Crosswhite Implodes as Balch & Bingham Calls the Shots

There was a time in Crosswhite’s life when he stopped playing with Hot Wheels, going to keg parties, and binging on The Godfather movies.

[This post was originally published two years ago on October 28, 2019. Now with the Crosswhite Scandal growing and alleged secret indemnity agreements creating turmoil, this post was prophetic. Insiders allege that Balch is calling the shots because of alleged skeletons in Crosswhite’s walk-in closet.]

Matthew Bowden, a former Balch & Bingham partner, was the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Alabama Power (pictured left).  He was allegedly a pillar of integrity, and respected and beloved by many.

Sadly, less than two weeks after Balch-made millionaire Joel I. Gilbert and ex-Drummond executive David Roberson were indicted, Bowden died unexpectedly  in October of 2017 from complications of an ankle injury.

At Matt’s funeral, Bowden’s father, Travis Bowden, the former CEO of Gulf Power, allegedly told David Roberson that “Matt loved him as a friend” and if Matt were alive he would have vigorously helped his friend fight the criminal charges.

Matt was not only a close friend to Roberson, he was also extremely close to Mark A. Crosswhite, the CEO of Alabama Power.  Matt Bowden and Crosswhite had both worked at Balch.

But with the passing of Bowden, an era of close alliances and relationships began to crumble.

Alabama Power, possibly screwing over their “friends,” appears to have allegedly cut a secret deal with the Office of the U.S. Attorney not to testify during the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal trial, appearing to be the only contributor to do so even though Alabama Power donated a fat $30,000 to the money-laundering entity, the Alliance for Jobs and the Economy (AJE).

Roberson became the “fall guy” and the rest is history.

Twelve days ago, on the early morning of October 16, we wrote about the intimate details of how Crosswhite and David Roberson crossed paths at La Paz Restaurant a few months back.

Crosswhite, who never replied to an email from Roberson, let those around him know about the email. Soon the email, and Crosswhite’s alleged betrayal, was the talk of high circles of the elite enclave of Alabama: Mountain Brook.

The Brookies couldn’t contain themselves and “salivated with each sweet morsel” of gossip about Crosswhite, his alleged mocking of the Robersons, and his alleged betrayal of confidentiality.

Crosswhite is not from Mountain Brook.

He is a product of hard-working, middle-class parents from Decatur, Alabama. And no matter how wealthy or successful you may be, many Brookies, who suffer from the Plantation mentality, will never accept you as one of them.

Will Crosswhite, the “most powerful man in Alabama,” be the next “fall guy” for the corrupt state of affairs in Alabama?

Will the arrogant Brookies toss him to the wolves like they did Roberson?

After our meetings in June in Washington, D.C., we wrote:

While Balch & Bingham, Drummond, and their alleged corrupt allies in the Alabama judicial system may be contemplating more acts of gross injustice, eagle eyes are watching and bat ears are listening to every move, every exchange, every motion.

The reactions to our La Paz post from October 16 were eye-popping.

That same afternoon, Balch & Bingham filed a request in Roberson’s $50 million lawsuit against Drummond and Balch, demanding a Status Conference specifically about a Motion to Dismiss.

A week later, Balch followed up by re-filing a Motion to Dismiss from June with pages upon pages of the transcript from the May hearing, essentially badgering the judge.

The keystone cops at Balch & Bingham obviously did not think this through, since Balch believes they “owed no duty” to Roberson, not even to tell him the truth.

There was a time in Crosswhite’s life when he stopped playing with Hot Wheels, going to keg parties, and binging on The Godfather movies.

Likewise, there was a point where Crosswhite became his own man, a successful corporate executive who was no longer a partner at Balch & Bingham.

But Balch & Bingham appears not to care.

Some of the Brookies affiliated with Balch probably despise Crosswhite’s middle-class pedigree. Crosswhite worked summers as a “pool maintenance” worker as a teenager and college student.

Balch is now calling the shots and appears to be making the dumbest moves as they yank on the umbilical cord.

Why has Crosswhite imploded? Should he not lead and denounce the Culture of Hate and Balch’s acts of sheer stupidity? Even in private?

Consider some of the examples of the Culture of Hate:

• The “staged arrest” of a Balch competitor was done by a cop who is the son of a now-retired Alabama Power executive.  The cop son posted a vulgar social media post asserting Muslims were goat fornicators.
• Jeffrey H. Wood, the former Balch partner and lobbyist for Alabama Power who was  ousted from the U.S. Department of Justice, had his fingerprints all over the effort to suppress African-Americans from having their toxic and contaminated property tested by the EPA.
• Handing out free coats to poor Black children to discourage EPA testing was one of the abhorrent acts spearheaded by Balch & Bingham’s convicted partner and criminal felon Joel I. Gilbert. Gilbert had interacted with Alabama Power and its lobbyists, according to trial evidence.

Matt Bowden was laid to rest two years ago when Crosswhite was at the top of his game.

Now from the heavenly skies, what would Matt say about his close friend David Roberson who lost everything, including his Christmas decorations, because of the alleged bad legal advice from Balch?

We doubt Matt would ever agree that Balch “owed no duty” to his friend David Roberson.

And what would Matt say to Mark who looks like he has let his former employer, Balch, call the shots in this ugly, ever-growing drama?

Working behind the scenes, Bowden would have abruptly brought these matters to a close, to an end, and restore the alliance of friends, regardless if they were Brookies or not.

Sadly, Crosswhite’s career up the corporate ladder at Southern Company appears to have stalled in Alabama.

The “most powerful man in Alabama” appears to be being trampled on by the stooges at Balch & Bingham who appear not to even consider him an equal.

Clearly Crosswhite must cut that umbilical cord and circumcise the loose tongues at Balch & Bingham.