The indictment shook Balch stooges and defenders who had foolishly dismissed our work with law enforcement.
In 2019, in Balch & Bingham’s 69-page brief before the Alabama Supreme Court in the Newsome Conspiracy Case, the embattled law firm complained that they were not mentioned in the Report by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III, writing:
BanBalch.com also stated that BanBalch.com/CDLU.org had been in contact with the Office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller about Balch. The now-public Mueller Report, however, does not mention Balch.
Robert S. Mueller III
Did the foolish leadership at Balch truly believe that we were not in contact with the Office of the Special Counsel because Balch failed at getting an honorable mention in the redacted report? Were these clowns really this stupid?
In November of 2020, after three and a half years, our work bore fruit and the ex-CEO of Black Hall Aerospace, Paul Daigle, was indicted for exactly what we wrote to the Honorable Robert S. Mueller III about: possible financial fraud and alleged unqualified personnel.
The indictment shook Balch stooges anddefenders who had foolishly dismissed our work with law enforcement.
The shoe dropped loudly, and now a criminal trial date has been set for April 4, 2022, nearly 5 years after we originally briefed Mr. Mueller.
Judge Abdul K. Kallon, who presided over the North Birmingham Bribery Trial, is presiding over Daigle’s criminal case. In December, Judge Kallon denied Daigle’s Motion to Dismiss the Indictment.
Will Kallon be presiding over additional criminal cases related to Balch & Bingham, Alabama Power, and/or Drummond Coal? The Three Stooges need to be closely investigated and held accountable.
Even if it takes three and a half or five years, inherent goodness shall prevail.
With the Alabama Supreme Court saying Balch must stand trial for fraud in ex-Drummond executive David Roberson’s $75 million civil lawsuit, more criminal indictments are needed.
The Three Stooges of this horrific saga known as the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal need to be held accountable.
The rebirth of the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal may go on for another three or four years in secret, in a sealed and closed Star Chamber.
However, federal investigators can and must dig deep into the shenanigans.
Larry, Curly and Moe have been replaced by “Lying” Balch, “Confused” Drummond, and “Unmentionable” Alabama Power.
1. More Potential Lies and Possible Co-Conspirators
The bottom line is if Balch can mislead and lie, and call the bullshit a “legal service,” then what other lies or misleading statements have they provided to federal investigators?
What to expect from Balch? White lies, damn lies, and prison time?
As the judge in the criminal case wrote during the trial, “[Balch partner Joel I.] Gilbert told the grand jury that others at the law firm ‘were aware of [the] engagement’ of Robinson on behalf of Roberson’s employer, and Defendant [Balch partner Steven] McKinney testified that Gilbert told him that ‘the government affairs guys vetted [the agreement with Robinson’s Foundation] and said it was okay.'”
But Gilbert had lied to McKinney as he had done so to Roberson.
David Roberson told The Washington Post in 2020 that beyond convicted felon and ex-Balch partner Joel I. Gilbert, allegedly another 20 Balch & Bingham attorneys were involved in the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal.
So how many Balch partners or attorneys were involved in stamping their seal of approval on the purchase of corrupt politician Oliver Robinson?
How many more individuals at Balch knowingly were involved in processing the over $360,000 in bribes to Robinson?
2. Tampered Evidence
More importantly, how many documents, invoices, and/or emails have been tampered with and by whom?
On December 1, 2014, convicted ex-Balch & Bingham partner Joel I. Gilbert dispatched a letter of intimidation to GASP, the health and environmental public charity that they tried to undercut.
Gilbert outside the courthouse
According to Balch billing documents, Gilbert may have been on vacation the week of Thanksgiving 2014, because his last billing is for Friday, November 21, 2014. The letter is dated December 1, 2014, a Monday, but nothing shows up in the December billings.
Who paid for that letter? Were there alterations of billing documents and invoices?
Were federal prosecutors misled or hoodwinked?
Balch allegedly may have provided a manipulated invoice to federal authorities during the North Birmingham Bribery Trial as the original invoice.
Drummond claimed in pleadings before the Roberson case was sealed in its entirety that “Balch’s first draft of the invoice was incorrectly addressed to Blake Andrews…”
Drummond’s lawyers were so furious that the original invoice was being used in the $75 million civil lawsuit, Drummond even subpoenaed the former secretary of convicted felon and ex-Balch partner Joel I. Gilbert. She handwrote “It should be David Roberson” on the invoice.
Who really cares who actually scribbled down the change?
The undisputed fact is the original invoice was changed. Was Roberson duped, signed off on the corrupt invoice, and set up as the “fall guy?”
Federal investigators need to only look at an example of the alleged alteration of evidence in the Newsome Conspiracy Case—the future RICO suit against Balch that currently is awaiting further indictments.
Nothing should surprise federal investigators. Nothing.
3. Paid Balch Stooges
Then there are Trey Glenn and Scott Phillips who should be probed by federal investigators. As readers may recall, Glenn and Phillips were indicted in November of 2018 by a local grand jury.
Mugshots of Phillips and Glenn
Balch & Bingham contracted with Trey Glenn who then directed payments to Scott Phillips to lobby the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to oppose the EPA in listing the North Birmingham site on the National Priorities List.
At the time that Scott Phillips and Trey Glenn were receiving money from Balch to lobby ADEM on a policy matter involving the listing of North Birmingham as a Superfund site, Scott Phillips was on the Alabama Environmental Management Commission, the entity that oversees ADEM.
The lobbying scheme and testimony from Phillips and Glenn were used to convict Roberson in his criminal trial. Roberson was allegedly told by Drummond executives and lawyers at Balch that the consulting work paid to the duo was in regardsto the ABC Coke plant, a lie.
4. “Confused” Drummond and Alleged Bribes
According to sources, the federal government wanted Roberson to honestly testify about the alleged bribes from Drummond Company to politicians.
