HUBBARD TRIAL: Day 2 Afternoon

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Posted by: Staff
Date: May 25 2016 4:53 PM

DAY 2 AFTERNOON THE HUBBARD TRIAL… JOSH BLADES A LOBBYIST FROM MONTGOMERY. REPRESENTS BCA REALTORS ASSN. AND OTHERS. RECEIVED TRAINING FROM THE ETHICS COMMISSION BEFORE BEING REGISTERED AS A LOBBYIST. BLADES IS THE FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF FOR HUBBARD. HE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE DAY TO DAY OPERATION OF THE SPEAKERS OFFICE. BLADES FORMERLY WORKED FOR GOVERNOR BOB RILEY AS HIS DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF. BLADES SAID HE WAS APPROACHED BY HUBBARD TO BE CHIEF OF STAFF. BLADES TALKS ABOUT RILEY CALLING A SPECIAL SESSION IN DECEMBER AFTER THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS TO PASS ETHICS REFORM. BLADES DISCUSSES THE NEW LIMITS ON LOBBYIST SPENDING AND HOW GOVERNOR RILEY FELT THIS WAS A LEGACY ISSUE THAT HE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT. BLADES TESTIFIES THAT HUBBARD TOLD HIM HE MADE A GRAND TOTAL OF $4000 DOLLARS ON THE CRAFTMASTERS DEAL WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.  BLADES WAS ASKED TO DISCUSS THE COMMERCIAL JET PROJECT IN DOTHAN, BLADES INDICATED HE DID NOT ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS AND SAID HE ONLY KNEW THAT HUBBARD MET WITH CITY LEADERS AND THE GOVERNOR ABOUT IT. MEDICAID WANED TO APPOINT A BOARD CALLED A PBM TO MANAGE MEDICINE FOR MEDICAID PATIENTS. BLADES SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A GOOD IDEA BUT INDEPENDENT PHARMACIES WERE OPPOSED TO THE IDEA. A PLAN WAS DISCUSSED THAT WOULD ALLOW A BOARD OF INDEPENDENT PHARMACIES THAT WOULD MANAGE THE MEDICAID PROGRAM THAT WOULD SAVE SOME MONEY BUT WOULD KEEP THE INDEPENDENTS HAPPY. LANGUAGE WAS DEVELOPED AND REFINED THAT WOULD ALLOW ACPI TO BE THE PROGRAM BENNEFIT MANAGER FOR MEDICAID. JOHN ROSS CAME TO BLADES AND TOLD HIM THAT HUBBARD HAD A CONTRACT WITH APCI AND THEREFORE THE PLAN COULD NOT BE PUT INTO THE BUDGET. BLADES SAID HE AND JOHN ROSS CONTRONTED HUBBARD ABOUT HIS CONTRACT WITH APCI, HUBBARD SAID HE DID BOT THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM BUT BLADES SAID HE WAS INSISTANT THAT IT WOULD LOOK BAD, THEN THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE CALLED AND BLADES TOLD THEM HE WAS WORKING TO FIX THE LANGUAGE IN THE BILL. BLADES SAYS HUBBARD VOTED FOR THE BILL EVEN THOUGH BLADES SAYS HE TOLD THE SPEAKER BOT TO VOTE FOR THE BILL BUT HE DID VOTE FOR IT. BLADES SAID HUBBARD TOLD HIM HE HAD TO VOTE FOR THE BUDGET OR IT WOULD RAISE TOO MANY RED FLAGS.

BLADES TOLD THE JURY HE WAS UPSET BECAUSE HE PLAYED A ROLL IN THE VOTING OF THE PLAN AND FELT LIKE IT WAS WRONG. BLADES SAID HUBBARD TOLD HIM AFTER THE VOTE THAT HE HAD SPOKEN TO JIM SUMNER AT THE ETHICS COMMISSION AND WAS TOLD HE HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG. BLADES TESTIFIED THAT WHILE ON A TRIP HE AND HUBBARD STOPPED AT THE CHICK-FIL-A HEADQUARTERS TO DISCUSS CHICK-FIL-A PURCHASING CUPS FROM CAPITOL CUPS. BLADES SAID HE, A SECURITY STAFF MEMBER PICKED HUBBARD UP ON A STATE CAR AND DROVE TO ATLANTA FOR ANOTHER MEETING AND STOPPED AT CHICK-FIL-A AFTER. BLADES SAID HE WAS ALSO ENLISTED TO ASSIST A FRIEND OF HUBBARDS TO GET A PATANT APPROVED. BLADES SAID HUBBARD CONTINUED TO PUSH HIM TO GET THE APPROVAL, BLADES SAID HE ASKED HUBBARD WHY IT WAS SO URGENT AND THE SPEAKER REPLIED THAT HE HAD 100,000 REASON WHY HE NEEDED IT DONE QUICKLY.  BLADES IS SHOWN PHONE RECORDS FOR HIS PHONE AND HUBBARDS. BLADES SAYS HE DOESN’T REMEMBER WHEN THE DEADLINE WAS BUT WAS UPSET BY WHAT HUBBARD HAD SAID BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THE SPEAKER MEAN’T $100,000 DOLLARS TO GET THE PATANT APPROVED.

