House Speaker McCutcheon: ‘Nobody in the office even knew’ of Hubbard’s early release efforts

Last week, a handful of Alabama media outlets revealed an effort by former House Speaker Mike Hubbard to secure his release from prison for a 2016 conviction on ethics charges by using the legislative process during the prison special session earlier this year.

However, House Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) said he was unaware his predecessor was lobbying members of the Alabama Legislature for such a provision.

During an appearance on APTV’s “Capitol Journal,” McCutcheon said the revelation was a pleasant surprise given the lack of knowledge meant they did not have to “deal with that.”

“To be honest with you, I was a little surprised because we did not have those details and have all of that information,” McCutcheon said. “Nobody in the office even knew that some of these things were going on. So, in a way, I was pleasantly surprised that we didn’t have to deal with that. And, of course, at the end of the day, I don’t think that’s the way you need to approach legislation.”

Host Don Dailey asked McCutcheon if he was aware of who the member of the House of Representatives allegedly working with Hubbard on the plan.

“I do not know who that is,” McCutcheon replied. “No.”

The outgoing House Speaker also said that he thought any bill of that sort would have been “inappropriate” for the legislature to consider.

“Based upon the way it was being brought up, I think it would have been inappropriate, and I would not have felt like that is something we needed to address because, at the end of the day, the legislative body is not here to address issues for individuals or trying to help an individual in some way,” he said. “It’s for the better good of the entire state. And that’s the way we would have looked at that.”

“Of course, if it would have come to that point, we would have done our homework and have done research on it, as we always do to find out what’s the motive behind the intentions of the bill, and who is pushing the bill,” McCutcheon added. “And we would have done our homework, and then it would have come out.”

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.