Bedford asks for apology from state GOP leadership
By Staff
Jonathan Willis
State Sen. Roger Bedford issued a statement this week asking for an apology from the state's Republican Party.
Republicans had raised issues over whether or not two nonprofit organizations that Bedford helped set up were being properly oversaw.
Audits by the Alabama Examiners of Public Accounts found no misuse of funds on behalf of the Marion County Community Development Association or the West Alabama Development Association of Fayette County.
The audits showed that most of the $800,000 appropriated to the two associations since 2006 has not been spent and that none of the funds spent so far went to lawyers or payment of staff.
Questions about use of the nonprofit funds came to light in November when Republican leaders learned no audits had been done on the two associations.
Both were set up with legislation in 2006 to extend the state coal severance tax for Jefferson, Tuscaloosa and Walker counties with coal mining operations.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman and House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard, of Auburn, and Senate Minority Leader Jabo Waggoner, of Vestavia Hills, learned required state audits had not been done. The two called for an investigation by the attorney general and the Alabama Ethics Commission if the audits uncovered any wrongdoing.
With clean audits for both groups released, however, Bedford said grant applications from schools, volunteer fire departments and communities in both counties can proceed.
"The audit findings prove what I said all along: that every penny of this money goes directly to the people of my district to meet the needs of the people of my district," Bedford said.
"There is no overhead, no waste, and every action is transparent, open and accountable to the people of Alabama. This revenue also rightly belongs to the people of my area as compensation for the use of their natural resources. There is not a hint of anything improper in this audit.
"My hope is that these excellent audit findings will get the same amount of media coverage as the blatantly false Republican charges did concerning this fund."
