Did Balch Use or Abuse Alabama Power?

As we reviewed the Robinson Bribery Case, which involves a bribery scheme surrounding the North Birmingham CERCLA/Superfund site, we found an interesting fact that we believe may cause another Balch client, Alabama Power, to scream foul.

Former Balch lobbyist Jeffrey H. Wood, the current acting Assistant U.S. Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources whose nomination we successfully blocked, met with congressional staff or members on Capitol Hill in 2016, around the time of the alleged bribery scheme.

According to lobbying disclosure reports, Wood met on Capitol Hill to discuss CERCLA/Superfund laws and policies in the second quarter and third quarters of 2016.

According to those same reports, he was representing Alabama Power.

That raises two worrisome questions:

Did Balch bill Alabama Power for services and intelligence gathering for another client?

Or was Alabama Power (even at arms length) involved in the alleged scheme to suppress African Americans from getting their toxic property tested?

Mark Crosswhite, CEO and President of Alabama Power should call Balch and demand answers.

According to Drummond, Balch appears to have offered bad legal advice which caused one of their executives to be indicted along with two Balch partners.

We’re sure the leaders at Alabama Power or their parent company, Southern Company, have no desire to join the trio.

What will they do?