What’s Next After Hubbard Guilty Verdict?

Mike Hubbard is maintaining his innocence and says he will be appealing. This–after the former Speaker was convicted by a jury of 12 out of 23 felony ethics charges against him. What’s next for the state’s republican party now that one of it’s top leaders in the legislature is out of office?

Republican Representative Victor Gaston of Mobile is now the acting Speaker of the House. But, there will need to be an election to replace Hubbard’s seat representing the Auburn area and an election for the head of the house of representatives.

Hubbard’s new label as convicted felon means he’s automatically removed from office. And political analysts say this is just one example of political turmoil in the state. Investigations are swarming Governor Robert Bentley over allegations of a possible affair with an aide and Chief Justice Roy Moore could be removed from the bench- for the second time.
Also, state prosecutors would not definitively say whether or not there will be any more legal implications from this verdict.
But, there’s speculations that more corruption investigations are underway.

Brad Moody, Emeritus Associate Professor Political Science AUM said, “People are already cynical and distrusting of government. And this just reinforces that. It just leads people to throw up their hands and say…and I have to say there are a lot of well intentioned, well meaning public servants, but it leads the average citizen to throw up his or her hands and say ‘this is just a bunch of crooks why do I want to worry about it.'”

Steve Flowers, Political Analyst said, “Other people may be implicated in this situation. But that remains to be seen. On another front, the federal government is investigating Rebekah Mason and Governor Bentley’s relationship and how that effects the government may be on the radar screen.”

With all of these outside distractions, political analysts fear this will result in not a lot getting done in the state, like dealing with pressing issues of Medicaid funding and prison reform.

Hubbard will be sentenced on July 8th. He’s facing up to 20 years for each of the 12 counts.