ALGOP calls on Hubbard to step down from Speakership until his trial is completed

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee is calling on House Speaker Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn) to step down from his post until his impending trial is completed.

Hubbard was indicted on 23 counts of public corruption in October of 2014, but maintained his position as Speaker throughout the three legislative sessions in 2015.

ALGOP Chairwoman Terry Lathan released the following statement announcing the Steering Committee’s resolution:

The Alabama Republican Party strongly believes the needs of our state must be the first priority of our elected officials. The GOP controlled legislature needs full time focused attention on the people’s business. The distractions of Representative Hubbard’s legal situation will make it extremely difficult for him to meet the demands of his role as Alabama Speaker of the House of Representatives.

At this time, we recognize that Representative Hubbard remains innocent on the charges brought against him. We wish only the best for him and his family.

We reached out to Representative Hubbard numerous times to meet with a small group of GOP leaders to discuss our concerns, to no avail.

As a servant of the people, we urge Representative Hubbard to put the larger interest of Alabama first.

Hubbard’s trial is currently scheduled to begin in March, but with his defense’s lead counsel having left the case in recent weeks, the judge is likely consider a postponement.

The ALGOP resolution comes as the Alabama House caucus prepares to meet one week from today to discuss their plan for the 2016 legislative session. An internal election for House Speaker is not currently on the agenda, but the discussion could come up. State Representative Phil Williams (R-Huntsville) is currently the only other member of the House who is publicly seeking the Speakership.

UPDATE: House Speaker Mike Hubbard released the follow statement in response to the ALGOP resolution:

With several motions to dismiss yet to be ruled upon, and discussions of a continuance taking place in court just last week, Latham’s request is both ill-advised and premature, but this effort on her part is about something else entirely. During last year’s budget crisis, Lathan was pushing for a shutdown of state government, and when the Legislature did the responsible thing and funded essential taxpayer services, she and a small group of her followers became angry. Her request is simply a symptom of lingering resentment against the leadership. The fact that Lathan’s resolution was approved in a hastily called Sunday night telephone call with less than half the Steering Committee voting in favor shows she was desperate and lacked widespread support.

The full resolution reads as follows:

Resolution

Passed by the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee

January 10, 2016

WHEREAS, Representative Mike Hubbard serves the State of Alabama as Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, since 2013, Speaker Hubbard has had to endure an investigation in regard to various allegations about his private financial affairs and his service as Speaker; and

WHEREAS, in 2014 Speaker Hubbard was indicted for 23 felony counts and allegedly violating the Alabama Ethics Laws which regulates the performance of public officials, and the indictment includes allegations about his conduct before he was Speaker while he served as Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party from 2007 to 2011, and his trial is set for March of 2016; and,

WHEREAS, there has been ongoing public discussion of the Hubbard indictment since it was issued, and the trial is currently scheduled to take place during the regular session of the Alabama Legislature in 2016; and,

WHEREAS, the trial, itself, is likely to become a distraction from the regular business of the legislature and, later become a subject of public debate in the primary and general elections of 2016; and,

WHEREAS, the Alabama Republican Party is an association of private citizens organized to elect candidates to public office in Alabama to advance the policies of securing a free citizenry and fiscal responsibility in accordance with law, including the U.S. Constitution and the State Constitution; and

WHEREAS, the Alabama Republican Party seeks to protect its right to self-governance against over-reaching application of the Ethics Law, especially if meant to be applied to its private activities and its leadership, but will not evaluate the specifics of the charges against Hubbard; and

WHEREAS, the Alabama Republican Party does not want the distractions of the Hubbard trial to take away from the regular business of the legislature or its ability to achieve the policy objectives of the Republican Party in the primary and general elections of 2016;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that we, the members of the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee, respectfully request Mike Hubbard to suspend his role as Speaker until his trial is complete, and the indictments against him are resolved.