APR journalist Josh Moon, perhaps at Alabama Power's bidding, had a knack for appearing in places where you might expect to find CDLU's K.B. Forbes

Josh Moon (Alabama Political Reporter)

A journalist for the Alabama Political Reporter (APR) conducted what might be called a surveillance campaign against a Birmingham-based public charity, apparently because of its unflinching blog reporting on Alabama Power and associated entities.

That's from a report yesterday at banbalch.com, which operates under the banner of the CDLU charity/advocacy group. An investigation shows that Moon, for a time in 2020, had a tendency to appear in places where one might expect to find K.B. Forbes, CEO of the CDLU and publisher of Ban Balch. Writes Forbes:

Josh Moon, who we, in 2020, originally thought had amputated his brain for Balch & Bingham, appears to have foolishly made the ultimate sacrifice for Alabama Power, possibly through their paid stooges at the obscure political consulting firm Matrix.

Moon, who was dumped as a regular columnist at the Montgomery Advertiser in 2016, has worked at the discredited Alabama Political Reporter (APR) ever since.

The anonymous financial documents we received show that APR allegedly received $120,000 plus other pay-throughs from Alabama Power in 2020 to allegedly publish smear pieces on us, the CDLU.

But Moon went one step deeper in the rancid manure: he allegedly stalked and harassed the CDLU.

Would Moon's actions constitute any legal definition of stalking and harassment? That would be for someone else to determine. But Forbes indicates it was unnerving to be on the receiving end. He writes:

Now photographic and video evidence from August 2020, shows Moon showing up to our then-corporate headquarters, demanding from the receptionist at the office copies of CDLU’s 990 tax filings.

Problem was it was the receptionist for the business next door. CDLU had shut down our offices in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Possibly ashamed of taking extreme measures on behalf of Alabama Power, Moon waited about 15 minutes in the parking lot before building enough courage to enter the building.

Moon left a fake name (Bill) and a phone number that was one digit off from his real cellular phone number when the receptionist offered to get his request to us.

Moon has not always taken the side of Big Power on controversies of the day. Writes Forbes:

In 2014, while at the Montgomery Advertiser, Moon wrote about the controversies surrounding reducing coal-burning emissions, stating at the time:

I am almost convinced that our state leaders could hear a business proposal for dumping toxic waste directly on the Gulf beaches and their first question would be: “Uh, yeah, what’s the earning potential on that?”

Moon also ironically discusses the paid, partisan websites bought by power companies similar to how APR was allegedly “bought” with a generous six-figure “advertising” budget:

That’s why every time this issue is discussed on the partisan websites, which also are bought by power companies, there’s always an image of the black-faced coal miners pausing momentarily from the day’s work. 

But by the fall of 2020, Moon appeared to have bent down on his knees for Alabama Power. Discussing the enormous controversies concerning toxic coal ash ponds, Moon states:

However, when you look at the actual, real-life options for this stuff — and I can’t believe I’m going to say this — but the plan from Alabama Power seems to be a fairly good one. 

The change in tone cannot be missed, Forbes notes:

Dumping toxic waste 750 yards from the Mobile River is part of Alabama Power’s plan, and Moon can’t even believe his own words of support.

So what caused the 180° change? Money? Financial stress? Economic needs?

Journalism in general has seen massive layoffs, liquidations, consolidations, and buyouts. Many former journalists have gone to the private sector and left journalism behind.

In 2019,  Moon attempted to become a real estate agent. 

When he began following us, the CDLU, we found that he had no listings at Next Move Realtors and by September of 2020 Moon had let his real estate license lapse, according to state records.

On at least one occasion, Moon's tailing activities appear to have gotten rather personal. Forbes states that security cameras appear to have caught Moon driving in front of the Forbes family home:

Although blurred by movement, the vehicle, a black crew-cab pickup, looks like Moon’s pickup truck. Because of threats, Forbes and his family were at a secure location in Mexico at the time.

Ironically, Forbes writes, a tailing campaign likely was not necessary to gather information about CDLU:

All of CDLU’s 990 tax returns are available at guidestar.org or the Nonprofit Explorer at Propublica.org. And the public can request a copy, and the CDLU is required by law to provide a copy within 30 days.

Moon must have known this.

Even just a few days ago, we got our third request in three years from a woman, originally from Alabama, who now lives in California, requesting a copy of our 990. She has been the only one to do so in the past decade. No one else has.

Moon appears to be too arrogant to ask for the 990 himself.

So why in heaven’s name did Moon appear at our offices in 2020?

To provoke fear? To intimidate? To harass? To stroke his ego?

Or was he acting on instructions from Alabama Power?