointment of Abdul Kallon to a federal judgeship in the Northern District of Alabama. Kallon came from the conservative and pro-Riley Birmingham firm of Bradley Arant, and apparently was hoisted upon Obama by former U.S. Rep. Artur Davis.

We've had personal experience with Judge Kallon, and we will present overwhelming evidence that the man is either incompetent, corrupt--or both. And we are not talking about a Bush appointee; this is an Obama guy.

As a black lawyer who replaced a historic figure, retired U.S. Judge U.W. Clemon, Kallon is perhaps Obama's most high-profile appointment in Alabama. But we've seen from firsthand experience that Kallon is a disgrace to the bench and is little more than a corporate puppet--in other words, he's just like a Bush appointee.

Can things get worse for Alabama Democrats? At the rate the party is heading south, I would say they undoubtedly will.

Alabama Democrats Pull a Shocker--And We Love It!

Elisabeth French

The Alabama Democratic Executive Committee yesterday threw a curveball at the public, while essentially flipping a giant middle finger to Gov. Bob Riley and the Alabama State Bar. We give both actions two thumbs up.

Most observers, including this one, expected the committee to remove Kenya Lavender Marshall from the general-election ballot for a spot on the Jefferson County Circuit Court and replace her with Nicole Gordon Still. The process that led to Marshall's removal reeked of politics, but we figured the Democratic committee would cave and pick Still, who had placed second to Marshall in the party primary.

We, however, underestimated the committee. They indeed removed Marshall, following allegations from the State Bar that she had misappropriated $30,000 in a client fund. But instead of going with Still, who had been appointed to the judgeship last June by Riley, they chose Birmingham lawyer Elisabeth French. With no Republican in the running, French is likely to take office in January 2011.

Our first reaction to the news was shock. After all, French had not run in the primary. But state party bylaws do not limit who can be considered if a party nomination is vacated. The committee had every right to consider someone who had not run for the position, and we now think choosing French was a master stroke--the kind of gutsy, smart move for which Alabama Democrats are not always known.

On paper, French is at least as qualified as Still and more qualified than Marshall. Both French and Still have practiced law for 13 years, while Marshall has five years of experience.

We have not seen Still's full biography, but it appears that most of her experience has come while working in law firms operated by her father, Bruce Gordon. He worked for years at the state's largest employment law firm, Gordon Silberman Wiggins & Childs (now Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis) and now leads the Birmingham firm of Gordon Dana Knight & Gilmore. As we reported yesterday, Bruce Gordon has ties to the Rileys. He represented Alabama Pain Consultants, a company affiliated with Homewood attorney Rob Riley, the governor's son. We suspect that connection to the Rileys is the reason Nicole Gordon Still was appointed in the first place.

French has been in solo practice since 2008. But before that, she worked for 10 years at the Birmingham firm Pittman Hooks Dutton Kirby & Hellums. She focused on complex civil litigation and environmental law. The firm focuses on products liability, personal injury, medical malpractice, premises liability, among other areas. French is married to Courtney French, president of the Alabama Association for Justice and a member of the Birmingham firm Fuston Petway & French.

Still, taking a page from Artur Davis, came across as an ungracious loser. In a written statement, she said:

What has happened today is deplorable. This decision circumvents the election process and the will of the Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee. While there are many great candidates worthy of office in November, this is a bleak day for the Democratic Party in Alabama.

The Frenches supported me during my entire campaign and urged others to vote for me. Then, they used their relationships and the dynamics of this election in order to be handpicked for this judgeship without ever going through the election process.

In addition to spewing sour grapes, Still seems to be exhibiting a selective memory:

* The decision circumvents the election process?--That was circumvented when the Alabama State Bar went after Kenya Lavender Marshall, just three weeks after she had won the primary. And did Bob Riley, who appointed Still, have anything to do with that? Does Nicole Gordon Still know about actions others took on her behalf, in an effort to "circumvent the election process"?

* The Frenches used their relationships?--They probably did; that's standard political practice. But what about Ms. Still? Did her father's connections to Rob Riley help get her appointed in the first place?

* French was "handpicked" for this judgeship?--What do you call it, Ms. Still, when Bob Riley appoints you, probably with the influence of your father? That's not being handpicked?

The decision to pick French already is being colored in racial terms. She and Marshall are black, and Still is white. Some have speculated that the party felt it had to replace one black female with another. And it's certainly possible that both race and gender played a role in the final selection.

But I don't think that tells the whole story. Just a few weeks ago, Alabama Democrats soundly rejected Artur Davis, a black male who had openly courted the state's business establishment in an effort to become governor.

