Tom Albritton, executive director of the Alabama Ethics Commission, has resigned from the board of the Mabel Amos Memorial Fund as a court continues to oversee allegations that millions of dollars in scholarship funds were improperly distributed.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Greg Griffin accepted Albritton’s resignation in a Thursday order that also installed a new board and emphasized the need for continued judicial oversight to ensure the trust operates in line with its original intent, according to court records.
The fund was established following the death of former Secretary of State Mabel Amos in 1999 to provide scholarships to “deserving young men and women” in Alabama based on character, academic achievement, and financial need.
Initially funded with about $500,000, the trust grew significantly after oil was discovered on Amos-owned land in Conecuh County in 2010, generating millions in royalties.
The fund’s assets expanded from less than $600,000 in 2003 to roughly $6.6 million by 2024, with more than $8.2 million in total assets reported in its latest IRS filing.
Since 2014, more than $4 million has been distributed, but lawsuits allege that the money was not consistently awarded to underprivileged students as intended. Instead, plaintiffs claim scholarships and other disbursements benefited individuals with close ties to board members.
Among the most scrutinized payments are $135,000 in scholarships awarded to Albritton’s children.
The lawsuits also challenge how funds were used beyond direct scholarships, including contributions to the Auburn University Foundation and the Crimson Tide Foundation. Financial management of the fund has also come under scrutiny.
Public transparency surrounding the fund has also been questioned. IRS filings stopped listing scholarship recipients by name after 2013.
The legal dispute began in 2023 when Conecuh County student Tyra Lindsey filed suit. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall intervened shortly after.
In January 2025, the Alabama Supreme Court upheld part of a lower court ruling allowing the appointment of a special fiduciary.
Albritton said:
“I resigned because under the circumstances I have no desire to continue serving in that role. Regions resigned as trustee at some point within the last two years, the second trustee died last year leaving only me from the original trustees Mabel Amos designated. It was her expressed intent that none of her family members serve as trustees, specifically the ones the Court has now designated for that role.”
“It is my hope that my resignation will end this matter, especially since the evidence before the Court shows the following: both Regions Bank and their accounting firm, in 2011, each separately gave written opinions that any family member of a trustee could apply for scholarships and that it was not prohibited self-dealing. All actions taken by the trustees were pursuant to that legal advice, and I did not participate in any way in the award of scholarships to my children. The Plaintiffs, the Attorney General, and the Court have been aware of these facts since the lawsuit was originally filed. This protracted litigation has only wasted trust assets that could have been awarded as scholarships for students.”
Attorney Byron B. Mathews said unresolved issues remain, including whether trustees will be required to repay funds to the trust.
Settlement discussions are ongoing as the court continues to supervise the fund’s administration.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
