Left In Alabama

Beth Chapman and her Ethics (I know I'm days late)

by: gradyw

Mon Dec 08, 2008 at 23:32:32 PM CST


( - promoted by mooncat)

Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman paid her company and her family out of her campaign funds in 2006. An ethics report was subsequently filed and Chapman was cleared of any ethics violations. While technically not a violation of any state law or ethics law, Chapman showed her lack of judgment and personal ethics.

These payments came after the election. You can view the 2007 expenditures that Chapman made.

Chapman was elected in 2006. Here are the payments made after the election in 2007. Essentially bonuses for winning.


1. She paid her teenage sons Taylor and Thatcher  $1,000 each on February 24, 2007.

2. She paid Beth Chapman and Associates $10,000 on March 31, 2007. Not marked as a loan repayment but administrative fees of $10,000.

3. She paid Taylor $2,000 again on June 26, 2007

4. She paid Beth Chapman and Associates another $3,252.37 on July 27, 2007

5. And She Gave Beth Chapman and Associates an Early Christmas bonus on December 1, 2007 for $2,500.

I'm trying to figure out what kind of campaign work could have been performed months after the election. If the payments were for legitimate work I question why would it not have been paid and reported earlier.

gradyw :: Beth Chapman and her Ethics (I know I'm days late)

I have obvious concerns in the money being paid months after the election. I'm just not sure why one check could not be written to Chapman and associates for all the work. I would also like to see if she had invoices for the work performed.

 The Birmingham News questions Chapman's judgment in an editorial today.  I am not sure that they went far in enough in their criticism.


What's more troubling is that Chapman began doing this when she was state auditor. Chapman paid her husband $10,000 on April 12, 2003.  Again several months after the campaign concluded and there was no purpose of expenditure marked.

Chapman knew what she could get away with. While I certainly fault her, I think that the real culprit is once again the Alabama State Legislature. I'm not sure how this went unnoticed in 2003, but it certainly did and will again unless laws are enacted to make this illegal.

Tags: , , , (All Tags)
Print Friendly View Send As Email
The most entertaining thing about this (4.00 / 1)

is who Chapman hired for an attorney: Bobby Segall (a past president of the ACLU of Alabama). Segall has also served as a cooperating attorney on several cases for the ACLU of Alabama (although he's not an "ACLU lawyer").

hmmmm... guess when you're in trouble, you go for the very best.  Still, it's suprising that a woman who gave this speech just a few years ago would be palling around with depending on someone with ties to an organization that has sued her in a voting rights case and works with an organization that Chapman and her ilk find deluded at best and anti-American at worst.

In case you can't stomach the entire speech, here are a few tidbits:

Tonight, I say we should support the President of the United States and the U.S. military and tell the liberal, tree-hugging, hippy, Birkenstock wearing, tie-dyed liberals to go make their movies and music and whine somewhere else.

---- snip ----

America has remained silent too long. God-fearing people have remained silent too long.

We must lift our voices united in a humble prayer to God for guidance and the strength and courage to sustain us throughout whatever the future may hold.

After the tragic events of Sept. 11th, my then eleven-year-old son said terrorism is a war against us and them and if you're not one of us, then you're one of them.

So, I'm guessing "they" don't look too bad to either Chapman (or her son) when her butt is on the line.

Chapman runs with the same folks who think that the Christian Coalition of Alabama is "too liberal," and has, in fact, "been taken hostage by those who do not support the same family values the average Alabamian supports.”

It's a tribute to Chapman's committment to self and political preservation that she'd be willing to pal around with hire one of the best attorneys in the state - even if he has ties to the ACLU.



Never try to teach a pig to sing.  It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

LOL! (4.00 / 1)
I've just picked myself up off the floor after falling out of my chair laughing at someone thinking the Christian Coalition is too liberal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ Parent ]
C'mon, Alabama. We can catch up to Illinois, if we try. (4.00 / 1)
There are lots of corrupt things we could be doing that we haven't even thought of yet.  Beth is certainly doing her share.

A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead  


Not to forget ... (4.00 / 1)
 

... that Bobby Segall is the father of recent Democratic Congressional nominee Josh Segall, and at one point in the numerous legal assaults on Don Siegelman, represented Don.



PREMIUM AD

blog advertising is good for you

Go to Left in Alabama's Flickr Photostream!



