By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—In a new attack ad on the former Auburn Executive Director of Government Affairs, Buddy Michell and candidate Sandy Toomer, Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard hurls insults with abandon.
It also prominently displays the Auburn University insignia, with a voiceover that says Sandy Toomer took thousands of dollars from “special interests” to attack Mike Hubbard.
Toomer’s attorney, former Attorney General Troy King, has notified Auburn of the unauthorized use of the insignia by Hubbard.
The new ad by Hubbard is in response to the revelation by Mitchell that he assisted Hubbard in a bid rigging scheme that cost Auburn University millions in revenue.
In a letter to Lee Armstrong, Auburn’s general council , King points out that Hubbard, “has released a defamatory attack advertisement that prominently displays the Auburn University emblem.” He goes further to say, “Although I assume that this is an unauthorized use of Auburn’s insignia, it projects the appearance that Auburn University has tacitly, if not explicitly, endorsed Speaker Hubbard’s campaign, this ad, and the message it delivers.”
King also demands that “Auburn immediately take steps to compel Speaker Hubbard to cease his unauthorized and illegal use of Auburn and its trademarked emblems and insignia for political gain.” He warns that, “failure to do so immediately will lead to the Toomer campaign imputing the defamatory statements (and the damage they causes) contained in this advertisement to Auburn University.”
There is no word of Auburn’s response, as of this report.
In the attack ad, Hubbard once again refers to Mitchell as a “disgraced lobbyist”, and even calls him a liberal. But Hubbard offers no proof in his attack, only accusations.
In fact, Mitchell’s entire career he only served as a lobbyist for Auburn University. To accuse him of working as a liberal would be like accusing the University of being liberal.
Mitchell, in a sworn affidavit, said that he assisted Hubbard in his unlawful actions, and Mitchell’s attorney has notified Hubbard, that he must retract his defamatory statements or face court proceedings.
Hubbard has yet to boldly proclaim innocence in the matter, choosing rather to make unfounded accusations against Mitchell.
Hubbard also says that his Republican opponent Toomer, is a “liberal” who is attacking, “conservative” Mike Hubbard. The words, “liberal and special interest,” are used so often by Hubbard, it’s a wonder anyone still pays attention to him.
Finally, Hubbard proclaims that Toomer will, “say anything, do anything, to get elected.”
Many would say they same thing about Hubbard.