The Roberson Family
The testimony the feds also sought included details of an alleged bribery ring of “do-not-ask” but “just-send-the-check” co-conspirators. But Roberson’s criminal attorneys allegedly rejected a full-immunity deal. Roberson would be a free man today.
With the criminal attorneys being paid generously by Drummond Company, some observers wonder: Was the rejection of the immunity deal done solely for Drummond’s benefit at Roberson’s expense?
Blake Andrews, General Counsel of Drummond Company, was allegedly so “confused” by the invoices in the North Birmingham Bribery Scheme, he allegedly had Roberson sign off on them as the “fall guy.”
Was “Confused” Andrews involved in any way with the rejection of this immunity deal?
Drummond allegedly vowed to keep him on the payroll, pay for his criminal litigation costs, and take care of Roberson and his family. Yet six months after his conviction, Roberson was terminated. He lost his home, his possessions, and barely can pay for the prescription drugs of his family members.
The Alliance for Jobs and the Economy (AJE) was the corrupt entity behind the money laundering of $360,000 in bribes to disgraced ex-State Representative Oliver Robinson.
Strange involved himself in the North Birmingham EPA matter, allegedly provoked by Balch, even though Strange had no authority to do so. At the time, the Governor had delegated the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to handle all issues related to the North Birmingham EPA matter.
On October 13, 2014, convicted felon and Balch-made millionaire Joel I. Gilbert sent Luther Strange, then the Alabama Attorney General, a draft letter about the North Birmingham EPA matter.
Four days later, on October 17, Strange accepted a $25,000 contribution from Drummond Company.
The $25,000 was allegedly hand delivered in 2014 to Attorney General Strange when Thompson allegedly brought him over to Drummond Company’s executive offices, circumventing government affairs and meeting with members of the Drummond family directly.
Six days later after the money was deposited, Strange signed the ghost-written letter and dispatched it on his official letterhead to the EPA on October 23, 2014. (Read the source documents here.)
5. Alabama Power’s Secret Deal and the Matrix Meltdown
In court filings in the Roberson case (before it was sealed), Alabama Power claimed the utility “was a victim of those who ran AJE.”
As we said before, cry us a polluted river!
The money-laundering entity of the Alliance for Jobs and the Economy (AJE) was the alleged brainchild of Alabama Power while emails from convicted Balch-made millionaire Joel I. Gilbert discussing the North Birmingham Bribery Scheme were sent to Alabama Power while convicted ex-Drummond executive David Roberson in some instances was simply carbon-copied. Alabama Power was briefed regularly.
In their pleadings Alabama Power also discusses our post on Jeffrey H. Wood, the ex-Balch & Bingham lobbyist who was on Capitol Hill in 2016 being briefed on the North Birmingham CERCLA matter at the height of the bribery scandal on behalf of Alabama Power, calling information on Wood’s lobbying efforts “irrelevant.”
Paying for Refreshing Cocktails or a Conspiracy on the Rocks?
What really angered Alabama Poweris the alleged secret deal with disgraced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town in which Alabama Power was “unmentionable” during the criminal trial, calling the allegations a “conspiracy theory.”
The jaw-dropping photos of Town and Crosswhite at the Moon Shine Lounge are not a “conspiracy theory.”
Now Alabama Power has more controversy with alleged secret indemnity agreements and multi-million-dollar contracts not requiring detailed invoicing.
The Matrix Meltdown is causing a storm of documents to be leaked and a published report outlined how Alabama Power allegedly dished out $2.5 million to Joe Perkins, the founder of the obscure political consulting firm Matrix, without the need to provide itemized invoices.
For years, incredible rumors and colorful innuendo circulated around Matrix, now in the middle of an ugly, two-state divorce between founder Joe Perkins and his once-protege Jeff Pitts.
The allegations include using actors, smearing political opponents, setting up AstroTurf campaigns, hiring brain-dead journalists, and engaging in fear-tactics that could appear to be criminal acts.
And these alleged fear-tactics and criminal acts, could they the center of a criminal investigation that could lead to more indictments?
[This post originally was published on October 22, 2018 before Alabama Power was linked to the staged arrest of Burt Newsome or the filing of ex-Drummond executive David Roberson’s $75 million civil suit. The Crosswhite Scandal (alleged imdemnity deals and secret million-dollar contracts) and the ever-growing Matrix Meltdown appear to have spurred a federal investigation. The actors, paid agents, and smear artists serving as apologists to Alabama Power and/or Balch & Bingham have only amplified the alleged insidious and corrupt misconduct.Now in 2022, Crosswhite has done nothing to cut ties with Balch. The secret $2.5 million in contracts with Matrix withoutthe need of detailed invoices is a financial embarrassment. Crosswhite should be fired or forced to resign or retire.]
Responding to the weasel-worded denial by Alabama Power’s consultants, Hawthorn Group, we asked two hardball questions:
Were actors ever hired for any other purpose (besides attending meetings) on behalf of Alabama Power?
Has any other “third-party” vendor of Alabama Power ever engaged in conduct to create AstroTurf campaigns and bogus testimonials?
We followed-up the next day with a post about bogus environmentalistswho were hired actors and, in a separate matter, how Balch & Bingham was hired in an alleged smear campaign.
We wrote at the time, “A coming crisis is truly on the horizon.”
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Times had a well-written piece of journalism about one of the entities involved in the “hired actors scandal” from June: Crowds on Demand.
Crowds on Demand, a Beverly Hills firm that’s an outspoken player in the business of hiring protesters, boasts on its website that it provides its clients with “protests, rallies, flash-mobs, paparazzi events and other inventive PR stunts.… We provide everything including the people, the materials and even the ideas.”
But according to a lawsuit filed by a Czech investor, Crowds on Demand also takes on more sordid assignments. Zdenek Bakala claims the firm has been used to run an extortion campaign against him.
