The individual who posts on this site as alpolitics has been spreading wild allegations, misrepresentations, and outright lies about Terri Sewell on several internet sites and blogs for weeks now under different names. He serves as the online mouthpiece for the Shelia Smoot campaign, with which he has been closely associated with for quite sometime. He claims to be "an unpaid advisor." Sadly, many of the untruths he has been spreading on this site are also being echoed by the Smoot campaign itself.
It's unfortunate that a full diary posting is needed to set the record straight after his tireless attempts here to distort what is really happening here in Alabama's 7th Congressional District, where there is a historic race between two African-American women to determine who will be Alabama's first woman elected to Congress for a full term. Since alpolitics has published a series of diaries here attempting to tear down the leading candidate, Terri Sewell, attacking her relentlessly with baseless allegations and distortions (and a few outright lies), some things need to be cleared up. Let's examine the credibility of each of these charges individually.
- First, let's examine his most outrageous allegation to date: that Terri Sewell was somehow involved in the same nationally infamous bond refinancing deal in Jefferson County, Alabama, that landed alpolitics' candidate, Shelia Smoot, in an SEC complaint and has left an ethics cloud following her around ever since. Smoot's role in this affair has been well-documented. As one of five Jefferson County commissioners, she was the third and deciding vote on the deal (the other two commissioners have already been convicted) which cost Jefferson County taxpayers billions of dollars. She was named in the SEC complaint on the matter for allegedly demanding that business be steered towards her cronies in exchange for her vote in the support of the deal.
71. Ultimately, as discussed in more detail below, LeCroy and MacFaddin arranged for JPMorgan to pay Blount Parrish $2.6 million - more than any other participant in the transaction made except JPMorgan itself - for ensuring JPMorgan was selected as underwriter and swap provider. But Langford was not the only County commissioner whose support LeCroy and MacFaddin sought. They also arranged for JPMorgan to pay $250,000 each to Gardnyr Michael and ABI Capital to influence the vote of Commissioner Sheila Smoot. Both firms had hired as a "consultant" a long-time friend of Smoot.
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82. One week later, on July 21, 2003, LeCroy again called the Associate, this time to tell her that Smoot had demanded that Gardnyr Michael and ABI Capital get more money. Although LeCroy said he attempted to dissuade Smoot because it was very difficult to change the amounts "after the fact," he agreed to increase JPMorgan's payments to the two firms to $250,000 each.
83. In the course of the conversation, LeCroy told the Associate he knew Smoot did not know about the $2.6 million payment to Blount Parrish, and said he had to agree to her request "because you know we're going to need her vote, and we've got to keep her happy. She's one of the three majority commissioners." He complained, however, that he would rather contribute to a commissioner's favorite charity than just "handing money to a vote."
84. Clearly troubled, the Associate replied, "But to just randomly payoff people that have nothing to do with the deal just doesn't sit well." responded, "That's the deal- that's the price of doing business."
official SEC complaint
This case is well-known to voters and businesses in Jefferson County and around Alabama. Smoot's well-documented role in the affair is her biggest negative as a candidate. It has killed her credibility not only with Alabama voters, but also with donors from around the state (more on this below). For a great summary of the whole affair, read this article from Bloomberg News
Even though the Sewell campaign has never brought up this issue to the public, despite its obvious incentives to do so, Smoot and her associates like alpolitics began publicly spreading the false rumor that Terri Sewell was somehow involved in the bogus sewer deals. Unfortunately for Smoot, alpolitics, and their credibility, Terri Sewell was nowhere near the sewer deals--literally and figuratively. In fact, she was still working in New York at the time the alleged wrongdoings occurred. I mean this really takes a lot of gall: facing your own well-documented official role in a scandal, you try and bring your opponent into it, when you know full well she was absolutely nowhere near it. This type of pathetic allegation shows just how desperate Smoot and her associates like alpolitics are to take the spotlight off of Shelia Smoot and the questions surrounding her ethics. Most damning, Shelia Smoot was right at the epicenter of this whole ordeal, so she knows full well that Terri Sewell was not involved in any way, shape, or form.
