Speak Out

Attorney General Troy King upped the ante in his recent letter claiming Alabama Voters Against Lawsuit Abuse and its director, Skip Tucker, are under paid control of pharmaceutical companies. Not true. Tucker says he'll pass any legitimate polygraph test — one not controlled by attorney Jere Beasley, King and their pawns.

The attorney general also used the traditional trial-lawyer ploy of misrepresenting AVALA and then attacking us on the strength of his own mangling of the truth. Not honest.

King claims pharmaceutical companies have defrauded Alabama and that AVALA condones it. Not by a long shot. AVALA thinks anyone guilty of wrongdoing should be fairly punished. But transparency and restraint of trial-lawyer greed should be employed.

There are deep and troubling questions about King's alliance with Beasley the public needs King to answer. This is not a big boo-boo. Everyone knew King hired Hand Arendall because it is a Republican firm, and everybody knew Hand Arendall would associate with Beasley. But it is best to be precise when dealing with a ward-heeler like King.

AVALA asks that whichever trial lawyers King hires on behalf of the state keep detailed records of hours spent and expenses. We ask King to put contracts with trial lawyers up for bid, with public scrutiny. What's wrong with those things? But King reacted with untruths and misrepresentation. Not good; especially for a public servant.

Many feel King wants to be governor and is using these lawsuits with kingmaker Beasley for publicity and as a means to get in good with the Democratic Party, a wholly owned subsidiary of the trial lawyers. That's scary.

AVALA asked whether King is colluding with the enemy. He didn't deny it and cannot in truth deny it. Representing the people of Alabama and crawling in bed with Beasley is mutually exclusive and wants folks to believe he's virtuous. Not so.

Kerry Kelley is on the board of directors of Alabama Voters Against Lawsuit Abuse in Montgomery.