Bakala has accused Prague investment manager Pavol Krupa of hiring Crowds on Demand to pay protesters to march near his home in Hilton Head, S.C., and to call and send emails to the Aspen Institute and Dartmouth College, where Bakala serves on advisory boards, urging them to cut ties to him. Bakala alleges that Krupa has threatened to continue and expand the campaign unless Bakala pays him $23 million.
Bakala’s lawsuit, filed in federal court in South Carolina, also alleges violations of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, a law originally intended to target organized crime syndicates. Bakala alleges Krupa, [Crowds on Demand founder Adam] Swart and Crowds on Demand have violated that law by participating in an extortion scheme against him.
In the Newsome Conspiracy Case, like Bakala, an innocent but successful person was targeted and defamed.
According to the 44 retaliatory orders, the Queen of the Star Chamber, Judge Carole Smitherman, had all of the co-conspirators’ “costs taxed against” Newsome.
Railroaded by an alleged criminal conspiracy that abused and manipulated the Alabama judicial system, the civil RICO case, currently being carefully and meticulously drafted on behalf of Newsome, may show how the “costs taxed against” Newsome appears to be nothing more than a form of extortion.
The incestuous, sister-wife relationship between Balch & Bingham and Alabama Power has existed for almost a century.
Soon the misdeeds, actors, and staged events will be exposed.
Mark Crosswhite, the CEO of Alabama Power, who took the lead to reform the Business Council of Alabama, will have to rise above the loyalty to his former firm and end this miscarriage of justice once and for all.
Matrix is closely tied to Alabama Power and its sister-wife, siamese twin Balch & Bingham.
The obscure political consulting group has a legendary if not a mythical reputation of engaging in alleged dirty tricks and alleged sinister if not criminal misconduct.
Is it true or fantasy?
Now everything is on the table and up for scrutiny. Will investigator connect the dots?
Since 2017, our blog has documented atrocious misconduct. As we have repeatedly said, in Alabama there are no such things as coincidences.
Let’s start with the Newsome Conspiracy Case. Burt Newsome, an innocent lawyer minding his own business who had no issues with Balch & Bingham, was allegedly targeted, falsely arrested and defamed by the once-prestigious, silk-stocking law firm in an alleged attempt to steal his business servicing banks.
Let’s review some of the alleged staged acts beginning with the Verizon mess.
The real Jason Forman of Verizon
The half-baked deposition of an alleged Verizon employee who appears to have been an actor.
And what law firm represents Verizon regularly? McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter in Morristown, New Jersey, just one mile away from Verizon’s Corporate Headquarters.
And who worked for McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter before his career as a prosecutor? Jay E. Town
Then there were the alleged crimes of intimidation against Burt Newsome and his family.
Alleged act of attempted murder?
The smashing of his wife’s car window at a gym in which her purse was stolen. Law enforcement alleged she was targeted. Video surveillance of the incident shows the suspects driving around allegedly specifically looking for Newsome’s vehicle.
The sick operatives who sent the Newsome family a threatening package: Five pieces of luggage and numerous clothing outfits. There were approximately three dozen outfits for mom and the four Newsome children. Was Newsome going to be injured, killed or murdered? Or were the wife and children going to “disappear” on a permanent vacation?
Exactly two years and a month later, Newsome was injured in a head-on accident. He was gravely injured and nearly killed. Some even claimed the act was an alleged act of attempted murder.
Now let’s look at the case of ex-Drummond executive David Roberson who filed a $75 million civil case against Balch and Drummond company.
Roberson’s 90-year-old mother-in-law returned to her home in Jasper in 2019 after a hospital stay to find the windows of her home shattered, both in the front yard and backyard. Nothing was stolen from the home. Was it a message of intimidation and fear?
As ex-Drummond Company executive David Roberson was driving along Highway 280 in Shelby County a year ago, someone apparently shot out his rear driver’s window. Roberson was shaken up, scared, and rightly so. With glass blown exclusively inside the car, the projectile was obviously aimed at the driver’s side and missed Roberson’s head by inches.
Then there is the orchestrated campaign against us, the CDLU, which utterly backfired, and has raised the eyes of investigators.
An actor impersonated CDLU’s Executive Director and used the existence of his then-8-year-old daughter in an attempt to illegally obtain confidential financial information.
The continued harassment of CDLU’s accountants by morons who demanded copies of our tax filings when they should have contacted us directly.
An embittered stalker and failed real estate agent was caught on security cameras at CDLU’s Birmingham offices (shut down at the time due to COVID-19) sitting in his black pick-up truck for 15 minutes before grilling the receptionist at the business next door, providing a false name and bogus cell phone number one-off from his real cell phone number. Idiot!
The writing of several hilarious articles in the Alabama Political Reporter that included the idiotic defense of Balch & Bingham. The public ripped the publication to shreds.
The public humiliation of a once-respected investigative journalist who allegedly amputated his brain for 30 pieces of silver.
Stunned: Buffoons, idiots, and morons!
Was Matrix, in anyway, involved in any or none of these dirty deeds?
Did Alabama Power (which pays Matrix millions) or its sister-wife Balch back any or none of these acts financially?
From what we have been told, investigators appear to be tracking down and interviewing the buffoons, idiots and morons involved in these alleged unsavory and criminal acts.
Disgraced ex-U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town fled in the middle of the night after resigning. He could have been a current candidate for U.S. Senate, but the photos of him slamming back cocktails with Alabama Power CEO and former Balch partner Mark A. Crosswhite were political suicide.
Now with Sloppy Joe and the Matrix Meltdown; the Crosswhite Scandal and secret million-dollar contracts; and Balch’s internal strife, who else truly wishes to hang themselves… or are they ready to cooperate with criminal investigators about these acts?
Sloppy Joe appears to not have had strong internal controls or high-end security to protect himself or his clients even though he was paid millions.
Andrew “Andy2K” Campbell, the illustrious attorney who represents embattled law firm Balch and Bingham, also represents Matrix, the obscure political consulting firm, and its founder Joe Perkins.
