Tiny CDLU, with its history of drawing attention from "60 Minutes" and Congress, may be set to spark a probe into a number of dark corners in Alabama

Congressional investigators reportedly are in the early stages of an inquiry into matters tied to the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal and what has become known as the Matrix Meltdown. If it turns into a full-blown probe, the primary driver will be a tiny public charity and advocacy group called Consejo De Latinos Unidos (CDLU). And it will not be the first time CDLU has drawn the attention of Congress. In terms of journalism, you might call CDLU "The Little Engine That Could."

In fact, the group has engaged in such investigative work for about 20 years. At the forefront has been president and CEO K.B. Forbes, who also publishes the banbalch.com blog from his base in Birmingham. The CDLU Web site states: "Forbes authored nine investigative reports, spurred three Congressional hearings, and worked coast to coast to improve health care for all."

In short, Forbes and his work are well-known to Congressional insiders. Perhaps his most high-profile work involved a look at hospitals' price-gouging of the uninsured middle class. That story led to a segment on CBS' 60 Minutes, with Dan Rather interviewing Forbes.

Title of the 60 Minutes segment was "Hospitals: Is the Price Right?" From the 2006 piece:

Most Americans know that if you get sick enough to go to a hospital, it's going to be expensive. But you may be surprised to learn that hospitals all over the country charge their highest prices, by far, to those who can afford it least — the 46 million Americans who don't have health insurance.

Hospitals charge uninsured patients two, three, four or more times what an insurance company would pay for the same treatment. And, when the uninsured can't pay, they often find themselves the target of collection agencies or in bankruptcy court.

As for a Congressional probe that would focus on Birmingham, Forbes reports that Alabama Power CEO Mark Crosswhite likely will be at the center of it: 

[Last week], we learned that U.S. Congressional investigators are beginning inquiries. Can this get any worse?

When Mark A. Crosswhite was appointed Chairman and CEO of Alabama Power in 2014, he told media he was pleased to be the final decision maker.

The multiple final decisions he has made appear to be a complete and utter cluster.

Instead of firing and distancing the utility from the alleged racist and embattled law firm Balch & Bingham after the criminal convictions in 2018, he embraced his former employer, subsidizing them with lucrative legal services.

Instead of terminating the Oompa Loompa of Alabama, Sloppy Joe Perkins, and his Matrix agents, after secret million-dollar contracts were exposed in December 2021, Crosswhite allegedly continues to generously fund the obscure political consulting firm, showing unwavering loyalty.

Mark White, Crosswhite’s most trusted advisor and a white-collar criminal attorney, was allegedly in utter panic [recently]. Sources claim his firm is having an anxiety attack over the alleged multiple criminal investigations caused by the Matrix Meltdown.

Now investigators are asking, was White the one who brokered the secret deal with disgraced ex-U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town that kept Alabama Power “unmentionable ” during the North Birmingham Bribery Trial?

In a sense, a Birmingham-based probe could intersect with the most high-profile Congressional investigation in recent years. Writes Forbes:

Crosswhite allegedly made another catastrophic decision in 2020. During the 2019-2020 election cycle, the single largest contribution from Alabama Power Employees Federal PAC went to the Rule of Law Defense Fund, the entity that launched robocalls the day before the insurrection mob of January 6th that marched to and desecrated the U.S. Capitol.