Now, Alabama Democrats have rejected Nicole Gordon Still, who courted the state's legal establishment. Her father is a prominent and influential attorney. Her father has clear ties to Rob Riley. She was appointed by Bob Riley. Her husband, S. Chris Still, works for Balch & Bingham, one of the most pro-business law firms in the state. According to his bio, Chris Still works heavily with electric and nuclear energy companies. It seems safe to say that he represents companies that are connected to Bill Canary's Business Council of Alabama.

Perhaps this wasn't so much about race. Perhaps true Alabama progressives stood up and took a stand yesterday. Perhaps they, in essence, said, "We've seen the business establishment in this country ruin our economy. We've seen the legal establishment in this country corrupt our justice system, especially here in Alabama.

"We rejected Artur Davis, and we now reject Nicole Gordon Still. And it is not because of their skin color. It's because they have cozied up to the establishment forces who have consistently acted against the best interests of regular, everyday Americans. It's time that we push for a true progressive agenda--in Alabama and beyond. And we are taking a stand for such an agenda today."

If that was the thinking behind the decision to select Elisabeth French, I am all for it.

Crackdown on Medicare Fraud Is Picking Up Steam

Rob Riley

The U.S. government yesterday charged more than 100 health-care providers in a Medicare-fraud scheme that exceeded $225 million in false billings.

Investigators unearthed fraudulent activity in nine cities, but they did not reach into Alabama. That's bad news. Attorney General Eric Holder said a national crackdown on health-care fraud is far from over, meaning Birmingham eventually could be targeted. That's good news.

Evidence suggests that our state has a serious problem with health-care fraud, some of it apparently tied to Rob Riley, son of former Governor Bob Riley, and his associates at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Health-care fraud already has surfaced as an issue in Alabama, but federal investigators seem to have only scratched the surface of a large-scale problem here. Earlier this year, seven hospitals paid a total of $6.3 million to settle their part in a long-running whistleblower lawsuit regarding Medicare fraud. Two of the hospitals were in Alabama, and three other Alabama hospitals--including St. Vincent's and St. Vincent's East in Birmingham--were part of an earlier settlement in the same case.

The government now has collected $101 million in the "qui tam" lawsuit, which was originally filed in New York and has unearthed fraud at health-care facilities in at least six other states.

That case revolved around the medical-device field, and that is exactly where Rob Riley has placed his slippery tentacles. Riley is a lawyer by trade, but he seems to have a penchant for engaging in dubious business ventures. A whistleblower case filed in Birmingham alleges fraud against Performance Group LLC, a company owned in part by Riley. No substantive action has been taken in the case, largely because of some curious rulings by a federal judge with strong Republican roots, but that needs to change.

Alabama loses $1.1 billion a year to health-care fraud, and the nation loses $75 billion annually, according to a recent report in The Birmingham News. That article is dripping in irony. First, the figures come from a professor at UAB, and as we have reported here, UAB almost certainly is our state's No. 1 practitioner of health-care fraud. Second, The Birmingham News has been a stellar supporter of Bob Riley--even though federal-court documents indicate the ex-governor's son has been up to his neck in health-care fraud.

The Obama Department of Justice (DOJ), as part of its effort to reform health care, has made tackling Medicare fraud a top priority. The lawsuit against Riley and his company, Performance Group LLC, was filed during the Bush administration. Alice Martin, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama at the time, elected not to intervene in the case, probably because she wanted to help protect a political ally.

William M. Acker Jr., an 83-year-old Reagan appointee, made a number of extremely curious rulings--and  the case was dismissed without prejudice, which means it can be refiled. I've recently seen Acker operate up close, and he is a dreadful excuse for a judge. Our guess is that Acker is trying to protect Rob Riley in the whistleblower case--and possibly in my ongoing employment lawsuit against UAB, too.

Will the DOJ, now under the direction of a supposed Democrat (Eric Holder), have the guts to investigate someone who has political connections? We aren't holding our breath. But the case of Rob Riley and Performance Group is important on multiple levels.

For one, at least two of Riley's associates in the company--Drs. Thomas Spurlock and Francois Blaudeau--are affiliated with UAB. Spurlock is a faculty member in the UAB Department of Surgery and president of Alabama Pain Consultants, which is under the Performance Group LLC umbrella. That means Medicare fraud that benefits private individuals could be reaching into a public institution--one that receives massive amounts of federal and state taxpayer dollars.

If that's the case, it would not be the first time UAB has been connected to health-care fraud. The university settled a federal whistleblower case in 2005 for $3.4 million, a fraction of the actual alleged fraud. Did that wrist slap correct the fraud problem at UAB. Considering the allegations in the Performance Group LLC case, and the involvement of UAB personnel, the answer probably is no.