Andy2K
Andy2K picked up his nickname after he donated $2,000 to Judge Carole Smitherman, the Queen of the secretive Star Chamber, at the height of the Newsome Conspiracy Case, just weeks before he became lead counsel for Balch. Smitherman was the presiding judge.
While the Newsome Conspiracy Case has exhausted all state legal remedies, a federal civil RICO will be filed against Balch and others after more indictments are handed down.
Andy2K was also involved in his own bitter law firm divorce in 2018. His former partners and owners at Campbell Guinn alleged that Andy2K “failed to comply with operating agreements….has failed to distribute funds due and has further failed to provide an accounting thereof,” according to a lawsuit filed against him in August of 2018.
The law firm collapsed and the lawsuit was finally settled in 2019.
Now in 2022, the new and improved Campbell Partners is center stage of the theatrics of the Matrix Meltdown.
Last week, the firm dispatched a laughable demand letter to donaldwatkins.com after the news site/blog posted two “non-existent” contracts between Perkins’ entities and Alabama Power. The contracts were worth over $2.5 million, required no invoicing, and could never be publicly disclosed.
Cason M. Kirby, a partner at Campbell Partners, alleged that the contracts had been “stolen” and contained “trade secrets.” He demanded that the documents be immediately removed.
Donald V. Watkins in essence told Andy2K’s firm to pound sand.
Crosswhite
The publication of those contracts is causing a firestorm. Alabama Power CEO Mark A. Crosswhite is allegedly furious and now observers believe his own future at Alabama Power and parent company Southern Company is in doubt.
But Andy2K’s firm wasn’t done dispatching demand letters.
Kirby dispatched a letter on behalf of Matrix to the EPI (click here to read) that showed unequivocally that the Matrix Meltdown is spiraling out of control.
Using half-baked wording, Kirby writes, “Neither [Joe] Perkins nor anyone at Matrix was involved in the planning or formation of any strategy related to the potential superfund site [in the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal].”
While Matrix may not have been involved in planning or strategy, Matrix was involved in an AstroTurf mail drop in North Birmingham to discourage poor African-American families from having their toxic and contaminated property tested by the EPA.
Is that not morally reprehensible in itself?
Cason M. Kirby
At Day 10 of the federal criminal trial in 2018, then-CEO Jeff Pitts testified that Matrix “helped send out th[e] letters purporting to be [from] the ‘grass roots’ group Get Smart Tarrant. Which was really an arm of Balch and Drummond,” according to Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist John Archibald.
Most interesting is Kirby’s very defensive comments on the multiple stories out of Florida regarding “ghost candidates” and an ongoing criminal probe.
He writes, “Matrix has sued Mr. Pitts and the other former employees because, while employed by Matrix, they conducted secret, off-the-books communications campaigns that were not authorized by Matrix or [Joe] Perkins. Neither…Perkins nor any Matrix employee provided legitimate services to or had any direct or indirect involvement in any of the Florida ghost candidate campaigns.”
Zealous state and federal investigators could possibly use Kirby’s own words against his client.
Why would Andy2K’s firm send out these worthless demand letters that only add fuel to the never-ending fire?
Is Joe Perkins’ ego really that bruised? Or is Alabama Power or Crosswhite demanding Perkins clean up his sloppy mess?
Handwritten notes allegedly written by Perkins related to an alleged smear campaign that targeted Donald Watkins were released on donaldwatkins.com.
The document shed light on the alleged “dirty tricks” and smear tactics, including branding Watkins as “Desperate, Deranged Donald” or “Donald the Dodger.”
Now Perkins most important client, Alabama Power, has been exposed with the publication of the two “non-existent” contracts.
How in the hell do handwritten notes and never-to-be-revealed contracts land in the hands of an adversary?
Sloppy Joe appears to not have had strong internal controls or high-end security to protect himself or his clients even though he was paid millions.
Encryption, Sloppy Joe, encryption!
Alabama Power’s problem of having secret contracts that disbursed millions while investors, regulators, and consumers were left in the dark appears to now have become a significant Matrix problem.
And why would Andy2K’s partner Cason M. Kirby so passionately write and dispatch these truly worthless demand letters?
Maybe because his wife Madolyn Kirby has worked at Matrix longer than they have been married.
Ex-Balch & Bingham partner Joel I. Gilbert has been assigned gardening responsibilities at the Federal Prison Camp located at the Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery.
Now that legacy Balch partner Rob Fowler dumped the once-prestigious firm for a job at a coal facility that currently is not operating, insiders are curious what internal strife is happening at Balch to cause Fowler to run to the emergency exit.
Sources tell us that Gilbert may have been intentionally screwed by his own law firm, just like ex-Drummond executive David Roberson appeared to be screwed as the “fall guy” by Drummond.
The “lone wolves” theory peddled by disgraced ex-U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town appears to have been a line of crap.
Joel I. Giibert and his wife have two young children
Gilbert, the father of two beautiful young children, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison, and Balch appears to have blamed him for the scandal after his conviction three years ago. Stan Blanton, managing partner at Balch, had the audacity to try to pivot the bribery scheme away from the firm, saying “our firm was not a party to the case.”
But is that the truth? Wasn’t the criminal scheme born at the offices of Balch & Bingham? Did other Balch attorneys and representatives lie or perjure themselves? Were documents manipulated or evidence destroyed? What did the executive committee at Balch know?
One of the items we discovered that has bothered us is the possibility of evidence tampering. We wrote at the height of the criminal trial in 2018:
On December 1, 2014, indicted Balch & Bingham partner Joel Gilbert dispatched a letter of intimidation to GASP, the health and environmental public charity that they tried to undercut by allegedly buying a politician for $360,000.
It appears that Gilbert may have been on vacation the week of Thanksgiving, because his last billing is for Friday, November 21, 2014. The letter is dated December 1, 2014, a Monday, but nothing shows up in the December billings.
Evidence tampering or we just can’t find it?
