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GOP leader doesn’t buy Pam Bondi’s latest excuse for not releasing Epstein files

It’s been nearly 70 days since U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi promised the public a release of the files in the Jeffrey Epstein case.

It took a skeptical remark from a top Republican congressman to force her to explain why she hasn’t followed through.

“There are tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn and there are hundreds of victims,” Bondi told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. “And no one victim will ever get released. It’s just the volume and that’s what they’re going through right now. The FBI is diligently going through that.”

Bondi was responding to newly expressed doubts from Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, who told a MAGA-friendly podcaster he does not believe the Justice Department is in possession of the records detailing the high-profile sex-trafficking case.

“The attorney general does not have them or she would’ve turned them over. The president ordered them released, the attorney general ordered them released. We all know they have not been released,” Comer told Benny Johnson in an interview that aired Tuesday.

Without presenting any evidence, the Kentucky congressman expressed fear that Justice Department staffers in the previous administration destroyed relevant documents that could imperil political and Hollywood elites who associated with Epstein.

But Bondi poured cold water on that theory, explaining that time — not a conspiracy — was the reason the files have yet to see the light of day.

Presented with Bondi’s comments, a Comer aide maintained that, “Over the years, possible Deep State actors within the DOJ may not have preserved all Epstein documents.”

Bondi last promised the release of Epstein files in February, mentioning that the disclosure would include “a lot of flight logs, a lot of names.” But on the following day, documents distributed to a handful of right-wing influencers consisted of largely previously available materials, offering little new information.

The attorney general then accused the FBI’s New York office of withholding thousands of pages, ordering the transfer of a “truckload” of documents for the FBI to review.

Conservatives quickly lambasted Bondi for broken promises.

“The Epstein file thing was a disaster. They embarrassed themselves. They stepped on a rake for no apparent reason,” said Megyn Kelly, a loyal Trump administration cheerleader, at the time.

The Epstein case received a burst of new scrutiny last month after the apparent suicide of Virginia Giuffre, who provided pivotal testimony that exposed the extent of Epstein’s sex-trafficking network. Giuffre’s lawsuit against Epstein friend Ghislaine Maxwell led to the unsealing of numerous court documents, shedding greater light on Epstein’s operations and associations.

Epstein reportedly took his own life in a New York jail cell and Maxwell is currently incarcerated at a correctional facility in Tallahassee, serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking and offenses related to Epstein.

Glenn Greenwald, the journalist and civil liberties advocate, posted Wednesday that he takes Bondi at her word that the FBI is reviewing a tranche of videos, but added that she should reveal if Epstein had any ties to the government.

Alexander Acosta, the former U.S. Attorney in Florida who oversaw Epstein’s controversial 2008 plea deal, reportedly stated during his vetting for a Trump administration position that he was told Epstein “belonged to intelligence.”

“We should, however, find out — and quickly — if Epstein worked with or for any specific intelligence agencies,” Greenwald said.

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General

Nick Saban to co-chair Trump’s commission on college sports, targets NIL

Nick Saban is adding another job to his resume.

The former ESPN analyst – and former Alabama coach – is expected to co-chair President Donald Trump’s commission on college sports, ”The Athletic” is reporting.

The report comes not long after The Wall Street Journal reports Saban urged Trump to get involved in NIL discussions. Per the Journal:

“Trump met with Saban on Thursday night when he was in Tuscaloosa to deliver the University of Alabama’s commencement address. Saban talked about “NIL” deals with Trump, telling the president how he believed the influx of money had damaged college sports.”

The Journal, citing people familiar with the meeting, reports Trump agreed with Saban and would look at crafting an executive order. In addition, Saban proposed “reforming” NIL, saying it is causing an uneven playing field.

According to The Athletic, the other co-chair will be a “prominent businessman with deep ties to college athletics.”

Yahoo Sports first reported Trump’s plans to form a commission focused on college sports.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

General

Dismissed felonies, Saban’s possible next thing: Down in Alabama

Hanceville police update

Back in March, the Hanceville Police Department was disbanded by the city. A grand jury found the department had a “culture of corruption.” The police chief, four officers and an officer’s wife were arrested.

