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| A singing Canary, Luther Strange, Dave Roberson (From banbalch.com) |
Former attorney general and U.S. senator Luther Strange might not be the only Alabama politico with a bribery problem in his future. If former Drummond Co. executive David Roberson "sings like a canary" for federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., members of the Alabama Congressional delegation might join Strange in the cross hairs, according to a recent report at ban.balch.com.
On top of that, the CEO of Alabama's most powerful corporate entity might be under federal scrutiny.The fallout from the North Birmingham Superfund Scandal emits an overwhelming stench of "pay to play politics" -- one U.S. attorney Jay Town did not even try to fully resolve in last summer's criminal trial.
Writes K.B. Forbes, publisher of the Ban Balch Web site: (Related documents are embedded at the end of this post.)
The vast majority of the U.S. Congressional delegation from Alabama may have their own crisis, too. Even though none of these members of Congress represent the North Birmingham area, they jointly signed a letter to the EPA, allegedly provoked, too, by Balch.
* On October 30, 2014, a ghost-written letter drafted by Balch and Bingham and signed by six members of the U.S. House of Representatives in Alabama was dispatched. That same day, Congressman Robert Aderholt reported receiving $5,000 from Alabama Power, according to FEC filings.
* A week before, Drummond Company gave Congressman Bradley Byrne $5,000 on October 22, while forking out another $5,000 to Congressman Mike Rogers on October 24.
* Balch and Bingham sweetened the money trail by tossing $2,000 to Congressman Aderholt on October 28, 2014.
* At various times in October, Congressman Mo Brooks received $2,000 total from Balch and Bingham, $2,500 from Drummond, and $5,000 from Alabama Power.
* Congresswoman Martha Roby reported a $4,000 contribution from Alabama Power on election day, November 4, 2014—five days after the letter was mailed out.
Over $30,000 was used to grease the wheels.
For those of you keeping score at home, that's Aderholt, Byrne, Rogers, Brooks, and Roby on the Greasy-Palm Sleaze Train for Balch and Bingham. They are all white and Republican -- but Oliver Robinson, a black Democrat, sits in jail. Just when you think Alabama "justice" can't get any uglier or racist . . .
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| Mark Crosswhite |
In Alabama, the plantation mentality wants everyone to stay in their place and to accept the injustice or unsavory conduct—quietly.
Even if you are a success story and not from the gentry class, the people with the plantation mentality won’t accept you, especially if you are African-American.
If ex-Drummond Vice President of Government Affairs David Roberson sings to the feds, who will be hurt the most in this evolving Greek tragedy?
Alabama Power.
And who would be in the DOJ’s cross hairs? Most likely Mark Crosswhite, the current CEO of Alabama Power and a former long-time Balch and Bingham partner.
How does Crosswhite fit in with the plantation mentality? Forbes explains:
In 2016, two-years after he was named Alabama Power’s CEO,Crosswhite told al.com, “”For years I had been deeply involved in helping with the decision-making process, in offering recommendations, courses of action, but I was never involved in the final decision-making and when the chance came to cross over from the legal side to the business side that is why I did it.”
So Crosswhite likes to make decisions. Final decisions.
Might the feds be interested in some of Crosswhite's final decisions? Forbes says the answer is yes:
Investigators may ask:
* Did Crosswhite make the final decisions, courses of action in regards to the corrupt AstroTurf entity Alliance for Jobs and the Economy (AJE) that laundered money to bought-and-paid for politician Oliver Robinson?
* Did Crosswhite make the final decision to send Balch lobbyist Jeffrey H. Wood (working on behalf of Alabama Power) up onto Capitol Hill to get the inside scoop on the North Birmingham suppression effort?
* Did Crosswhite make the final decision to support the effort to suppress and discourage poor African-Americans in North Birmingham from testing their toxic and contaminated property?
* Was Crosswhite in any way “deeply involved” in the decision to have Balch and Bingham target and harass GASP, the tiny but vocal environmental group?
* Did Crosswhite know at any time that AJE money was going to bribe Oliver Robinson directly?
* Did Crosswhite make the final decision, the alleged deal that prevented federal prosecutors from calling anyone from Alabama Power in the North Birmingham Bribery Trial last year?
Could it be that Mark Crosswhite bit off more than he can chew? Writes Forbes:
Crosswhite, we are told, loves to be the most powerful man in Alabama.
He relished the ouster of Bill Canary from the Business Council of Alabama last summer (which Crosswhite spearheaded).
But the foolish plantation mentality of Alabama has no standing before a federal grand jury or congressional hearing.
Crosswhite, who has deep roots in Alabama from the early 19th century according to his bio, should be furious at Balch and Bingham for exposing Alabama Power to possible criminal and civil RICO actions because of the ego of Schuyler Allen Baker, Jr.—a dinosaur partner at Balch.
Schuyler’s sheer stupidity of fighting to the death against Burt Newsome, a commoner not from the gentry class of Mountain Brook, has wrecked havoc on the firm. Newsome is also representing David Roberson in his $50 million civil lawsuit against Balch and Drummond Company.
Fighting those with a plantation mentality, Newsome has refused to remain silent and subservient. And even many of the powerful are respecting Newsome for not taking it on the chin.
In the forthcoming weeks, Balch’s most important client and former partner may feel the scorching heat of the U.S. Department of Justice simply because Balch wouldn’t bring closure with a commoner.
Stupidity at its highest. Even a seasoned decision maker like Crosswhite would agree.
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