Candidates
Alabama Democratic Party

Governor:
Artur Davis
Ron Sparks
Congress, AL-07:
Martha Bozeman
Earl Hilliard
Terri Sewell
Shelia Smoot
Eddison Walters
Alabama Attorney General:
Michel Nicrosi
Alabama State Treasurer:
Jeremy Sherer
Public Service Commission:
Susan Parker, PSC Place 2
Alabama House of Rep.:
Patricia Todd, HD54
Susan Pace Hamill, HD63

CALENDAR
February 2010
(view month)
S M T W R F S
* 01 02 03 04 05 06
07 08 09 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 * * * * * *
<< (add event) >>

SEARCH




Advanced Search



A community blog for progressive politics, ideas and current events in Alabama. Register now to join the conversation.


MENU
- Mobile

Make a New Account

Username:

Password:



Forget your username or password?


Contact us:





Please take our Blog Reader Project survey.

Support Left in Alabama

RealityCheckIcon H/C Fact Check Card Click to download the DCCC Fact Check Card 


STANDARD ADS

T.H.E. Social Work Agency
Adoption home studies & care management services in the North Alabama area.
Licensed, certified, caring social workers.


blog advertising is good for you



Arise Daily News
ALABAMA BLOGS
9 Numbers
Alabama Democratic Party Blog
Beitel Blog
Bessemer Opinions
Birmingham Blues
Birmingham Science Examiner
Blue Dots in Alabama
Doc's Political Parlor
Fishbowl America
freeThinkBham
Goat Hill News
The Haze Filter
Hard Boiled Dreams of the World
King Cockfight
Legal Schnauzer
Loretta Nall
New England Sketches
OsborneInk
Peace Takes Courage
The Peanut Butter and Jelly Chronicles
Rancho Spenardo
Reasonable Words
Red State Diaries
The Snake Pit
The World Around You
Thomason Tracts
Thoughts & Rants of an Independent
Time is Spherical, Not Linear
Watch for Snakes n ~~Scottsboro~~
WriteChic Press

ALABAMA RESOURCES
ACLU of Alabama
Alabama Arise
Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform
Alabama Conservationist
Alabama Democratic Conference
Alabama Democratic Party
Alabama Federation of Democratic Women
Alabama Hotline
Alabama Legislature
Alabama Poverty Project
Alabama Secretary of State's Office
Blue River Democrats
Equality Alabama
Greater Birmingham Ministries
Initiative and Referendum
League of Women Voters of Alabama
Madison County Democrats
Madison County Democratic Women
Marshall County Democrats
Over the Mountain Democrats
Rocket City Democrats

SOUTHERN BLOGS
Blue Oklahoma
Burnt Orange Report
Daily Kingfish
Facing South
From a Buick
KnoxViews
Media Gadfly
The Old Black Church
Pine Belt Progressive
Progressive Electorate
plezWorld
Tondee's Tavern
West Virginia Blue

BLOGROLL
African American Political Pundit
AmericaBlog
An Examination of Free Will
Bartcop
Bitch Ph.D.
Blog for Rural America
Blogs United
Blue Gal
Booman Tribune
Chris Mooney
Corrente
Crooks and Liars
Daily Diatribes
Daily Kos
Docudharma
EENR Blog
Eschaton
Firedoglake
First Draft
FiveThirtyEight
Gun Toting Liberal
Hullabaloo
Jack and Jill
Juan Cole
The Left Coaster
The Mississippifarian
MyDD
My Left Wing
Notion's Capital
Oliver Willis
Open Left
Orcinus
Plush Life
Political Cortex
Riverbend
Scoobie Davis
Senate Guru
Spocko's Brain
Swing State Project
Suburban Guerilla
Talk To Action
Talking Points Memo
The Airport Report
The Field Negro
Think Progress
US Politics News


RESOURCES
2010 racetracker
Center for American Progress
Follow the Money
In Their Boots
Opensecrets
Pew Research Center
Progressive States Network
CONSERVATIVES
Jon Swift
Flashpoint
Right in Alabama

Subscribe

 Subscribe in a reader

Subscribe in NewsGator Online

Add to Excite MIX

Subscribe in FeedLounge

Subscribe in Bloglines

Add to My AOL

Add Left In Alabama - Front Page to Newsburst from CNET News.com

Add to Google Reader or Homepage

Powered by FeedBurner

Add to Technorati Favorites


Powered by: SoapBlox