Alabama Power has the right to tackle government overreach, environmental extremism, and even cleanup efforts. In September, we broke news that Mike Thompson, the fundraising chairman of Luther Strange’s U.S. Senate campaign was listed as a director of the Alliance for Jobs and the Economy (AJE), a tax-exempt entity created in 2015 whose purpose was to funnel $360,000 in bribes to a corrupt politician, former Alabama State Representative Oliver Robinson, according to court filings of the U.S. Department of Justice. On Friday, Thompson, CEO of Thompson Tractor, was grilled on the stand along with other members involved with the AJE. Kyle Whitmire of AL.com tweets: Thompson says he never…

The shenanigans are spilling out in court. Our sources tell us prosecutors grilled Balch employees about invoices that removed any and all references to Oliver Robinson’s foundation. Kent Faulk of AL.com confirms this in a tweet, writing that a prosecutor “continues to go over emails requesting checks … one that says in bold ‘do not reference Oliver Robinson Foundation’ on invoice. She was told not to reference by Gilbert.” So what were they hiding? A bribery scheme? A bought-and-paid-for politician? Worse is Balch’s hiding behind attorney-client privilege. Kyle Whitmire tweets, “On redirect from prosecution, Balch COO says that Balch &…

Yesterday we heard one of Steven McKinney’s attorneys claim there would be not one single document out of a million that would implicate his client in the criminal bribery conspiracy. The jury appears to be hearing otherwise. AL.com reports: [P]rosecutors showed dozens of exhibits that included emails between Roberson, McKinney, Gilbert, and Robinson on the topic of the contract regarding the “public outreach program in north Birmingham.” Also shown were dozens of time entries Gilbert entered on invoices, where he often noted his time spent preparing for meetings with Robinson or contacting Roberson regarding strategy on the Superfund opposition. McKinney was copied…

Trying to demostrate their vast political power and deep connections, attorneys for Balch & Bingham’s indicted partners have named U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions as their defense witness, according to local news reports. Witness to what? $140,000 in political contributions from Balch when he was a U.S. Senator? The suppression of poor African-Americans in North Birmingham from having their toxic property tested by the EPA? Again trying to make mockery of the judicial and criminal justice system, Balch has forgotten that General Sessions is prosecuting them. He works with all 93 U.S. Attorneys including Jay E. Town. In addition, Balch’s…

Our observers confirmed that during opening statements that an attorney for Joel Gilbert, one of the indicted Balch & Bingham partners, stated, “Gilbert, along with McKinney and Roberson, are being prosecuted because they ‘stood up to the government,’ and Robinson lied to investigators about the conspiracy,” as reported by AL.com. Bull! According to some long-time leaders, Balch appears to have never stood up to the government, but instead navigated easily through the halls of power, be it in Washington or Montgomery. But the biggest laugh from observers is the notion Balch would have never hired Robinson if they knew he…

The criminal trial hasn’t started yet, but the hardball legal tactics for jury selection by the defense attorneys for the two indicted Balch & Bingham partners has even caused the federal judge to shake his head. Pulitzer prize-winning journalist John Archibald writes: A member of the jury pool, it had been learned, works at Balch & Bingham, the same law firm that employs defendants Joel Gilbert and Steve McKinney. You’d think that would be enough to let her go, in the interest of fairness. But a lawyer for the defense was not willing to concede that fact alone was enough to…

Jury selection continues Tuesday morning with the criminal trial against two Balch & Bingham partners expected to start after lunch according to our courtroom observers. The defendants looked pale on Monday. We will be posting interesting developments and observations from our sources on a daily basis. Word on the street is Balch & Bingham could be facing another scandal that could overshadow the trial. We are told RICO attorneys are eagerly awaiting the intricate details of Balch’s internal conduct. And there are rumblings about another possible exodus at the once prestigious silk-stocking law firm. Let’s get ready to rumble!

