Scottsboro, Alabama - August 24, 2020 - Scottsboro Mayors Race and the Controversy - UPDATE September 3, 2020 Secretary of State, Circumvention of State Law, UPDATE August 26, 2020, Political Retribution, Partisanship in a Non-Partisan Election Proves Costly, Robo Calls - UPDATE: August 25, 2020 McCamy Wins Mayor's Election, FATPAC Mysteriously Disappears From Facebook - August 1, 2020 Mayor's Race Video Interviews

Scottsboro City Hall, photo by G. Morgan

UPDATE - August 25, 2020 - McCamy wins Mayor's election, FATPAC (link below) Forwarding Alabama Together, mysteriously disappears from Facebook after disinformation and deceit aimed at the current Mayor Robin Shelton.

UPDATE September 3, 2020

"Funding source of campaign attack ad remains a mystery -Secretary of State, says "circumvention of state law."

FYI regarding FATPAC, Forwarding Alabama Together, attack ad which included current Scottsboro Mayor Robin Shelton attack on Facebook.  Secretary of State, John Merrell calls the venture a circumvention of state law.

"Funding source of campaign attack ad remains a mystery" - By Eric  Fleischauer   www.decaturdaily.com

" — An attack ad released on Facebook two days before the municipal election slammed the candidate who most aggressively challenged incumbent Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling, but voters still have no way to figure out who paid for it. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill last week called the secretive venture a circumvention of state law. The candidate who was the target of the ad, David Childers, said it prevented him from being in the runoff."

POLITICAL HIT JOB VIA FACEBOOK SCHEME TO DISCREDIT MAYOR, GAVE MCCAMY AN ELECTION ADVANTAGE?

The mysterious, alleged PAC site claimed Shelton committed criminal acts, some on the site went so far as to claim Mayor Shelton had committed a Class C Felony without any definitive proof as to court opinions, AG opinions, Ethics Commission Opinions. McCamy claimed he knew nothing about the site until a link was forwarded to him. My thoughts, I don't believe McCamy, his claim was the same as FATPAC, Shelton's letter violated state law, so says Jim McCamy. More discussion on this below.

Scottsboro Mayors Race and the FATPAC Controversy  Forwarding Alabama Together   (FATPAC)  https://www.facebook.com/ForwardingAlabamaTogether

VIDEO INTERVIEWS

Video Interview Of Incumbent Mayor Robin Shelton August 1, 2020

Robin Shelton's Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/RobinSheltonForMayor

Video Interview of Mr. Jim McCamy, Candidate for Mayor August 1, 2020
Jim McCamy's Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/JimMcCamy

Scottsboro Mayors Race and the FATPAC Controversy  (Forwarding Alabama Together   (FATPAC)  https://www.facebook.com/ForwardingAlabamaTogether Disclosure on Facebook listed the Montgomery, Alabama phone number as 706-662-9343

       The Letter from Mayor Shelton (click on image to expand view).

(pg1) Photo by FATPAC, Fair Use for non-profit news reporting and commentary

(pg2) Photo by FATPAC, Fair Use for non-profit news reporting and commentary

After speaking to Mayor Shelton, Mayor Candidate Jim McCamy, Forwarding Alabama Together (FATPAC) a Montgomery, Alabama PAC representative (Facebook disclosure - Montgomery, Alabama phone number as 706-662-9343) and many others. Mayor Shelton states he spent his own money in the preparing, copying, mailing, writing and distribution of the letter, not utilizing any City of Scottsboro resources.

What specific part of the law, Code of Alabama 36-25-5, https://codes.findlaw.com/al/title-36-public-officers-and-employees/al-code-sect-36-25-5.html ,  says a governor, state representative, commissioner, city council member, mayor or any other elected political official may not use a political entities letterhead, where he or she is an office holder, and say thank you, stating accomplishments, vote for me. That is not, to my thinking, receiving personal gain. Personal gain refers to utilizing ones elected position and/or government resources facilitating or gaining financial benefits for business, self, family or an associate’s financial gain. Utilizing the ideology that political opponents say that an incumbent may not utilize the letterhead of the office he or she holds in a letter to say thank you, here are my accomplishments, vote for me, and doing that is an illegal act is ridiculous. I say, show me specifically where it says that specific act is illegal, in our laws, court rulings, AG Opinions, Secretary of State, or Ethics Commission opinions or rulings.

Thinking about the history of politics in the Scottsboro Mayor’s race, the involvement of former political officials and employees of the City of Scottsboro is questionable in this scheme, including the current candidate for Mayor Jim McCamy running against the incumbent Mayor Robin Shelton. McCamy says he knew nothing about this FATPAC until someone forwarded him a link. McCamy indicates he does not appreciate my accusations in slamming him, that I “don’t know what I’m talking about,” regarding TVA, Washingtonian, Democrat Party politics and further states, “Pretty clear where you are.” Others say, wrongfully, in their discussion of this issue that I have slandered them, which I point out they are wrong. Stating I do not trust a specific individual or a group of individuals further than I can throw City Hall is not slander.

After discussions with everyone involved, I'm not buying any of this FATPAC nonsense 2 days before the municipal elections. Now, after the election, FATPAC disappears, my thinking,this was a political hit job by those seeking revenge against Shelton, and I do not believe McCamy was unaware about this scheme as he claims. Reason, he stated to me Shelton's letter violated state law, that was the FATPAC claim. Another question comes to light: Was the FATPAC site an "in-kind political contribution" not claimed, in my opinion an issue worth investigation

UPDATE: August 26, 2020 - Inquiries Reveal More and First Amendment Issue
The letter pictured above raises another issue. It is a huge issue. Think about this - if the letter is illegal, is political campaign ads which show a government building, office or public entity seal where the politician serves/works illegal? Restriction of Political Speech vs Ethics or Public Official restriction laws and regulations? 

My problem with the Facebook FATPAC site is the hidden agenda, now it has mysteriously disappeared from Facebook. It appears to have been a political hit job. I have received info that it originated and was facilitated from a former local politician seeking revenge. Inquiry reveals it was political party connected. This is what happens when a politician uses a political party for support, non-partisan election, then the opposing party hits you back, with FATPAC. See the Republican Party photo.

Fair Use for non-profit news and commentary; photo imagery from a public Facebook political site, Robin Shelton for Mayor.

NEXT UP,  FCC VIOLATIONS, CELL PHONE ROBO CALLS

From the FCC ( link - https://www.fcc.gov/political-campaign-robocalls-robotexts ) - Political campaign-related autodialed or prerecorded voice calls (including autodialed live calls, prerecorded voice messages, and text messages) are:

• Not allowed to cell phones, pagers, or other mobile devices without the called party's prior express consent.
• Not allowed to protected phone lines such as emergency or toll-free lines, or lines serving hospitals or similar facilities, unless made with the called party's prior express consent.
• Allowed when made to landline telephones, even without prior express consent.

Photo's of Robo Calls sent enmasse to Cell phones by McCamey, Mayor Elect, and Mayor Shelton

Fair Use of political campaign photos for non-profit news reporting and commentary.

Fair Use of political campaign photos for non-profit news reporting and commentary.

Another issue regarding political campaign speech restriction laws vs First Amendment rights of political speech.