Then again, maybe prosecutors need to look at an example of the alleged alteration of evidence in the Newsome Conspiracy Case—Balch & Bingham’s other quagmire.
Nothing should surprise them. Nothing.
Now outsiders believe someone else could have paid for the letter of intimidation. Could it have been Alabama Power or a related entity?
And what about those alleged indemnity deals to cover-up and protect alleged unsavory if not criminal misconduct?
Regan of the EPA
Michael S. Regan of the EPA needs to send his investigators to Montgomery and interview Gilbert. Then they need to knock on the door of embattled Alabama Power CEO Mark A. Crosswhite and find out more about the Miller Steam Plant and the alleged toxic ash ponds. Finally, the investigators need to visit with the “confused’ General Counsel of Drummond Company, Blake Andrews.
In return, Gilbert should get time shaved off for his cooperation.
Inherent goodness needs to prevail. For the sake of the residents of North Birmingham and for the sake of Gilbert’s young children.
The King of Balch & Bingham and dinosaur partner at the embattled law firm Schuyler Allen Baker, Jr. died one year ago today.
Ironically in 2017, Baker vowed to fight the Newsome Conspiracy Case to the death.
Baker, serving as General Counsel at Balch, made an enormously foolish decision.
His fight to the death cost the firm millions,tarnished and damaged Balch’s once-respected reputation, made 18 of 18 D.C. lobbying clients dump the firm, and created the greatest exodus ever of money-making partners.
The ghost of Balch’s past is sadly still present.
Now with an alleged pedophile cover-up, an alleged ongoing Elderly Exploitation Scandal investigation, and the Mississippi Rental Assistance debacle, the unholy trinity of scandal would not be garnering interest by law enforcement or the media if Balch had cleaned up their loose ends after Baker died.
Where is the sensible leadership?
Yesterday, ex-Drummond executive David Roberson and ex-Balch partner Joel I. Gilbert reported to federal prison for criminal acts born at the offices of Balch & Bingham.
The Newsome Family
And while Baker is dead, the Newsome Conspiracy Case continues alive and vibrant. Having exhausted all state and federal court remedies, a federal civil RICO lawsuit can now proceed.
The RICO will most likely come after additional indictments are handed down.
Like probate lawyers, sensible and responsible Balch leaders would have brought the Newsome Conspiracy Case, the David Roberson civil lawsuit, and other matters to an agreeable resolution and a close after Baker’s death.
Since 2017, we have asked Balch to conduct a top to bottom review of their firm, get rid of any bad apples, and apologize to the African-American community of North Birmingham.
In the summer of 2018, Balch, during a brief moment of mental clarity, attempted to reach out to us to bring matters to a close.
The former Assistant U.S. Attorney who represented Burt Newsome was blind-sided since he did not know what BanBalch.com exactly was or who we, the CDLU, were when they asked him to serve as an interlocutor.
We wrote three years ago after Balch walked away from the resolution discussions:
Balch’s acts of impunity are no longer tolerated by the public; and acts of contrition, reconciliation, and forgiveness are the only path forward to salvage the firm.
Obviously someone with common sense at Balch & Bingham tried, in good faith, to reach out to us and put the matters behind them.
Instead, now, Balch & Bingham have reversed themselves and appears to be on a path of self-destruction.
The many honorable, ethical and professional Balch partners and their colleagues appear to have been ignored againby their leadership.
Prophetic.
Baker is dead, Gilbert is sitting in a federal prison, while Balch appears to be slowly hemorrhaging and dying.
Crosswhite
The Crosswhite Scandal involving Alabama Power is bringing a new, heated spotlight on ex-Balch partner Mark A. Crosswhite, “the most powerful man in Alabama” according to his adoring fans.
The unsavory if not criminal conduct linked to alleged secret indemnity agreements is the cherry on top of a spoiled, rotten, inedible banana pudding full of maggots.
Will Balch ever come to their senses? Ever? Or will Balch partners continue to swallow the rotten pudding left behind a year ago?
The motion to delay reporting to prison by ex-Balch partner Joel I. Gilbert has been summarily denied, the court responding that the convicted felon had more than enough time to put his affairs in order.
Gilbert is now obligated to report to federal prison tomorrow, Wednesday, October 27th.
The last-minute move comes as Balch & Bingham’s sister-wife Alabama Power is allegedly suffering from internal convulsions.
Ex-Balch partner and current Alabama Power CEO Mark A. Crosswhite is allegedly furious that unconfirmed news reports are circulating about the alleged pending and unannounced retirement of Tom Fanning, the CEO of parent company Southern Company.
Unsubstantiated claims include the allegation that Crosswhite allegedly has told elite decision makers that he is next in line for the top job in Atlanta.
Southern Company’s Board of Directors would be under intense pressure to select a woman or person of color.
If so, Crosswhite would be out of the running. He will also probably tied up in a federal civil RICO lawsuit tied to the Newsome Conspiracy Case.
Insiders tell us if Crosswhite is forced to retire, he would be replaced at Alabama Power by Alexia Borden, a woman.
Balch & Bingham felt they had the right to “ruin a rival.” Instead they ruined themselves and their closest allies.
Just look at Balch-made millionaire Gilbert who will be playing solitaire and counting the days for the next 5 long years.
Get this: Balch & Bingham partner Christian B. Waddell serves as counsel to three different Mississippi state-sanctioned entities and agencies and has been involved as underwriting counsel for almost $1 billion in bonds and notes. Waddell has procured millions in contracts and has been, regardless of the cronyism, a money-making success.
Now everything appears to be at risk because of his association to the alleged racist and embattled law firm Balch & Bingham, and the investigative report of The Washington Post.
The government-made millionaires of the South, Balch & Bingham is now under intense scrutiny.
Ex-Balch partner Chase T. Espy arrested for alleged child solicitation
The late Schuyler Allen Baker, Jr., a long-time partner and General Counsel at Balch, foolishly vowed to fight the Newsome Conspiracy Case to the death.