COURT IN RECESS…

A QUESTION WAS ASKED ABOUT A CONVERSATION BLADES HAD WITH HUBBARD ABOUT CRAFTMASTERS, BLADES SAID HIS UNDERSTANDING WAS…BAXLEY OBJECTS TO HIS UNDERSTANDING AND THE JUDGE SUSTAINES. BLADES SAID HUBBARD TOLD HIM OF HIS PLAN TO RAISE MONEY TO SAVE HIS BUSINESS. BLADES SNAPS AT PROSECUTOR DUFFY THAT HE IS HAVING A HARD TIME DISTINQUISHING WHAT HE KNOWS NOW WITH WHAT HE KNEW THEN, BUT DOES NOT REMEMBER ANY SPECIFICS OF HUBBARDS PLAN. BLADES SAID JIMMY RANE WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE HUBBARD APPROACHED. DUFFY ASKS ABOUT FORMER GOVERNOR BOB RILEY THINKING ABOUT BECOMING A LOBBYIST. BLADES SAID HE AND OTHER OF THE GOVERNOR’S STAFF WERE NOT IN FAVOR OF THAT. BLADES SAID HE URGED RILEY TO START A FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION AND WORK TO HELP EDUCATE ALABAMA’S CHILDREN.RILEY DID EVENTUALLY REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST AND HE MET WITH THE SPEAKER ONE TIME ABOUT ROADS AND BUILDING THEM USING CONCRETE INSTEAD OF ASPHALT.

DUFFY WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT MEETINGS HE AND HUBBARD HAD WITH BILL CANARY WHEN HE WAS HEAD OF THE BCA. BLADES SAYS THEY NET ONCE A WEEK IN HUBBARDS OFFICE TO DISCUSS HOT BUTTON ISSUES AND EVEN TALKED ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES AND PERSONAL LIVES.

BAXLEY BEGINS CROSS EXAMINATION AT 3:14PM…

BAXLEY STARTS OFF CHALLENGING BLADES ON THE CHANGE OF THE LANGUAGE IN THE BUDGET BILL, ASKING BLADES WAS IT DONE ON THE FLOOR OR IN COMMITTEE, THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE HUBBARD HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CHANGES MADE IN COMMITTEE. BLADES SAID THE CHANGE TO MAKE THE APCI MANAGER OF MEDICAID PERSCRIPTIONS WAS DONE IN COMMITTEE. BAXLEY CONTENDS HUBBARD COULD NOT HAVE HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CHANGE.

THE JURY IS BEING SHOWN A COPY OF THE BUDGET AND ASKED TO LOOK AT HOW LARGE THE DOCUMENT IS, AND HOW MANY WORDS ARE IN IT…BLADES EXPLAINED THAT HUBBARD CHANGED HIS MIND, WANTED THE LANGUAGE OUT THAT MADE APCI THE PERSCRIPTION MANAGER FOR MEDICAID. BLADES SAID HE TRIED TO GET IT OUT BUT THE BILL WAS ON THE FLOOR. BAXLEY INSINUATES THAT HUBBARD THOUGHT THE BILL HAD BEEN FIXED AND VOTED ON THE WHOLE BUDGET THINKING THAT ONE PORTION WAS FIXED. BAXLEY IMPLIES THAT THE PROSECUTION BROUGHT UP FUNDING OF BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB THAT HAD BEEN CUT BECAUSE ONE OF THE PEOPLE WORKING TO RESTORE THE FUNDING WAS THE WIFE OF AN INVESTOR. BLADES TELLS BAXLEY HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT THE PROSECUTION IS TRYING TO PROVE.

BLADES IS ASKED IF THE SPEAKER WENT TO DOTHAN TO HELP BRING IN COMMERCIAL JET. BAXLEY SAID THERE WAS NO ULTERIOR MOTIVE SINCE COMMERCIAL JET DOES NOT USE NATURAL GAS. BLADES SAYS HE HAS NEVER KNOWN OF HUBBARD RECEIVING ANY MONEY OR ANYTHING OF VALUE FOR  USING HIS OFFICE TO HELP THEM.

Baxley asks blades if hubbard was a good boss, blades said hubbard was a great boss. BLADES IS EXCUSED.

JASON ISBEL WORKS FOR THE BANKERS ASSN. FORMALLY WORKED FOR THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE OFFICE. ISBEL IS ASKED TO POINT OUT HIS BOSS AND INDICATED HUBBARD WAS HIS SUPERVISOR. ISBEL SAYS HIS ROLE SCHANGED DURING HIS TIME WORKING FOR THE SPEAKER AND HE BECAME THE CHIEF COUNSEL. ISBEL SAID HUBBARD REFERRED TO THOSE WORKING IN THE OFFICE AS THE TEAM. ISBEL SAYS HE HAD A MEETING WITH GREG WREN AND FERREL PATRICK TO CRAFT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THEY WANTED ADDED TO THE BUDGET. ISBEL SAID HE SENT THE PARAGRAPH TO LEGISLATIVE FINANCE TO GET THEIR APPROVAL TO PUT INTO THE BUDGET IN THE FORM OF A SUBSTITUTE TO A COMMITTEE REPORT. ISBEL SAID HUBBARD APPROVED PASSING THE CHANGE ON. VAN DAVIS ASKS ISBEL THAT WITH THE CHANGE IN LANGUAGE IT WOULD MAKE APCI THE PROVIDER OF 30% OF ALL MEDICAID PERSCRIPTIONS. ISBEL SAYS HE DOES NOW.  ISBEL SAYS HE WAS SURE SPEAKER HUBBARD KNEW WHAT THE CHANGE WAS AND HOW IT WORKED SINCE HE SIGNED OFF ON IT AFTER HE READ IT. BAXLEY CROSSES…ISBEL IS ASKED BY BAXLEY IF THE LANGUAGE SETS UP A VIRTUAL MONOPLY OR DOES IT LET MEDICAID EXAMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY NEED A PERSCRIPTION MANAGER, ISBEL AGREES. WITNESS DISMISSED COURT ADJOURNED.

 

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