-
The Next David Roberson? Southern Company Sell-Off Begins
David Roberson, the “fall guy” for the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal, was well-respected and beloved in Alabama’s highest circles until he was allegedly betrayed by his “friends” at Balch & Bingham and co-workers at Drummond Company. Balch & Bingham, who has declared in court filings that they “owed no duty” to Roberson, not even to tell him the truth, has been stung for their arrogance and battered reputation. The corrupt scheme of targeting poor black children and allegedly bribing their parents with $50 gift cards from Burlington Coat Factory was born at the offices of Balch & Bingham. In the…
-
Three Hour Hearing and Setback for Balch Stooges
Yesterday afternoon, Balch & Bingham stooges Trey Glenn and Scott Phillips had a three hour court hearing in their criminal trial for ethics violations related to the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal. And you won’t believe who was seated in the court gallery: Alabama Power’s criminal attorney. After all the acrobatic and sensational circus antics had cleared, Judge Stephen C. Wallace signed an order calling on prosecutors to give more specific details on each of the criminal charges. Prosecutors will not have a problem complying with the order, insiders tell us, and the work product from the order will strongly demonstrate…
-
Newsome Conspiracy Case, Russian Sanctions Website Scrub, Southern Company, Spotlight on Balch & Bingham
Balch & Bingham Dooms Jeff Sessions
When he was a U.S. Senator, Jeff Sessions’ number 1 and number 2 lifetime political donors were, respectively, the sister-wives, Siamese twins of Alabama: Alabama Power and Balch & Bingham. Once the most powerful politician in Alabama, 68% of his party’s voters picked another candidate instead of Sessions on Super Tuesday. Why has Sessions, who came in second, been so bluntly rejected? Because of his ties to Balch & Bingham and the corruption born at the embattled law firm. Fox News reports: President Trump has little sympathy for former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who now faces a runoff election after failing…
-
Balch’s Half-Baked Deposition Talk of Legal Circles; Town Forever Tarred
While embattled law firm Balch & Bingham was foolishly boasting of increasing their Houston “office” from a footprint of one-and-a-half lawyers to a whopping two-and-a-half lawyers, legal circles were abuzz about the half-baked deposition used in an attempt to screw over Burt Newsome in the Newsome Conspiracy Case. The well-read blog Legal Schnauzer writes about the farce of a deposition and Verizon’s alleged expert: At the beginning of the deposition, [alleged Verizon employee Jason] Forman had no attorney present to represent him and object, if necessary to certain question. The normal process … is to have an attorney present, who…
-
Newsome Conspiracy Case, North Birmingham Bribery Case, Southern Company, Spotlight on Balch & Bingham
U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town’s Alleged Dirty Work for Balch Exposed
In Alabama, there is no such thing as a coincidence. As observers we cannot believe the sheer stupidity of operatives who work for or are associated with the alleged unsavory conduct of Balch & Bingham or Balch’s sister-wife Alabama Power. Some of these goons think they are above the law, never to be caught or reprimanded. And the explosive, jaw-dropping photographs of U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town chugging down drinks with Alabama Power Chairman and CEO Mark A. Crosswhite, a former Balch partner, confirms a dubious relationship and affirms the belief that Town’s integrity is lacking. Now Balch’s alleged Tour…
-
Unindicted Masterminds? Alabama Power Briefed Regularly
The tiny environmental group GASP, the alleged intended target of the “brilliant” North Birmingham bribery scheme, is digging into the federal criminal trial evidence from 2018 meticulously. And what have they found? More evidence that appears to show that Alabama Power was being regularly briefed about the scheme. Unindicted co-conspirators or unindicted masterminds? In an email from July 2015, Balch-made millionaire Joel I. Gilbert tells his Balch colleague Steven McKinney to forward the “dues invoice” to Alabama Power’s point person, Matt Bowden, writing “we need to probably update him soon on new developments.” Is it no wonder that now, today…
-
Balch & Bingham’s Atlanta Office Could Join Mega-Merger: Troutman Pepper
They hurt. They really hurt. The embarrassing and compromising photos of Balch & Bingham’s former partner and now CEO of sister-wife Alabama Power Mark A. Crosswhite apparently paying for drinks with Birmingham’s U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town has rocked the establishment in Birmingham. Making a mockery of the legal system and affirming the feeling of blatant corruption behind closed doors, the photos illustrate why numerous, high-caliber, money-making partners with spectacular reputations have left the embattled law firm, including legacy partner Jesse S. Vogtle, Jr. In recent days, Balch & Bingham has tried pathetically to put a happy face on all…
-
Fallout: Crosswhite Out as Chair of Business Council of Alabama
