Election Reform Essay

Today, The Birmingham News printed my latest essay about election reform in Alabama.

You can read it here.

Order of Court of Criminal Appeals, State v Worley

I have obtained a copy of the order of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in which the Court reinstates felony charges against Nancy Worley.

You can read it here.

Court Reinstates Felony Charges against Worley

The Associated Press reports that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals reinstated felony charges today against former Secretary of State Nancy Worley. The charges resulted from an investigation launched by Attorney General Troy King after I submitted a complaint regarding Worley's solicitation of campaign contributions from employees of the Secretary of State's office.

You can read the full complaint here. You can read the order of the Court of Criminal Appeals here.

While some people have suggested that it should not be illegal for elected officials to solicit contributions from the individuals who work for them - or at least not a crime that law enforcement should pursue - the point remains that such solicitation is illegal pursuant to §17-17-5:

It shall be unlawful for any officer or employee to solicit any type of political campaign contributions from other employees who work for the officer or employee in a subordinate capacity.

Additionally, the Montgomery County Grand Jury also found cause for charging Worley with violating §17-17-4, the felony charge reinstated by the Court of Criminal Appeals:

Any person who attempts to use his or her official authority or position for the purpose of influencing the vote or political action of any person shall be guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C felony.