PHOTO: Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler has remained outspoken on the issue of wasteful spending in Montgomery and the alleged corruption of former-Governor Robert Bentley. (Jim Zeigler | Twitter)
By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Recently, some have voiced concerns over the cost of the Special Election for the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, which Governor Kay Ivey announced earlier this month. Late last year, former-Governor Robert Bentley appointed Attorney General Luther Strange to the seat at the height of an investigation into Bentley's alleged affair with his Chief of Staff, Rebekah Caldwell Mason, and if the disgraced governor violated the law to cover up the affair. Initially, Strange's office indicated that they were investigated the governor, but when Jeff Session's seat became available, Strangely (pun intended) the Attorney General's Office claimed they weren't investigating the governor.
Shortly after, Bentley appointed Strange to the coveted U.S. Senate seat from a pool of more than ten potential candidates. Many in officials in the state have cried fowl, and believe this is the result of backroom dealings between Strange and the former governor, one of those being our state auditor.
Few in Montgomery are as outspoken when it comes to wasteful government spending and our former governor's actions than Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler. Zeigler has led several investigations into the matter, and has spoken out about the alleged affair and coverup since it first became public knowledge last year.
As Zeigler pointed out in an interview with the Southern Torch earlier today, the election will have a hefty price tag, but is necessary to ensure a proper democracy.
"The law is what it is, you just can't have a Bentley appointed U.S. Senator for 21 months, you can't do that. You can wait till the next regular election if the vacancy occurs within 4 months, but it's 21 months until the next regular election," said Zeigler.
"The words 'save money' and 'Robert Bentley' should never be used in the same sentence," Zeigler explained.
"That's the cost of our Democratic Republic," he added.
When asked if fighting corruption and following the law is more important than the amount spent to do so, Zeigler explained it simply:
"You can't say when something happens, 'well the law says we've got to do A, but it costs too much so let's do B.' That's not how a democratic republic works, and the election is the basis of a democratic republic," he said.
"They waste many millions of dollars in Montgomery, which they can save (the money spent on the special election) back if they'd listen to me," said Zeigler.
When asked if his office was investigating whether or not the Strange appointment was a, 'backroom deal', Zeigler said, "Yes, I am."
Zeigler was then asked about his plans for 2018, to which he stated that he's a potential candidate for the state's highest office.
"I'm a potential candidate for governor. I'm going to make a reassessment after the Senate Special Election," said Zeigler.