Cullman County DA Champ Crocker said that an audit of the department’s evidence locker showed that evidence was missing. Allegations against those arrested include on-duty drug injections, misuse of criminal databases and distribution of controlled substances.

Which raised the question … what about the cases involving all this allegedly compromised evidence?

AL.com’s Patrick Darrington reports that the same grand jury that handed down the indictments reconvened last month and voted to dismiss 58 felony cases.

Crocker said 249 packages of evidence (out of 650 filed by the department) had no associated case number. He said 30 of the 96 guns in the evidence room were undocumented. He said that 78 evidence bags had been torn open and that pills, meth, cocaine and a pistol were missing.

Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer has said that the city will rebuild the police department “from the ground up,” and the city council has voted to begin that process.

Presidential work

Former Alabama football coach and current ESPN analyst Nick Saban just might play a role in the new presidential commission on college athletics, reports AL.com’s William Thornton.

Yahoo! Sports reported that President Trump’s commission will study the transfer portal, payments to players, employment status, revenue sharing, Title IX, TV contracts, conference alignments and maybe more.

Watch for a possible presidential executive order soon.

Last week the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump and Saban met last week, and since then the president has been considering such an executive order.

Less money for Sidewalk

The executive director of the Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema said this year’s Sidewalk Film Festival is still on after a $25,000 federal grant was pulled, reports AL.com’s Mary Colurso.

Chloe Cook said Sidewalk’s grant had been approved by this past fall and then in January the NEA gave Sidewalk permission to announce the grant.

But on May 2, an email notice went out from the NEA saying funds were being terminated. Those emails came a few hours after President Trump proposed eliminating the NEA in the next budget.

The film festival has a budget of $400,000, and Sidewalk has an overall budget of around $1.5 million.

This year’s festival is planned for Aug. 18-24. It includes screenings of a couple hundred movies, panel discussions and workshops.

Cook said the Sidewalk folks will be looking at ways to replace that $25,000 or find ways to trim costs.

Goat Hill roundup

Only one day’s left in the 2025 Alabama Legislative session, folks. Here’s a rundown of some of the recent flurry of activity from Goat Hill:

First, corrections on yesterday’s story about hemp-derived products such as beverages containing THC. Only retailers will be licensed by the ABC board, not manufacturers or wholesalers, and their tax rate will be 10%, not 7%. We didn’t get into this next part, but only the THC/CBD beverages can be sold in grocery stores (not gummies or other products). These were all changes that were made to the bill on its way to final approval Tuesday.
The FOCUS Act has passed both houses of the Legislature and awaits the governor’s pen. This is the bill that’ll ban the use of cellphones in public-school classrooms.
A bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday is headed to the governor’s desk. It’s been a federal holiday since 2021, and Gov. Kay Ivey has declared each June 19 to be recognized also by the state, but this bill will make it more permanent.
Gov. Ivey has already signed a law to take the Birmingham Water Works board in a more regional direction, allowing suburban areas to have more power over the utility. Going forward, only two of the seven members on the board will be from Birmingham; previously the city controlled six of nine seats. A district judge earlier this week turned down the city’s request for a restraining order to keep Ivey from signing the bill.
And the governor also signed a measure allowing the Alabama Farmers Federation to offer a health-care plan not subject to the same regulations as health-insurance programs.

More Alabama News

By the Numbers

That’s how many people authorities accuse Damien McDaniel of killing in just over a year.

Born on This Date

In 1783, Alabama’s second governor Thomas Bibb. He was the brother of Alabama’s first governor, William Bibb. Thomas finished William’s term of office after William was thrown from a horse and died.

In 1940, singer/songwriter and keyboardist and, for a while, the Beach girl in the Beach Boys band Toni Tennille of Montgomery. You might know her best as one-half of Captain & Tennille.

The podcast

General

Dense fog advisory active for Alabama until Thursday morning, visibility down to 1/4 mile

At 3:47 a.m. on Thursday, the National Weather Service released a dense fog advisory in effect until 8 a.m. for Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Winston, Walker, Blount, Etowah, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Marengo, Dallas, Autauga and Elmore counties.

