Ron Sparks
State investigators have subpoenaed records from Alabama Department of Agriculture, focusing on former Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, the Birmingham News reported Sunday.
The subpoenas were signed by Public Corruption Special Prosecutor Miles Hart. A former Assistant United States Attorney, Hart was involved in numerous public corruption investigations and prosecutions in the Northern District of Alabama.
After losing the 2010 race for governor, Sparks was appointed to a newly created office for rural development, a job which earns him $80,000 per year.
Alabama has been scrambling in the last week to staff its farms and deal with the fallout after a federal judge ruled last Wednesday that much of Alabama’s tough immigration law was legal.
Regions banks board members want to know whether executives delayed sharing bad news about junk loans during the financial crisis. Regulators have not yet given the bank permission to pay back its TARP loan, an indication that it is still at risk of failure.
Before voters cast their ballots in November, special interests make their preferences known with their deep pockets. The choices are clear and overwhelming.
A 3.5 percent lodging tax hike would pay for a new baseball stadium near the Railroad Park and redirect up to $5 million per year in taxes to build a new hotel and retail district at the BJCC.
