Overview
- A letter from Governor Kay Ivey’s office removed all commission members "for cause" effective Oct. 24, citing the need for a fresh start.
- New members were appointed this week, including Judge Scott Brewer, Dr. George Booker, and Rep. Randall Shedd, as the panel overseeing the Talladega museum is reconstituted.
- An October audit listed 35 violations and flagged more than $200,000 in questionable activity, including $26,240 in payroll overpayments, $177,127 in bank transactions, $19,872 in credit-card charges, and $13,370 in missing cash.
- Auditors cited deficient controls over assets, noting unauthorized car sales, proceeds routed to a private foundation in some cases, unrecorded donations, and missing documentation on vehicles such as a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona and a 2001 Pontiac Firebird Firehawk.
- Chief Examiner Rachel Riddle ordered a former account manager to repay $236,610; the sum remains unpaid and the case was referred to the Alabama attorney general’s office, while former chairman Gerald Dial has denied wrongdoing.