An innocent competitor minding his own business, Burt Newsome was targeted, wrongly arrested, and defamed in a conspiracy allegedly headed by an ex-Balch partner now selling mattresses.
Newsome has been fighting Balch vigorously, even exhausting all legal avenues before eventually proceeding with a federal RICO and Civil Rights lawsuit.
The late Schuyler Allen Baker, Jr.
Schuyler Allen Baker, Jr. died last year. He obviously never thought or dreamt that things would escalate and deteriorate as they sadly have.
Our understanding from outside sources is that some Balch partners, across Balch’s footprint, are furious that the firm continues to throw gasoline on a case that should have been settled years ago.
Even Waddell allegedly is not pleased with the unneeded publicity and scrutiny. Is he, like former Balch partner William Stiers ready to jump ship?
We wouldn’t be surprised if Waddell and others ended up at Butler Snow or another reputable law firm in the near future.
Last night on the local Atlanta ABC-affiliate, a bombshell news report came out showing that a celebrity couple had been allegedly targeted by rogue Georgia tax revenue agents, stating that the agents thought they were “untouchable.”
And who is fighting and exposing these alleged rogue and dishonorable agents? Balch & Bingham partner Christopher Anulewicz.
In November of 2017, we wrote about two honorable and respected Balch & Bingham partners who were fighting corruption in Georgia, Anulewicz and Mike Bowers, both based in Atlanta.
We asked at the time, “Will the Good Guys Bail on Balch?”
From our post in 2017:
Instead of defending the indefensible and constantly protecting the questionable actions…Balch should be conducting a top-to-bottom review, throwing the bad apples out with the trash, and publicly settling and apologizing for their alleged egregious behavior, be it in North Birmingham, Mississippi, or the Newsome Conspiracy Case. If not, the birth of Anulewicz & Bowers, LLP will become a harsh and unpleasant reality.
Mike Bowers
A West Point graduate, Mike Bowers, a former Attorney General for Georgia, as we predicted, dumped Balch and left the embattled firm. Bowers is now with Johnson Marlowe, a respected boutique law firm.
Christopher Anulewicz has made headlines in recent days for his tipping off the Office of the Inspector General in Georgia about abuses and falsified information at the Office of Special Investigations, part of Georgia’s Department of Revenue.
Central Square reports:
A Georgia agency kept millions of dollars in seized funds, spending some of it on Fitbit devices, fitness equipment and vehicles, according to a recent Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report.
The OIG report revealed the former head of the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), a division of the Georgia Department of Revenue (GDOR), held on to more than $5.3 million that was supposed to be returned to the state treasury.
Joshua Waites
Former OSI Director Joshua Waites spent hundreds of thousands of dollars seized from tax investigations on items that were “questionable and would likely be deemed wasteful and unnecessary,” the OIG said.
“OIG’s investigation revealed an office culture at the highest levels of leadership within OSI that disregarded any semblance of their professional responsibilities,” State Inspector General Scott McAfee said in a statement.
The OIG conducted an investigation into Waites after receiving a tip in January 2020 from an attorney for reality-star couple Todd and Julie Chrisley. Chris Anulewicz, a partner at Balch and Bingham LLP, told the agency to look into Waites’ background after a public records request revealed Waites falsified information on his employment application. Anulewicz was working on a lawsuit against Waites.
Anulewicz spoke to the ABC affiliate last night:
One Atlanta attorney is focused on OSI’s intense interest in Todd and Julie Chrisley. “They had specifically targeted the Chrisleys because of their celebrity,” Chris Anulewicz told [the local ABC affiliate reporter]..
“I think the cowboy culture is that the Office of Special Investigations at the Department of Revenue started to believe they were untouchable,” said Anulewicz.
Balch & Bingham looks like they believe that they, too, are untouchable, while their sister-wife Alabama Power was “unmentionable” during the North Birmingham Bribery Trial.
Balch & Bingham has targeted their competitors (Newsome Conspiracy Case), poor African-American children in North Birmingham by handing out $50 Burlington Coat Factory gift cards, and GASP, the tiny but powerful environmental group.
Anulewicz’s wife is Georgia State Representative Teri Anulewicz (D).
She wrote recently, “Consumers absolutely need to be protected from predatory business practice in all industries.”
Does that include protection from embattled law firms?
An alleged racist law firm, Balch & Bingham allegedly tried to dilute and divide the African-American vote, was involved in the alleged “whites-only” land grab in Vincent, Alabama, and was the birthplace of the North Birmingham Bribery Scheme that suppressed African-Americans from having their toxic property tested by the EPA.
With the alleged Mississippi Rental Assistance debacle, the alleged pedophile cover-up, and the alleged elderly exploitation scandal rocking Balch & Bingham, will the Anulewicz Family dump Balch & Bingham for greener and more honorable pastures?
We, the CDLU, have always said that there are many honorable and respected partners at Balch & Bingham, like Anulewicz.
The “cowboy culture” from Birmingham must finally be held accountable.
Disbarred lawyer Steven Donziger, who was found guilty of criminal contempt after spending more than two decades trying to hold Chevron Corp liable for rainforest pollution in Ecuador, has asked a Manhattan federal court to sentence him to time served.
In a Tuesday filing, his lawyers told Senior U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska that after nearly 800 days of confinement at home since he was charged in 2019, “Donziger has been punished enough.”
And why was Donziger disbarred and found guilty on six contempt charges?
U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska ruled that attorney Steven Donziger “repeatedly and willfully” defied court orders, including by failing to turn over his computer, phones and other electronic devices.
The case is the latest twist stemming from Donziger’s representation of villagers in Ecuador’s Lago Agrio region, who sought to hold Chevron liable for water and soil contamination from 1964 and 1992 by Texaco, which Chevron later acquired.
Donziger, a Harvard Law School graduate, won a $9.5 billion judgment against Chevron in an Ecuadorian court in 2011. In 2014, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan refused to enforce the $9.5 billion judgment, saying it had been secured through bribery, fraud and extortion.
