Democratic congressional candidate Peter Joffrion has refused corporate PAC contributions and calls on his opponent, Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, to return $30,000 in money he took from PACs associated with Drummond Company, Birmingham based law firm, Balch & Bingham and convicted felons David Roberson and Joel Gilbert.
David Roberson and Joel Gilbert were convicted of conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering in their effort to stop the EPA from expanding and prioritizing a Superfund site in North Birmingham. The EPA claims that they need to clean up industrial pollution in neighborhoods and playgrounds in North Birmingham and Tarrant.
Balch & Bigham represented Drummond Co. in their effort to stop the 35th Avenue Site from being added to the National Priority List. Drummond is the owner of ABC Coke that was one of the companies that allegedly were responsible for polluting the area with coal dust, ash, and other alleged pollutants.
Every member of the Alabama Republican delegation, including Brooks, signed on to a letter asking the EPA to halt efforts to clean the neighborhoods up. Then Governor Robert Bentley, Attorney General Luther Strange, and overwhelming bipartisan super majorities of both Houses of the Alabama Legislature all opposed EPA’s efforts to expand and prioritize the 35th Avenue site.
U.S. Attorney Jay Town told the Alabama Political Reporter that there was no evidence of a wider conspiracy and that the other partners at Balch & Bingham and executives at Drummond were unaware that Roberson and Gilbert had bribed State Representative Oliver Robinson, D-Birmingham, and were innocent dupes in the matter.
“While hard working North Alabamians are trying to make ends meet and deal with the rising costs of healthcare, my opponent is courting special interests whose agendas often undermine the people of North Alabama—special interests, for instance, that expose fellow Alabamians to toxic waste,” Joffrion stated.
Joffrion claims that Mo Brooks has taken $1.41 million in special interest money.
“My campaign is refusing to accept corporate PAC donations because DC elite culture allows lobbyists to call the shots,” Joffrion added. “I am not corrupt. I am not tied to corruption. I will stand up for the citizens of North Alabama and protect the future of our children and our great country, not lobbyists and special interest groups.”
Joffrion’s campaign has received over 30,000 individual contributions. The average contribution is $10.
Peter Joffrion is a retired Huntsville City Attorney. He is very active in his Church.
The Fifth Congressional District covers most of North Alabama, including Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Morgan and most of Jackson Counties.
CD5 has been in Republican hands then incumbent Rep. Parker Griffith switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party’s in 2010. Mo Brooks, a former prosecutor, state representative, and county commissioner, defeated Griffith in the 2010 GOP primary. Rep. Griffith was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Alabama in 2014.
The general election will be on November 6.
