Commission Chairman Indicted

Albert Turner Jr., the chairman of the Perry County Commission, has been charged with voter fraud. Turner is accused of harvesting ballots and voting more than once. The two-count indictment was disclosed by Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and Fourth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Michael Jackson.

Jackon explained that Turner stuffed ballots to support the candidates of his liking and that many witnesses came forward with that information. Jackon felt that he had enough evidence to present the case to Grand Jury. The charges relate to two different Perry County elections that took place in May and November 2022.

When it comes to May, Turner is allegedly accused of “stuffing” ballots into a voting machine. Turned is suspected of mailing a large number of absentee votes in November. Turner’s parents went through a similar situation in 1985 when then-U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions prosecuted them for voter fraud. Turner is the son of civil rights pioneer Albert Turner Sr.

Turner told the AP that he was unconcerned by the charges and that he would not waste his time on political rhetoric. Turner pointed out that Little Mike waited until he was out of the office to make a claim and that the case would never be proven, reported AL.

Jackson and Merrill avoided addressing the particular races Turner is charged with attempting to sway. They stated that it is too soon to determine whether the findings of the continuing investigation will have an influence on those races, and Merrill stated that additional people might face charges.

Jackson claimed that in order to prevent any potential conflicts of interest, the probe has been given to the Alabama Attorney General’s Office.

Robert H. Turner Jr., the first cousin of Albert Turner, defeated Jackson, the district attorney since 2004, in the May election. Turner was originally appointed to the commission in 2000 to finish out his father’s final four-year term in office. Since then, he has won numerous reelections.