Verdict: OUTRIGHT LIE
- Next, we move on to alpolitics' repeated allegation that Terri Sewell did not even register to vote for the first time until 2007. What's more, he accuses Sewell of dishonoring those who fought and died right in her hometown of Selma by not taking advantage of her hard-earned right to vote. Wow. If you're going to take things up to that level you better make darn sure your facts are correct. Unfortunately, that's not alpolitics' strong suit. Once again, he presents as facts not only things he can't back up, but things that are completely false.
Terri Sewell first registered to vote as a student in her hometown of Selma. She voted absentee multiple times while away on her studies up north--more than 20 years ago. I'm tempted to label this one as a "lie" as well (and just at face value it is) but that might be a bit harsh on alpolitics and the Smoot campaign, since in his defense the secretary of state's online records--which he and the Smoot campaign cite as their source--only list Sewell's voting history under her current address. However, she was registered to vote over 20 years ago at a different address in a different county (her hometown of Selma), which doesn't show up on the Secretary of State's website.
UPDATE: Here is a copy of Sewell's official voter registration form from 1984.
Verdict: FALSE--BAD INFORMATION WITH NO FOLLOW-UP
- Most recently we have seen the attack from the Smoot campaign--an official radio ad that has gone on the air--accusing Terri Sewell of skipping out on an Alabama Democratic Conference event to attend a Republican Women's event across town. Needless to say, this is yet another tired refrain repeated here on this site by Smoot's online mouthpiece, alpolitics. In fact, he did a diary entry dedicated to it and had the gumption to ask people here for money.
Even if this allegation were true, or even partially true, the fact that the Smoot campaign is choosing to spend what little money they have on hand to discuss who Terri Sewell ate dinner with 8 months ago shows just how desperate they have become. They could have opted to spend their money talking to voters about the tens of thousands in the district who can't afford dinner because there are no jobs to be found in the area, but no, instead we get this.
Even worse, and not surprisingly, this allegation is categorically false. Terri Sewell did leave the ADC event early--to attend an AKA sorority event at the Sheraton. Dozens of people have independently confirmed that Sewell left to attend the AKA event--not the Republican Women's event. Smoot's only source for this allegation is that someone told her they saw Sewell going to the Republican event. If you're going to spend your precious few resources making a frivolous allegation like this, ensuring its accuracy would seem a minimum expectation. Citing as a source "someone who said they saw her heading that way" while seeking no more information and ignoring contradicting evidence is nothing short of a striking disregard for the truth.
UPDATE: Here's an update from the Birmingham News, the state's largest newspaper, with confirmation from a member of the Republican Women's group that Terri Sewell has never attended an event.
Smoot has charged that Sewell attended a dinner gathering of Republican women after leaving a Democratic function. Sewell's campaign said Sewell ate with her mother that night at a gathering of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Margie George, a member of the Republican group in question, said she doesn't recall Sewell ever attending an event.
Verdict: FALSE--COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR THE TRUTH
- Yet another popular attack on Terri Sewell from Smoot, alpolitics, and the like has been that Terri Sewell has a habit of skipping out on debates and forums with Smoot. The facts are that she has appeared side-by-side with Shelia Smoot at countless forums and debates over the course of this long campaign, and just this week appeared side-by-side with Smoot for a live radio debate here in the district.
About a week ago, Sewell received late notification of two "debates" scheduled on a weekend in which she was not available. For the first event, held in Birmingham by Smoot supporters, she notified the planners 4 days in advance that she could not attend. Yet for some reason, the planners went ahead and advertised the event to the public and the media as a face-to-face debate between the two candidates, even though Sewell had informed them days before she could not come and had even asked for the event to be re-scheduled for a time when she could make it. When it came time for the event, the organizers and the Smoot campaign portrayed the entire incident as a shocking "no-show" by Terri Sewell. Classy. Most in the media didn't buy it, but unfortunately a few did. The next day another similar event was held in Selma, Sewell's hometown where she had been only days earlier at a public town hall event. Although there was some miscommunication between the organizers and the campaign, Sewell once again informed the organizers that she could not make it. In fact, the event was rescheduled for a time that Sewell could appear. Once again, however, alpolitics went online ranting about how Sewell wouldn't speak to voters and was afraid to respond to questions.