The weather service states to anticipate, “Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.”

“Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous,” describes the weather service. “If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.”

Fog safety: Tips from the weather service for safe travels

When a dense fog advisory is issued for your area, it means that widespread dense fog has developed and visibility can plummet to a quarter-mile or less. These conditions pose challenges for travel, so exercise extra caution on the road or consider postponing your trip if possible.

If driving through fog becomes inevitable, remember these safety guidelines:

Reduce speed:

Slow down and allocate extra time for your trip to reach your destination safely.

Visibility priority:

Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which automatically activate your taillights. Utilize fog lights if your vehicle is equipped with them.

Avoid high-beams:

Refrain from using high-beam lights, as they create glare, making it more difficult for you to see what’s ahead of you on the road.

Keep a safe distance:

Leave a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.

Stay in your lane:

Use the road’s lane markings as a guide to remaining in the correct lane.

Zero visibility strategy:

In situations of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a secure location, such as a nearby business’s parking lot, to pull over and come to a stop.

Limited parking options:

If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency brake, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are not illuminated so that other drivers don’t mistakenly run into you.

By adhering to these recommendations from the weather service, you can navigate foggy conditions more safely, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring your well-being.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.

General

Today’s daily horoscopes: May 8, 2025

Emotions seek balance, beauty and connection. This lunar placement draws attention to relationships, diplomacy and the desire for harmony in both inner and outer worlds. There’s a natural inclination to smooth over tension, see multiple perspectives and find peaceful solutions. Aesthetics and social grace take center stage, and people may feel more attuned to art, music and the emotional subtleties of conversation.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The universe is conspiring in whispers and winks to lead you to your person. Signs may be subtle — a glance, a phrase, a perfectly timed encounter. Trust the rhythm. What’s meant for you is already making its quiet way toward you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). A love that feels like deja vu will make you believe in fate — not because it‘s flawless, but because it‘s real. It won’t always be easy, but it will be honest, alive and worth it. That’s the kind that lasts.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’ll upgrade your lifestyle in quiet, elegant ways that shift your whole experience. The beauty that surrounds you is not loud or showy, but deeply intentional. And some of it? Personalized, lasting, unmistakably yours.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Whatever happened at the meeting, in the room, on the job… you were there. You lived a moment others did not. And that’s not a small thing, even if it feels small in the aftermath. Time will tell a different story.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Still wondering why you haven’t arrived? Perhaps there’s no final destination — only the mastery of all you do in this place right here. Look around and ask around. The magic question: What am I missing about this?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Pain changed you — not by breaking you, but by sharpening your strength and pointing you toward your own power. You’ll tell your story without flinching, without apology. That moment of ease, of truth — that’s how you’ll know you’re free.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It‘s natural to accidentally and very hopefully project onto others the qualities you’re looking for (qualities they may or may not actually possess) but better not to assume. Stay curious. Take the time to really find out.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll be a casting director today — intuitive, observant and tuned in to subtle cues. Keep searching for the right person to fulfill a role — not just someone qualified, but someone who fits the energy, timing and unspoken need. You’ll know it when you feel it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’ll encounter curious conundrums. Instead of reacting impulsively, you’ll stay cool, calm and collected. Your steady presence becomes your superpower, allowing you to navigate surprise with grace — and even turn it to your advantage.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Without healthy perspective, small things can get very big indeed. However, you’re not facing major decisions today, so don’t be fooled by the minor ones. Matters of scale will be solved through the lens of diverse perspectives.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You can’t think your way into a new reality — but you can’t create one without vision, either. Imagine, then act. Act, then imagine more. The cycle fuels itself, and before you realize it, you’ve moved into something entirely new.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). People rarely regret the actions they took; it‘s the ones they didn’t take that tend to sting in hindsight. This is a day to say “yes” to it all. The bad ideas will drop off and become non-issues and the good opportunities are timely so you’ll be right on time.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (May 8). In this year of careening toward your dreams, fear dissolves in the irresistible momentum. You thrill to that remarkable shift from surviving to thriving. Love won’t fix everything, but it will make everything worth fixing. More highlights: Spontaneous short trips and an exotic, well-planned and executed long journey. Relationships bring healing, sparkling conversations and a surprising second chance. Leo and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 14, 22, 31, and 10.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Among the bestselling Latin music artists of all time, Enrique Iglesias was born in sensual, Venus-ruled Taurus and has a natal moon and Jupiter in fiery, passionate Aries. This star was born into music both astrologically (with his guiding light in the sign of the voice) and genetically as the youngest son of the singer Julio Iglesias. The king of Latin pop will break years of hiatus to perform in European festivals this summer.

Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

General

Dense fog advisory issued for North Alabama for Thursday – limited visibility

The National Weather Service released a dense fog advisory at 10:55 p.m. on Wednesday valid for Thursday between midnight and 8 a.m. for Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Marshall, Jackson, DeKalb and Cullman counties.

The weather service states to be ready for, “Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.”

“Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous,” explains the weather service. “If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.”

Guidance from the weather service for navigating foggy conditions

If a dense fog advisory is issued for your area, it means that widespread dense fog has developed and visibility often drops to just a quarter-mile or less. These conditions can make driving challenging, so exercise extreme caution on the road, and if possible, consider delaying your trip.

If driving through fog becomes inevitable, remember these safety guidelines:

Reduce speed:

Slow down and allow extra travel time to reach your destination safely.

Visibility matters:

Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If available, employ your fog lights.

Avoid high-beams:

Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.

Keep your distance:

Maintain a generous following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifting traffic patterns.

Stay in your lane:

To ensure you are staying in the correct lane, use the road’s lane markings as a guide.

Zero visibility protocol:

In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a safe spot, like a nearby business parking lot, to pull over and stop.

Limited parking options:

If no designated parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.

By adhering to these recommendations from the weather service, you can navigate foggy conditions with greater safety, mitigating the risk of accidents and prioritizing your well-being.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.

General

AHSAA regional softball: 9 more teams qualify for state championship tournament

AHSAA regional softball tournaments were plagued by rain on Wednesday, but nine teams managed to qualify for next week’s state championship tournament, bringing the field to 37 of 56 qualified.

The top two teams in each class from South (Gulf Shores Sportsplex), Central (Montgomery’s Lagoon Park), East (Albertville’s Sand Mountain Park) and North (Florence’s Coffee O’Neal Park) will play at the state championship tournament in Oxford starting on Monday.

The winners bracket champion in each class earns the state tournament No. 1 qualifier while the elimination bracket winner will be the No. 2 qualifier.

All classes at the state tournament follow the same double-elimination format. First round games will pit North 1 vs. East 2, South 1 vs. Central 2, Central 1 vs. South 2 and East 1 vs. North 2.

Here are Wednesday’s No.1 qualifiers along with teams still playing for the No. 2 qualifier spot.

CLASS 1A

North 1 Lynn/Waterloo

East 2 Skyline/Meek/Appalachian/Jacksonville Christian

South 1 Leroy/Kinston/Sweet Water/Brantley

Central 2 University Charter/Woodland/Autauga Academy/Keith

Central 1 Maplesville/Fayetteville

South 2 Leroy/Kinston/Sweet Water/Brantley/Red Level/Southern Choctaw/Millry/Florala

East 1 Spring Garden/Ider

North 2 Athens Bible/Hackleburg/South Lamar/Brilliant

CLASS 4A

North 1 Curry

East 2 Alexandria

South 1 Orange Beach/Opp

Central 2 West Blocton

Central 1 American Christian

South 2 Orange Beach/Opp/Jackson/Satsuma/Straughn

East 1 Plainview

North 2 Hamilton

CLASS 6A

North 1 Hartselle/Athens

East 2 Gardendale/Mountain Brook/Homewood/Woodlawn

South 1 All 8 teams still alive

Central 2 Spain Park/Hueytown/Chilton County/Calera

Central 1 Helena/Brookwood

South 2 All 8 teams still alive

East 1 Oxford/Pell City

North 2 Hazel Green/Southside-Gadsden/Buckhorn/Mortimer Jordan

CLASS 7A

North 1 Sparkman (qualified Tuesday)