Performance Group LLC provides physical therapy through the use of medical devices such as back and neck braces. That is an area of health care that is ripe for fraud cases. Reports The New York Times:

The medical device business is filled with small start-up companies trying to generate excitement about their new products and technologies, hoping to build market share and to attract deep-pocketed buyout offers. It has been fraught with allegations of bribes, exaggerated claims, and other unethical behavior.

That's exactly the kind of company that Rob Riley became involved in. Did he do it because he had a genuine desire to serve patients? Or did he do it because it was a convenient way to bilk the government out of money?

The Obama DOJ needs to find answers to those questions. And it can do it by reinstating the whistleblower case against Rob Riley and Performance Group LLC. If justice is to be served, the case almost certainly will have to be removed from corrupt judge William M. Acker Jr.

How did the case wind up with Acker in the first place? For that matter, how did my employment lawsuit against UAB wind up with Acker? Federal officials might make some interesting discoveries if they do some digging on those two questions.

Riley hardly is alone in trying to make funny money off medical equipment. The charges announced yesterday indicate the problem is widespread:

The defendants were charged with various crimes, including conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, false claims, kickbacks and money laundering, administration officials said.

They said the alleged schemes involved various medical treatments, tests and services, such as home health care, physical and occupational therapy and medical equipment.

Again, that is right up Rob Riley's alley. The general public might consider health-care fraud to be a relatively "clean" sort of crime. But that is not the case:

A top FBI official, Shawn Henry, said 2,600 health care fraud cases were under investigation and that organized crime groups have been increasingly linked to the alleged schemes.

Could organized crime be connected to health-care fraud in Alabama, some of it tied to our state's premier academic medical center? I would not doubt it. The government's Medicare Fraud Strike Force now covers nine cities, with Chicago and Dallas recently added to the list. Birmingham needs to join them--and quickly.

Alabama Progressives Land a Solid Punch on "New Mules"

Bruce Gordon

Last week's Alabama tempest over a state-court seat in Jefferson County appeared to be about women of various colors. But evidence strongly suggests it was driven, behind the scenes, by men of one color--white.

These men and their followers, who come from both sides of the political fence, are driven largely by one desire--to strengthen their grip on political and judicial power. For years, they've been known in Alabama as "Big Mules." The Democratic Party committee that last Thursday chose Elisabeth French as its nominee for a Jefferson County judgeship in essence was telling today's "New Mules" to stick it. And in our view, that's a good thing.

We also think it's a good thing to "out" some of the New Mules who probably played a role in the effort to oust Kenya Lavender Marshall, who had won the Democratic primary, and force in Nicole Gordon Still, the runnerup.

One of these New Mules, we suspect, is prominent Birmingham attorney Bruce L. Gordon. His name has not been mentioned in mainstream-press coverage of last week's drama. But our research indicates he probably was a key character in the chain of events that led to Elisabeth French's selection.

News reports on the story have focused on race, largely because Marshall and French are black, and Still is white. Roughly three weeks after Marshall handily defeated Still in the Democratic run-off, the Alabama State Bar announced that it was temporarily suspending Marshall's license over allegations that she had misappropriated $30,000 in client funds.

That seemed to open the door for Still to become the nominee, and with no Republican challenger, it appeared she would hold onto the seat she had filled since being appointed by GOP Governor Bob Riley in June 2009. The Alabama Democratic Executive Committee (ADEC), as expected, removed Marshall as the nominee. But it threw a curveball by choosing to bypass Still and pick French instead. French had not run for the position, but state bylaws do not limit who can be considered when a nomination is vacated.

Our guess is that members of the ADEC smelled a rat from the curious timing of the State Bar's investigation of Marshall. And they probably thought the foul odor came from the Bob Riley camp, which undoubtedly wanted to see its nominee get the job. But the ADEC essentially flipped Riley a bird by bypassing Still and picking French instead.

Did that sit well with the "New Mules"? Not exactly. You can get a feel for their outrage by reading Sunday's column from John Archibald of The Birmingham News, their official mouthpiece. Consider this nugget from Archibald, accusing black Democratic Party official Joe Reed of engineering the rejection of Still:

Go ahead, Joe Reed. Just kick Martin Luther King's legacy right in the teeth.

Go on. Remind us why Alabama's Democratic Party has less to fear from Republicans than from, say, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

This isn't politics. This is criminal enterprise.

Archibald is so mad you can almost hear him slobbering. He's so mad his column is even more incoherent than usual. Archibald wouldn't know a legitimate RICO case if one bit him on his white, doughy ass. But he's referring to the ADEC's actions the other day in criminal terms?

