BRADENTON, Fla. — Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard faces 23 felony ethics law violations after being indicted by a grand jury on Monday.
Hubbard, 52, R-Lee County, surrendered to special agents of the Attorney General's Office in Lee County. He has denied the charges.
According to a nine-page indictment, Hubbard allegedly used his office for personal gain, and solicited payments and items of value.
The charges include four counts of Hubbard using of his office as chairman of the Alabama Republican Party for personal gain, one count of conflict interest involving legislation he voted for, 11 counts of soliciting or receiving something of value from a lobbyist or principal, two counts of using his office for personal gain, four counts of lobbying an executive department or agency for a fee, and one count of using state equipment for private gain.
Three charges involve payments that allegedly came from a public utility, the indictment said.
If convicted, Hubbard could face a maximum penalty up to 20 years in prison, and fines up to $30,000 for each count, prosecutors said.
"Political persecution of Mike Hubbard began today... Two weeks before Election Day," Hubbard said on a
The posting included a video where Hubbard called the charges against him a "political witch hunt" that has dragged on for two years.
"I know, and the people of Lee County know, that this is politics at its worst," he said.
Hubbard has been speaker of the House since December 2010, and a representative since 1998. He is seeking reelection Nov. 4.
In a statement posted on the Alabama GOP website, current party chairman Bill Armistead also questioned the timing of Hubbard's indictment shortly before the election.
"No one needs to rush to judgment," Armistead said. "Right now, all we have is a list of charges everybody in our system of justice who is accused of a crime is presumed innocent and must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in order to be convicted."