On the eve of today’s criminal trial of two Balch & Bingham partners, the attorney for disgraced politician Oliver Robinson fought back against a subpoena from the criminal defendants seeking communications between Robinson and his attorneys, Robinson or his attorneys and the FBI, and Robinson or his attorneys and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In his Motion to Quash the subpeona filed Friday afternoon, attorney Richard S. Jaffe writes, “To provide such information would require his attorneys to divuldge confidential information that is protected by the attorney-client privilege.” Jaffe goes on to call the subpoena “overly broad and unreasonable.” Observers are…

With a Chief Compliance Officer on mute, a Star Chamber held in secret, and probes of the firm and their clients, Balch & Bingham goes to federal court today with baggage, damaging baggage, ready to be exposed. Birmingham’s ABC News affiliate reports: The U.S. Attorney’s office plans to spend two to three weeks calling its witnesses. A prosecutor told Judge Abdul Kalaan he has close to 40 witnesses he may call. What does that mean? This will be a meticulous and long trial with the inticrate internal details of Balch exposed. While both indicted Balch partners, Joel Gilbert and Steven…

Last October, we asked, who on Balch’s Executive Committee knew about the bribery scheme? It was in a way prophetic. The federal judge’s order against the motion to bifurcate the case not only revealed that Drummond Executive David Roberson has a realistic chance of being acquitted,  but it also revealed others at Balch knew about the alleged bribery scheme. The judge writes: Defendant Gilbert testified before the grand jury that he discussed the legality of the Defendants’ agreement with Robinson’s Foundation “internally with [his law firm’s] ethics people,” who concluded that it was lawful. Additionally, Gilbert told the grand jury that…

David Roberson, the Drummond Company executive who was indicted along with Balch & Bingham partners Steven McKinney and Joel Gilbert, has a realistic chance of being acquitted while his two former legal counselors could end up convicted for the Oliver Robinson Bribery Scheme. Although Roberson’s legal team lost their motion to bifurcate the case, the district judge wrote in his order: But, as the Government notes, when [Gilbert and McKinney] testified before the grand jury neither codefendant could recall specific discussions with Roberson regarding the legality of the agreement with [Oliver] Robinson or about the decision to hire Robinson’s Foundation.…

Maybe some thought the Three Musketeers would walk through the courtroom doors on June 25th screaming, “All for one, one for all!” But this criminal trial is not a movie; the reality is there are two trials wrapped in one: one against the Balch & Bingham partners Joel Gilbert and Steven McKinney, and another against the Drummond executive David Roberson. Our sources confirm that Drummond is allegedly furious at Balch & Bingham for engaging the company in an illegal, criminal scheme.  The anger allegedly is weighed more against Gilbert than McKinney. Why the anger? As we reported before, our sources…

Just imagine if the Drummond executive’s honesty,  hard work and integrity are contrasted before a jury against the alleged abhorrent and unprofessional conduct by Balch in the Newsome Conspiracy Case. [ This post originally was published on December 14, 2017. Because the defendants recently lost their motion to bifurcate the case into two separate criminal cases, the case will be even more interesting to watch come June 25th.] On September 28, 2017 when two Balch & Bingham partners were indicted along with an executive at Drummond Company, Inc. in the Oliver Robinson Bribery Scandal, Drummond issued the following statement: When…

As the criminal trial against Balch & Bingham partners Joel I. Gilbert and Steven McKinney set to start on Monday, June 25th with jury selection, the question observers have is will either of them flip and take a plea deal? We had reported after the indictments for the $360,000 bribery scheme were handed down that there had been speculation that due to his age, maybe McKinney would become a federal witness instead of facing a literal life sentence in federal prison. Now there is speculation that Gilbert may cut a deal since he is at the prime of his life…

Today marks one year since Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Archibald and Kyle Whitmire of the Alabama Media Group broke the story about the Oliver Robinson bribery scandal. Now for an update. The indicted Balch & Bingham partners, Steven McKinney and Joel I. Gilbert, lost a preliminary court fight, and will head to a criminal jury trial next month. Bloomberg reported this week: A jury will decide whether a corporate executive and two Alabama lawyers bribed a state legislator to head off a company’s Superfund liability, a federal court in Alabama ruled May 4. The defendants allegedly sought to forestall potential…