With Ecuador as his backdrop, Donziger (pictured above with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters standing behind him) was humiliated like another attorney named Terrence Collingsworth who had another Latin American country, Colombia, as his backdrop.
The case against Drummond Company was dismissed after the plaintiff’s attorney Terrence Collingsworth allegedly paid bribes to former Colombian guerrillas and witnesses.
Remember when ex-Balch & Bingham partner thought the $360,000 in bribes to State Representative Oliver Robinson were legal charitable donations?
How about when the illustrious Andrew “Andy2K” Campbell, who represents Balch & Bingham in the Newsome Conspiracy Case, argued that the over $30,000 in alleged bribes, excuse us, questionable campaign contributionsto the husband of the presiding judge were legal?
The legal profession needs many reforms and more transparency. Balch & Bingham is a shining example of what is wrong with the judicial branch in Alabama and how the Rule of Law has been perverted by the Rule of Cronyism.
Valued clients, partners, attorneys and staff at Balch should, as Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters has sung, “run like hell” before the numerous scandals eventually swallow the embattled law firm.
When the late Schuyler Allen Baker, Jr., Balch’s long-time General Counsel, vowed to fight to the death before settling the Newsome Conspiracy Case, did he ever believe Newsome would have the testicular fortitude to fight the embattled and once-prestigious firm all the way to the highest court of the land?
Probably not.
Newsome, the sole-practitioner attorney, an innocent man who was minding his business when he was allegedly targeted, falsely arrested, and defamed by Balch & Bingham has refused to take it on the chin.
Birmingham attorney Burt Newsome is seeking review with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in a case alleging individuals connected to the Balch & Bingham law firm conspired to frame him for a crime and then used that information in an [alleged] effort to steal a chunk of his banking-related work and ruin his practice.
Newsome, the proprietor of Newsome Law LLC in North Shelby County, alleges that former Balch attorney Clark Cooper was a central figure in the conspiracy, and the conspirators used prepaid “burner phones” to communicate about their plans and hide those conversations from Newsome and authorities. The matter has become known as the Newsome Conspiracy Case.
Alexandra Siskopoulos, an attorney from New York City, filed a petition for a writ of certiorari … on Newsome’s behalf. She asks the high court to review the Alabama Supreme Court’s judgment in the case, or in the alternative, summarily reverse the decision and judgment of the Supreme Court of Alabama pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 16
Although the U.S. Supreme Court has to make a decision in October if they will grant the petition, the narrative is damning for Balch and their stooges as it outlines the conspiracy, staged arrest, alleged acts of defamation, and the alleged unlawful, unsavory, and unconscionable acts of Balch and the co-conspirators.
This purported order, however, was never file stamped and never entered in the State Judicial Information System (“SJIS”) in Alabama as required by Alabama law. Petitioner Newsome sought a Writ of Mandamus from the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals arguing that the court order that the judge vacate the purported order because it was void based on numerous grounds. On April 27, 2018, the Supreme Court of Alabama denied the Writ and ordered that the June 8, 2016 order be entered in the SJIS system.
And what are the principal federal issues at hand?
When Balch and the co-conspirators allegedly attempted to screw over Newsome with a make-believe, counterfeit order, they based the fabricated order on a release-dismissal agreement, a product from the staged arrest and phony criminal case that collapsed and was dismissed with prejudice.
The release-dismissal agreement in Shelby County was overly broad.
Balch, which was not involved in the proceedings of the phony, baloney criminal trial, used the release to claim they were protected from any litigation by Newsome. At the time of the release, Newsome had no idea that Balch was involved in the conspiracy.
Also the the counterfeit order brings up the issue of the due process of law. As we have commented repeatedly, the judicial branch of Alabama appears to have compromised the Rule of Law for the benefit of their cronies and political boosters at Balch & Bingham.
From the petition:
The Supreme Court of Alabama’s decision is the ideal vehicle to address whether a release-dismissal agreement pursuant to this Honorable Court’s guidelines can encompass non-governmental persons and entities which were never contemplated in the seminal holding of Newton v. Rumery, 480 U.S. 386 (1987). Further, this Honorable Court must address whether these increasingly overbroad release-dismissal agreements can waive a litigant’s right to pursue a criminal prosecution. The Supreme Court of Alabama’s decision is also an ideal vehicle to address whether a state court judge can withhold the formal filing of a final decision/order and still be in accord with due process principles established by our Constitution.
And while Balch and their defenders may believe that SCOTUS will deny the Newsome petition, our understanding is a rock-solid RICO suit will come thereafter.
Through the corrupt judicial system of Alabama, Balch defenders probably thought they had squashed, destroyed, and ruined Newsome when the reality is quite the opposite.
And all the while Balch has lost millions, tarnished their brand, and lost numerous money-making partners.
“Luckily, legislatures make laws, not courthouse lackeys on the fly.” –Kyle Whitmire, AL.com
Where are the open courts of Alabama?
During the Newsome Conspiracy Case, we observed that Judge Carole Smitherman created a secretive “Star Chamber” where alleged criminal acts, perjury, and unsavory conduct were hidden from public view; and all hearings, pleadings, and oral arguments were held in secret with no public notice.
For 500 days, no one knew what was happening, except when appeals were filed and we learned about the counterfeit court order used to trample the due process of law, civil rights, and civil liberties of Burt Newsome.
Sheriff Blakely
Now the media are in an uproar over a Star Chamber in Limestone County where Sheriff Mike Blakely, one of the longest-serving sheriffs in Alabama, is facing a criminal trial on five felony charges of using his position for personal gain, five felony counts of theft and one misdemeanor theft charge.
Kyle Whitmire of Al.com writes:
This week, state and local news reporters arrived at the courthouse in Athens to cover jury selection in Blakely’s trial, only to be turned away by the bailiffs.
The reasons they were given have, shall we say, evolved.