Hey John, if you want to see some real RICO activity, why don't you check into Bob and Rob Riley's activities over the past eight years or so? Oh wait, that would involve real journalism, and you can't handle that.

Which brings us back to Bruce L. Gordon. Who is this man? Well, he is Nicole Gordon Still's father. And as we reported on Thursday, he has connections to Rob Riley, the governor's son. That probably explains  why Bob Riley appointed Still in the first place.

Here is an important lesson for progressives in Alabama--and elsewhere. Nicole Gordon Still has made much of her strong Democratic leanings, and we suspect her father leans the same way. So why would they jump in bed with Bob and Rob Riley? Anyone with three brain cells and an Internet connection can find voluminous information that indicates Bob Riley is a hopelessly corrupt governor, and his son has serious ethical issues, too. We've written about many of those issues on this blog and have public documents to back up our reporting.

The Gordons are not the only ones who seem comfortable bedding down with a GOP family that has highly questionable ethics. We've written extensively about self-styled civil rights "hero" Doug Jones and his alliance with Rob Riley. Jere Beasley and his prominent plaintiff's law firm in Montgomery make no secret of the fact they have bedded down with Rob Riley. You can read all about it on the Beasley Allen Web site.

It appears, in some cases, that progressive principles go out the window when power and money can be grabbed by cozying up to sleazy Republicans.

Bruce Gordon knows a thing or two about cozying up to Republicans. Did Gordon defend Alabama Pain Consultants, a company that is affiliated with Rob Riley and has been tied to Medicare fraud, in order to help get his daughter appointed to a judgeship? That certainly seems to be a reasonable question to ask.

Gordon used to be with a Birmingham law firm that loves to tout its Democratic values. In fact, he was the chief partner when it was called Gordon Silberman Wiggins and Childs. Gordon left to found a new firm in 2003, and his old outfit changed its name. Wiggins Childs Quinn and Pantazis remains perhaps the best-known employment firm in Alabama. According to its Web site, here is the WCQP vision:

From its formation, the firm has risen to prominence in pursuing “ground breaking” legal issues in individual and class action suits leading the way in shaping new laws protecting and benefiting people who have been victims.

Is WCQP really interested in protecting victims? Well, I have some personal insight on that question. I am a client in one matter, and I've discussed other matters with at least three members of the firm. From where I sit, this avowedly Democratic law firm has a decidedly mixed record.

To put it bluntly, Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis hasn't done a damn thing for me yet. And I've seen evidence that the firm is willing to sell victims down the river if a certain New Mule wants them to. Is Bruce Gordon, because of his ties to the Rileys, the kind of New Mule who might influence decisions at his old firm? I would not be surprised.

Because of my interactions with WCQP, I've conducted a fair amount of research on the firm's work. And I wonder how much good they really do for victims. Certainly the firm has had its share of victories. But I've seen it bring a number of weak cases that probably never should have been filed--and resulted in dismissals.

Most alarming is WCQP's handling of perhaps the most famous employment case in Alabama history. A review of court documents indicates the law firm made some major strategic blunders in the case, costing a very deserving and well-known client much needed justice.

We will be writing more about this WCQP case. And I will be writing more about my personal experience with a firm that supposedly is concerned about victims of discrimination and civil-rights violations.

From where I sit at the moment, it appears WCQP doesn't want to wrinkle the undies of the New Mule crowd. And I wonder if that is partly because of Bruce Gordon's lingering influence.

As for Elisabeth French, I see plenty of reasons to think she will be an excellent judge. I've seen numerous comments on Web forums stating that French was chosen only because of her skin color and that she is not as qualified as Still. The facts, however, do not back that up. French and Still both started practicing law in 1997, so their experience levels are identical. Both have worked for major firms. Still has served as a judge for about one year, but that's probably only because her father's influence helped her land Bob Riley's appointment. French comes from a family that seems to care deeply about justice. Her husband, Courtney French, is a partner in the Birmingham firm of Fuston Petway & French.

Courtney French also is president of the Alabama Association for Justice (ALAJ), which says its mission "is to make sure any person who is injured by the misconduct and negligence of others can get justice in the courtroom, even when taking on the most powerful interests . . . "

If ALAJ is serious about that mission, we need more organizations like it.

Can Elisabeth French help restore a sense of justice in Alabama courtrooms? It might be a step in the right direction. And I think that's what the committee that selected her is looking for.

My sense is that Alabama progressives are tired of Democrats, especially of the white and privileged variety, who try to straddle both sides of the political fence. Bruce Gordon and his daughter have tried to do that. I suspect that's why they both got shot down last week.