East 2 Thompson

South 1 Daphne (qualified Tuesday)

Central 2 Auburn

Central 1 Central-Phenix City (qualified Tuesday)

South 2 Fairhope/Baker

East 1 Tuscaloosa County (qualified Tuesday)

North 2 Austin

These teams qualified on Tuesday:

CLASS 2A

North 1 Sumiton Christian

East 2 West End

South 1 Pike Liberal Arts

Central 2 Isabella

Central 1 Horseshoe Bend

South 2 Zion Chapel

East 1 Pisgah

North 2 Belgreen

CLASS 3A

North 1 Madison Academy

East 2 Randolph County

South 1 Wicksburg

Central 2 Lee-Scott

Central 1 Saint James

South 2 Mobile Christian

East 1 Locust Fork

North 2 Mars Hill Bible

CLASS 5A

North 1 Scottsboro

East 2 Springville

South 1 Houston Academy

Central 2 Beauregard

Central 1 Brewbaker Tech

South 2 Faith Academy (qualified Wednesday)

East 1 Moody

North 2 Boaz

General

Dallas Cowboys waive former Auburn wide receiver after acquiring George Pickens

The Dallas Cowboys acquired former Hoover High School star George Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. But the Cowboys had to waive another former Alabama high school standout to complete the deal.

To clear a slot on its offseason roster for Pickens, Dallas waived wide receiver Seth Williams, who played at Paul Bryant High School in Cottondale and Auburn.

Williams joined the Cowboys’ practice squad on Oct. 8. He had re-signed with Dallas in January.

An All-State selection for Paul Bryant in 2016 and 2017, Williams had 132 receptions for 2,124 yards and 17 touchdowns in three seasons at Auburn.

The Denver Broncos selected Williams in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Williams had a 34-yard reception in two games as a rookie for the Broncos, but he has not appeared in an NFL regular-season game since.

Williams spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad, but he was released by the team at the end of the preseason last year.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

General

Legal showdown looms as Birmingham Water Works Board votes to sell assets to city

The Birmingham Water Works Boardjoseph D. Bryant

The Birmingham Water Works Board Wednesday evening voted to sell the utility’s assets to the city of Birmingham, just hours after Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law that dissolved the current slate of leaders.

The move to make the state’s largest water utility a department of the city is an effort to circumvent the new law that adds new board members from suburban areas and ends Birmingham’s dominance over its operation.

However, the move may have come too late since Ivey signed the new law Wednesday afternoon that many interpret as dissolving the current board immediately.

The sale will be challenged in court as the state, the city of Birmingham and the beleaguered water board face off in lawsuits over the major overhaul of the utility’s governing board.

“The Birmingham Water Works Board has never given up on fighting for its customers and ensuring the make-up of this board reflects the people it serves,” members said in a statement following the vote this evening. “This system always has been, and will continue to be, an asset for the city of Birmingham, and our board took the steps necessary to keep it that way.”

Republican lawmakers have called changes to board long overdue, saying customers throughout the five-county area served by the water works lack representation at the utility, face poor customer service and annual rate increases.

The bill was sponsored by State Senator Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook and was carried in the House by Rep. Jim Carns of Vestavia Hills.

The members of the water board did not take questions after the vote to sell to the city. The vote was 5 to 2 with members Tom Henderson, a Jefferson County Mayors Association appointee, and Dalton NeSmith of Blount County voting no. Board members Butch Burbage of Shelby County and Monique Gardner Witherspoon of Birmingham were absent.

The city of Birmingham at times has officially owned the water works. The last time was in the late 90s before a controversial move when the assets were again transferred back to the independent board.

The fate of Wednesday’s action remains a legal question over the legitimacy of the current board and whether it even existed when the vote was taken.

Shortly after the governor signed the bill into law, Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens appointed Phillip R. Wiedmeyer to the board. Wiedmeyer is a resident of Vestavia Hills and is a retired engineer with Alabama Power.

Wiedmeyer then filed a federal lawsuit in response to the city’s lawsuit and asking the U.S. District Court to stop the former board from taking any action after Wednesday.

