By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Friday evening the Candidate Committee of the Alabama Republican Party voted to remove disgraced Judicial Candidate Chuck Hunter from the Party’s ballot. The prominent Birmingham attorney and Jefferson County judicial candidate was arrested on Wednesday by the Hoover Police Department for charges involving soliciting a minor for sex. The 58 year old attorney is being held without bond in the Jefferson County jail awaiting a hearing on Monday. The Committee had asked for Mr. Hunter to withdraw from the race.
Alabama GOP Executive Director T.J. Maloney told ‘The Alabama Political Reporter’ that the Alabama Republican Party could no longer wait for the jailed candidate to withdraw from the race.
In a Friday Night statement the Alabama Republican Party announced that they had rejected an offer from Mr. Hunter through his attorney that he would withdraw from the race if the Republican Candidate Committee refunded him his qualifying fee. The Candidate Committee voted to remove Mr. Hunter anyway and not refund the money.
The Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee Brent Latta had formally challenged Mr. Hunter’s candidacy. The motion was supported by a letter from Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead.
Chuck Hunter is 58 years old. He is being held on felony charges of traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act and for electronic solicitation of a child.
On Thursday Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead called on Mr. Hunter to withdraw “in light of recent developments and coupled with Mr. Hunter’s previous support of candidates and issues in opposition to the values of the Republican Party.”
Mr. Hunter was running against incumbent Democrat Houston Brown for the 10th Circuit Court Judge, Place 11 in Jefferson County.
The written statement from Republican Party Communications Coordinator Shana J. Kluck concluded: “The Alabama Republican Party strongly condemns the activities in which Mr. Hunter allegedly engaged.”