Verdict: BLATANT MISREPRESENTATION OF FACTS
- Finally, let's finish with alpolitics' most frequent refrain, a version of the following: "Terri Sewell is a Corporate Dem because she used to work for a law firm in New York and she has raised so much money out of state."
Okay, first of all, Terri Sewell did indeed formerly work at one of the largest law firms in the country, which happens to be located in New York. She also, indeed, has raised far more money outside the state than Shelia Smoot. However, to take these basic facts and then make the giant leap that Terri Sewell is beholden to corporate, Wall Street, or even Republican interests is simply gross misrepresentation.
First, let's examine the fund raising amounts. While it's true that Terri Sewell has raised far more money outside the state than Smoot has, it is also true that Sewell has raised far more money in general than Smoot has--almost 10-to-1 in fact. So clearly it makes sense that Sewell has raised more money outside of the state, just as she has raised far more money inside the state. Within the state of Alabama, Sewell has raised over $500,000, while Smoot has only managed to raise about $100,000. The real question to ask is, why are donors in the state of Alabama, who are very familiar with Smoot's infamous time on the Jefferson County commission and her reputation in general, so eager to support her opponent--by a 5-to-1 margin?
Next, let's see just where this out-of-state money going to Sewell's campaign is coming from, and if it really is such a bad thing. After living in Selma, Alabama, all her life, Terri Sewell went to Princeton University as an undergrad, where she became close with classmates who now live all around the country. Guess what, Terri Sewell called each and every one of them as friends and former classmates, and a very large number responded by investing in her campaign. After Princeton, Sewell went to Harvard Law School. You can probably see where I'm going here, but just in case, yes, she called every one of her 500+ law school classmates. And guess what, these Harvard lawyers happen to work for a lot of major law firms and companies around the country. A large number of them donated to her as long time friends. Sewell also worked for a few years in New York City as a lawyer, so once again, it makes perfect sense for her to have tapped into the personal connections she made from that time as a lawyer, and hence you will find a lot of individual contributions from lawyers and others in New York. But the important thing to note is that all of these are individuals who have long personal relationships with Terri Sewell and who are backing her because they have known her for decades and they believe that she would be an excellent member of Congress, not because they expect anything in return.
The updated donor lists reflect a general trend from throughout the campaign -- that Sewell's backers stem largely from her academic and professional networks.
from today's Birmingham News
This same article also goes on to also explain that only 5% of Terri Sewell's money has come from special-interest PACs, while 22% of Smoot's money has come from special-interest PACs. Granted, the dollar amounts are probably not that different, but in terms of influence, it's noteworthy.
The most disappointing thing about this whole "Corporate Dem" refrain that alpolitics repeats over and over and over again is that he is trying to make Terri Sewell's academic and professional success into a negative for her as a candidate. He and the Smoot campaign have tried to portray her as an elitist or a corporatist because she spent time out of state and made many connections with successful people from around the country due to the fact that she was educated at Princeton and Harvard and dared to work for a law firm in New York City after graduating from law school. It's really a shame that a girl who grew up in public schools in Alabama's impoverished Black Belt is now being criticized as unfit for office because she dared to rise up to such great educational heights. Once again, a desperate attack by a desperate campaign to make their failing, ethicially challenged candidate appear to be the real progressive.
Verdict: GROSS TWISTING OF FACTS
It's a shame that a long post such as this is needed to refute these silly lies and misrepresentations. As a progressive Alabamian who believes in ethical Progressive leadership, I wanted to be sure that Progressives outside the state were aware of the facts in this race, and not just the nonsense alpolitics has been spewing for so long. For those who would like to learn more about these candidates, I encourage everyone to research the facts behind each candidate: both Sewell's background as an attorney and Smoot's background as a Commissioner in Jefferson County. Read the facts about their histories, then decide for yourself who can be trusted.
I'd like to close by thanking those Kossacks who have dutifully called out alpolitics and his blatant disregard for the truth here on this site, and I apologize to others who think his type of lies are just part of the game here in Alabama. Sadly, they often are--especially in Birmingham/Jefferson County--but hopefully we can get an ethical, real Progressive leader in Congress from the state of Alabama for the first time since at least the dawn of the Civil Rights movement with this election. We can only hope.