Wednesday’s gathering was the second special meeting in two days to respond to the pending major changes and how the board could thwart them.

The city council approved a resolution Tuesday offering to buy the utility – with assets worth more than $1.26 billion – for a dollar, along with assuming its debt.

Mayor Randall Woodfin, who has been a critic of the water works board itself, said his effort to preserve Birmingham’s leadership over the utility was about defending the major asset for the citizens of the city.

“In no way am I here to defend the water works board and the politics surrounding it over the years. This bill adds more politics to the board: self-appointment from politicians, elected officials appointing other elected officials, and board members being paid more money,” he said in a statement.

Woodfin called the new law an affront to Birmingham customers.

“This is a taking of power from the local rate payers by Republican politicians in Montgomery,” he said.

The 11th-hour strategy by City Hall was part of a plan to salvage the water works by keeping it in the city’s hands before the state law went into effect, before the governor signed the bill.

But the water works took no action on the proposal on Tuesday.

Instead, they agreed to new contracts or amended agreements with the executive assistant, four assistant general managers, and to create a new position of deputy general manager and general counsel for Mark Parnell, their longtime lawyer.

The water board’s inaction Tuesday shocked and angered several city leaders who had worked on the 11th-hour proposal and even held an unpublicized strategy session with board members earlier in the week at a conference room at the Birmingham Zoo.

“We are still in active negotiations with the city to sell the assets of the Birmingham Water Works. This is a very detailed matter and both parties are making sure the process is as thorough as possible,” the water works statement reads. “However, we thank the city and its representatives for their urgent action and are proud to be working together to end these spiteful takeover attempts once and for all.”

Selling the water works to the city was part of a two-front strategy to thwart state legislation.

Woodfin and council members Tuesday also announced a federal lawsuit to fight the bill, claiming that the legislation is motivated by racial discrimination.

Wiedmeyer, the brand new appointee to the new regional board, argues in his suit that race is not the issue. “The Act complies with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because it does not deprive individuals the right to vote on account of race of color,” he said in the suit.

Chief U.S. District Judge Emily C. Marks set a hearing for May 15 on the request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to block the law.

General

58 criminal cases ‘unprosecutable’ due to Alabama police department’s ‘illegal actions’

Nearly five dozen felony criminal cases were dismissed by the same Cullman County grand jury that said the police department that made the arrests should be abolished due to the agency’s “culture of corruption.”

Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker on Wednesday said the grand jury made the decision in April following an Alabama State Bureau of Investigation audit into the Hanceville Police Department.

Crocker said the grand jury was left with no choice to dismiss dozens of cases that the Hanceville Police Department previously investigated due to “illegal actions” taken by former officers with the department.

“The Grand Jury that unanimously indicted the former Hanceville police officers determined that those officers’ cases, and other cases from the Hanceville Police Department, were unprosecutable,” Crocker said.

“The same Grand Jury reconvened in April and voted to no-bill, or dismiss, 58 felony cases due to the illegal actions of those former Hanceville officers.

“Most of these cases involved drugs, and only a few were personal crimes with victims. One dismissal is too many, but the Grand Jury had no other recourse.”

Crocker posted photos of the audit, evidence room and dismissed cases to Facebook.

The audit demonstrated an abundance of undocumented or missing evidence such as undocumented guns and missing bullets that are valued at $90 or more dollars a box.

Of the 650 packages of evidence kept by the department, 249 had no associated case number, Crocker said. Of the 96 guns in the evidence room, 30 were undocumented.

Another 78 evidence bags had been torn open and 216 grams of meth, 1.5 grams of cocaine, 67 Oxycodone pills and a .25 caliber handgun were among items missing.

Picture of guns found in the Hanceville Police Department’s evidence room.District Attorney Champ Crocker

In February, the former Hanceville police chief, several officers and a wife of one officer were arrested after being indicted by the same grand jury.

The indictments were sparked following an investigation into the department after a former Hanceville police dispatcher, Christopher Willingham, was found dead at work in August 2024 from a drug overdose.

Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer has said that he is committed to rebuilding the police department following the scandal and on March 10 the Hanceville City Council voted to begin that process.