Last Tuesday, insiders at the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) gave us a heads up that something was going to happen after the jaw-dropping photographs of Alabama Power CEO Mark Crosswhite and U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town surfaced showing them having drinks at the Moon Shine Lounge. As another observer told us vulgarly about the bombshell photographs: “No f***ing caption needed.” On Thursday, Mark A. Crosswhite was replaced as Chair of the powerful business group after only having served as chair since late 2018. The group went through turmoil in the summer of 2018 when Crosswhite successfully spearheaded the move…
-
Secret Deal? Alabama Power was “Unmentionable” During Corruption Trial
The fallout over the jaw-dropping photos of Mark Crosswhite’s meeting with U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town has shattered the glass house and loosened tight lips. We learned yesterday about the alleged secret deal between Alabama Power and Town: During the criminal trial of Balch & Bingham partner Joel I. Gilbert and Drummond executive David Roberson in July of 2018, criminal defense attorneys were allegedly instructed not to mention Alabama Power or their ties to the money laundering entity Alliance for Jobs and the Economy (AJE) without first clearing it with Alabama Power’s criminal attorney. The secret deal is an absolute…
-
Newsome Conspiracy Case, North Birmingham Bribery Case, Southern Company, Spotlight on Balch & Bingham
Jaw-Dropping Photos: Mark A. Crosswhite’s Meeting with U.S. Attorney Rocks Alabama Power
Stuffed in an unmarked, unlabeled manila envelope, several 8 X 10 photos appear to confirm what ex-Drummond Company Executive and “fall guy” David Roberson has repeatedly declared: Before Roberson was indicted, his friend Mike Cole had told Roberson that Cole and Alabama Power’s CEO Mark A. Crosswhite had a meeting with the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, Jay E. Town. Crosswhite was attempting to allegedly quash the prosecution of anyone who had been accused of bribing disgraced politician Oliver Robinson. Town allegedly replied that he was confirmed too late to kill the North Birmingham Bribery prosecution and…
-
Crippling Blow: Vogtle and Three Seasoned Partners Leave Balch & Bingham
A crippling blow: Jesse S. Vogtle, Jr., the long-time Balch & Bingham partner, and three of his fellow partners have left the embattled firm, according to a report this late afternoon in the Birmingham Business Journal. Vogtle symbolized the longtime relationship between Alabama Power and Balch & Bingham. Vogtle was at Balch for over 31 years and has now joined Nashville-based Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP along with his colleagues Randolph H. Lanier, Eric T. Ray, and Paul H. Greenwood. Vogtle’s grandfather, Alvin W. Vogtle, had been the Chairman and President of Southern Company, Alabama Power’s parent company, before…
-
Newsome Conspiracy Case, North Birmingham Bribery Case, Southern Company, Spotlight on Balch & Bingham
Untouchable?Crosswhite’s Alleged Secret Deal, Secret Meeting
We learned recently that many of the emails that convicted felon and Balch-made millionaire Joel I. Gilbert wrote giving updates on the bribery/AstroTurf scheme in North Birmingham were sent to Alabama Power executives. David Roberson, who was convicted of participating in the bribery scheme, was simply cc’d. (See the exhibit from the criminal trial below.) So was Balch & Bingham’s siamese twin, sister-wife Alabama Power really calling the shots as a major backer of the money laundering entity Alliance for Jobs and the Economy (AJE)? What would be the motive for Alabama Power to be allegedly involved in this corrupt…
-
Newsome Conspiracy Case, North Birmingham Bribery Case, RICO, Southern Company, Spotlight on Balch & Bingham
As Balch Tries to Rehab, Documentary Highlights Alleged “Legacy of Pure Evil”
On Friday, Brian Rell, who served as Congressman Robert Aderholt’s chief of staff for over a decade, jumped over to Balch & Bingham to rehabilitate their operations in Washington, D.C. Due in part to our efforts to educate the public and corporate leaders, Balch has lost 17 of 18 major D.C. lobbying clients and millions in fees. While Balch has hired an experienced and high-caliber Washington-insider, the question is: will major corporations want to be associated with a law firm allegedly engaged in institutional racism and the suppression of African-Americans in North Birmingham? With the criminal appeal hearing of ex-Drummond…
-
No Exit Plan as Balch Drags Alabama Power Into the Manure Lagoon
When the Board of Directors of Alabama Power’s parent company, Southern Company, discusses future leadership, Mark A. Crosswhite, the CEO of Alabama Power, will probably be forever associated with the unsavory conduct, foolish antics, and baggage of Balch & Bingham, even though he left the firm years ago. The foolish leadership at Balch & Bingham appear to treat Crosswhite as their subordinate, not as a valued Chief Executive Officer of Alabama Power. Will Crosswhite be crossed-off as a possible successor to Southern Company’s current CEO Thomas A. Fanning? Balch looks like they never have thought about the consequences and detrimental…
-
La Paz: Crosswhite and Roberson Bump Into Each Other
Why couldn’t Mark A. Crosswhite, the “most powerful man in Alabama,” bring closure to the matter at hand? A few months ago Alabama Power CEO Mark A. Crosswhite and ex-Drummond executive David Roberson bumped into each other at La Paz Restaurant in Crestline. Allegedly Crosswhite told Roberson if there was anything he could do, Crosswhite would be happy to help. Roberson took Crosswhite for his word and a few days later dispatched an email to the “most powerful man in Alabama,” allegedly asking Crosswhite to get Balch & Bingham and Drummond to settle the $50 million lawsuit. Roberson never received…