At first, a court bailiff told AL.com’s Ashley Remkus that it was against the law for them to observe jury selection.
That was flat-out not true.
I personally have covered trials in state and federal courts where I sat through jury selection, as have many of the reporters there this week in Limestone County. Were all those other judges in all those other cases too dumb to notice the lawbreakers in the back of the courtrooms? If the staff’s understanding of the law were correct, then any number of media folks should be in jail already.
But it’s not against the law. They were just making that part up. Luckily, legislatures make laws, not courthouse lackeys on the fly. So that excuse didn’t last very long.
Next, court staff told the reporters there wasn’t room. Reporters offered to stand. Also, courts are required to accommodate the public, so if there wasn’t room, that’s on them.
Next, they said the judge had ordered jury selection closed to the public. Only there was no written order in the online court file and, when asked, the court staff couldn’t produce one.
Finally, they said the judge had decided that having media in the room might make jurors uncomfortable.
“She would want to make certain that jurors felt comfortable,” her bailiff said. “That there wasn’t people asking them — taking their names and so on and so forth. And so for that reason, she’s not having access.”
Or in fewer words, because she didn’t want to.
Finally, the Three Stooges (Alabama Power, Balch and Bingham, and Drummond Company) successfully sealed the entire $75 million civil lawsuit filed by ex-Drummond executive David Roberson in part due to scrutiny from media including BanBalch.com.
What are they hiding and who in heaven’s name is sitting in on these secretive hearings?
The Drummond case is so tightly sealed that our sources at theJefferson County courthouse cannot obtain any information and believe an alleged miscarriage of justice could be occurring.
The smoke and mirrors in Jefferson County could soon come crashing down if investigators find a pattern of hiding or obscuring criminal acts and trampling the due process of law in obviously bias and one-sided Star Chambers.
As far as Limestone County, media filed a motion to open proceedings and the judge reversed herself, letting the media in.
Sadly, Balch and Bingham and their cronies have a grip on Jefferson County’s judicial branch that is unprecedented.
And even public corruption investigators acknowledge the problem, which is a bold and needed step forward.
What in heaven’s name is Balch, a well-connected but alleged racist law firm, processing housing assistance for homebuyers?
Mississippi and its two largest counties received $200 million in federal Covid-19 relief funds to cover back rent, with the aim of preventing evictions, according to NBC News.
“But the vast majority of that money has not been spent, and there are large disparities in who is receiving help, and how quickly they’re getting it, according to a review of the latest program data and interviews with experts and advocates, ” NBC News wrote.
NBC News also reminded us in their report that Balch & Bingham is a truly “talented” firm.
From the North Birmingham bribery scheme that was born at Balch’s offices in Birmingham, to the prolific ghost-letter writing of convicted felon and ex-Balch partner Joel I. Gilbert, from the alleged elderly exploitation of Mrs. B and her $218 million estate, to the alleged targeting, staged arrest, and defamation of an innocent competitor in the Newsome Conspiracy Case, Balch & Bingham appears to have surprised if not duped many.
Now add housing assistance to the list of “talents.”
NBC News Reports:
The Mississippi Home Corporation, which was created by the Legislature and offers assistance to homebuyers, runs the state-level program but has outsourced some of the work to Balch and Bingham, a law firm with a Jackson office. Scott Spivey, executive director of the Mississippi Home Corporation, said the program launched without software that could help speed up the review of applications. Now that a fuller process is in place, he expects to be able to handle hundreds of applications per day going forward.
“I would rather have more money that has been approved for payment than the roughly $2 million that we’re sitting at right now,” he said. “But that just means we have to work harder and play catchup.”
What in heaven’s name is Balch, a well-connected but alleged racist law firm, processing housing assistance for homebuyers?
Was there a truly “open-bidding” process to find an “outsource” vendor? Why were not banks, mortgage lenders, or community not-for-profits engaged instead of Balch & Bingham?
Better yet, why was not a cutting-edge online service used to facilitate applications, conduct identity verification, and issue the prompt electronic payment of assistance to homebuyers?
How, we ask, is Balch & Bingham “qualified” to provide housing assistance?
We believe the $2 million in assistance could eventually pale in comparison to the fees and retainer that Balch & Bingham could collect for providing a “fuller process” — one full of attorneys, paralegals, and others.
State investigators and media should begin public records requests and make sure an abuse of the system is not happening.
Mississippi, which prides itself on being fiscally conservative, needs to take a hard look at this absurdity for what it is.
This month we reached our fourth birthday and we want to thank YOU our dear readers.
We hope you had a safe and pleasant Spring Break, and also hope that you and your loved ones were not impacted by the horrific tornadoes from last week.
We will continue to report about the alleged criminal, egregious, and unsavory conduct of Balch & Bingham and their sister-wife Alabama Power, especially now with the Biden Administration taking a hard swing at environmental racism.
The rebirth of the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal by federal investigators will most likely cause the Three Stooges (Balch, Alabama Power, and Drummond) to have a meltdown and uncontrolled panic attack, again.
Alabama Power’s “blood money” support of the Rule of Law Defense Fund that allegedly helped instigate the insurrection on January 6th could lead to further investigations of their political contributions.
Finally and not least, the Newsome Conspiracy Case will be headed to federal court.
Balch & Bingham has targeted their competitors (Newsome Conspiracy Case), poor African-American children in North Birmingham by handing out $50 Burlington Coat Factory gift cards, and GASP, the tiny but powerful environmental group.
The case is the latest twist stemming from Donziger’s representation of villagers in Ecuador’s Lago Agrio region, who sought to hold Chevron liable for water and soil contamination from 1964 and 1992 by Texaco, which Chevron later acquired.
When Balch and the co-conspirators allegedly attempted to screw over Newsome with a make-believe, counterfeit order, they based the fabricated order on a release-dismissal agreement, a product from the staged arrest and phony criminal case that collapsed and was dismissed with prejudice.
