Hartselle, Alabama, mayor Don Hall, who resigned even though he denied using Ashley Madison, actually did use the marital-cheating site, records show

Don Hall, former mayor of Hartselle, Alabama
(From hartselle.org)

An Alabama mayor who resigned from office, even though he denied using the Ashley Madison Web site, actually did use the extramarital-affair site, records show.

Don Hall's resignation as mayor of Hartselle, Alabama, took effect on November 30, 2015. The Hartselle City Council accepted Hall's resignation on August 28 and granted him a leave of absence until he officially left office. According to a report at al.com, Hall denied using Ashley Madison. but our research shows he spent more than $400 at the site.

Here is how the Washington Times reported on Hall's decision to step down":

Local news outlets report that Hall resigned one day after city officials scheduled a meeting to consider what actions they could take after his name appeared on a list linked to the website intended to facilitate cheating. Hall denied using the website and said he doesn’t know how his name got on the list. Hall said he performed all his duties as mayor and would step down because he believed it was best for the city.

Our research indicates Hall has every reason to know how his name got on the list. That's because his credit-card information is present, and it shows seven transactions, totaling $467.14. (See summary of Don Hall's Ashley Madison account at the end of this post.)

Here's how Hall described himself on the site:

Looking for that special person who is not afraid to step out side the box and develop a special discreet friendship. Would love to find someone that would like to share some special time together, not just a one time only . . .

The billing address on the account is as follows:

1803 Hayes St SW Hartselle, AL 35640

That's the same address listed on the Web for the Don Hall for Mayor campaign, which was established in 2012.

Hall has company when it comes to politicians caught in Ashley Madison scandal. The Washington Post reported last August on at least four such cases. Here is al.com's summary of the Post's findings:

Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported the names of other political and public officials whose names were included in the Ashley Madison leak, including Florida state prosecutor Jeff Ashton, Louisiana Republican Party Executive Director Jason Doré, Australian City Councilman Craig Ogilvie and Baton Rouge, La., City Councilman Ryan Heck.

The Washington Post story was published just a few days after the Ashley Madison story broke, and the actual number of political figures on the site probably is several thousand times higher than the five we've highlighted above.

(Note: The summary below lists Hall's account-creation date as 4/22/15, but it shows payments from 2010, 2012, and 2013. Our technical sources said quite a few Ashley Madison customers had more than one account, and that probably explains the date discrepancies in the Hall summary.)

Don Hall--Ashley Madison by Roger Shuler