Alabama Democratic Party

“When you give out a billion dollars in no-bid contracts, it is either the most corrupt government or the most mismanaged government in the last 25 years,” said Riley in one of his typically tough stances during the 2002 campaign. 

By this standard Riley defines his own administration as the most corrupt or grossly mismanaged in Alabama history. His administration has awarded $1.8 billion in no-bid contracts since he came into office in 2003, a record for Alabama. Even more disturbing is that a substantial amount of no-bid contracts are associated with a ring of the governor’s close friends.

Clients of the lawyer that represented Bob Riley’s 2002 election challenge have received over $345 million in no-bid contracts. Clients for former Lt. Governor Steve Windom, a close ally of Riley, received a $223 million no-bid prison medical contract that was not the low bidder by millions. A client of the governor’s former chief of staff, Toby Roth, received a $4 million no-bid Medicaid contract that was not the low bidder by a half-million dollars. The client of Bob Riley’s campaign strategist received $2.8 million in no-bid contracts. The list goes on and on, costing the state millions.

“There is no more favoritism in the awarding of state contracts because we stopped it – and today contracts go through a competitive selection process,” said Riley in 2005. Yet the record shows he has done exactly the opposite, not faithfully using the bid process, and not taking the low bid when it comes to its friends. During his administration 4,920 no-bid contracts have been made, almost three for every day Riley has been in office.

What is worse, the governor is now actively opposing efforts to bring more accountability to state contracts. Earlier this year, he vetoed bipartisan ethics legislation that would have brought much needed sunshine to this increasingly shady world.

The bill by Rep. Marcel Black would have required any person lobbying the executive branch of government to file disclosures with the state Ethics Commission. Lobbyists meeting with the governor, his cabinet officers, or other state personnel on purchases of goods or services would have to disclose this fact, just as they would if they met with legislators.

The proposed law makes sense. Contracts are the way the state spends money, and the public has a right to know what influence is used to award or alter those contracts. Passage of this bill was one of a few bipartisan victories during an ugly session. The bill unanimously passed the House and Senate by a total margin of 131 to zero. 

The governor should have been for it, if we are to believe his public statements. “Under current law, a professional lobbyist who lobbies the executive branch for state grants or contracts is not required to register with the Ethics Commission. This law needs to be changed.  I will also once again ask the Legislature to pass a law to require individuals who lobby the executive branch to register with the Ethics Commission,” wrote Riley in his 2006 campaign.

The contract reform bill did exactly what the governor wanted, yet he killed the bill with a pocket veto. 

The administration said the bill was too political. Yet in a time when a sucker punch was thrown and partisan tensions were at an all time high, this bill passed unanimously. How can we believe a statement that it was “too political?”

The administration said the bill was redundant. How can we believe that when laws on lobbying administration officials do not exist?

The fact is when someone says one thing and does another, motives can be questioned, and integrity is lost. All lobbying in state government should come under the state Ethics Act, and Bob Riley and the Alabama Republican Party should live up to their campaign promises to support such legislation. These Republicans must reduce no-bid contracts, and be more concerned about the growing appearance that this administration is using state coffers as a trough for friends and allies.

The governor should also be more concerned with what he says. His actions indicate he either has something to hide, or he doesn’t believe in what he is saying. Either way, the governor and the ALGOP would do well to remember that actions always speak louder than words.