During the Motion to Recuse her honor in the Newsome Conspiracy Case, Judge Carole Smitherman verbally attacked Burt Newsome, displayed flagrant bias, and then implicated her family.
“You have attacked my family unfairly,” she yowled, according to court transcripts.
Why would she say “family?” In his Motion to Recuse, Newsome pointed out that her husband, State Senator Rodger Smitherman had sat in multiple, secret Star Chamber hearings and been the recipient of about $30,000 in campaign cash from Balch affiliated entities or individuals.
Smitherman should have said her husband, but either way she showed unrestrained judicial bias.
As we reported, Balch & Bingham’s new attorney who replaced Schuyler Allen Baker, Jr. as lead attorney in the Star Chamber is Andrew “Andy2K” Campbell, of the boutique law firm Campbell Guinn.
State records show that Andy2K donated $2,000 to her honor on February 6, 2018, the same day as another law firm involved in the Newsome Conspiracy Case—Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton made a $500 contribution.
Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton had also donated $2,500 to Senator Smitherman in August according to state records, the same month a Hare Wynn employee was deposed and represented by the managing partner of Hare Wynn at a Newsome Conspiracy Case deposition.
Looking more closely at Andy2K, a review of 31 contributions he made since 2013 shows this is the first contribution he made to Judge Carole Smitherman, according to the state’s digital records.
And who was paid on that same day as Andy2K’s generous contribution? The daughter of the Judge and the Senator.
A family affair indeed.
In his 25-page unsolicited response to Newsome’s Writ of Mandamus, Andy2K, wails about our blog and the donations to the Smithermans we, the CDLU, exposed. Andy2K calls the donations legal contributions, not bribes.
So thought indicted co-conspirators Joel Gilbert, Steven McKinney, and David Roberson when they funneled $360,000 in donations to Oliver Robinson.
Writing to the Alabama Supreme Court, Andy2K quotes directly from our blog:
A review of 131 contributions made by Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton since 2013 shows this is the first contribution they made to Smitherman, according to the state’s digital records. Why now? Why Smitherman? What were they trying to influence? And who authorized or signed the check?
Although we are honored that the esteemed court will read our work and see our satirical cartoons, we, like many in the advocacy, journalism, and legal professions, are shaking our heads in disbelief.
Who will Andy2K quote next month as he wails? Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist John Archibald? Vanity Fair? GASP? The Root?
In the interim, send the man a box of Kleenex.
