Complaint Review: Bobby Denton And Alabama Legislators

When possible, the review included records dating back to 2002. The vendor payment information included expenses provided by 12 colleges from October 2003 through September 2005.

Some of the Legislature's most powerful lawmakers received money. They include House Speaker Seth Hammett, who received $122,242 in 2002 before he retired that year as president of Lurleen B. Wallace, and House Speaker Pro Tem Demetrius Newton, who received $1,100 a month for legal services in 2005 from Lawson State Community College in Birmingham.

Three legislators in northwest Alabama were included on the list of 37: Sen. Bobby Denton, D-Muscle Shoals; Rep. Michael J. Millican, D-Hamilton; and Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, D-Red Bay.

Denton worked for Northwest-Shoals Community College for almost 19 years as development director before retiring in 2004 with a salary of $53,831.

After retiring, he received part-time annual pay of more than $16,000 as a consultant. He has now ended that contractual obligation.

"Back then, 19 years ago, really there wasn't hardly anything thought about it," Denton said. "They advertised the job opportunity. Nobody just gave me the job."

Denton said he's learned a lot he didn't know about his peers in the Legislature working in the two-year college system in the last few days.

"You will see in the future these jobs will not be as easily obtained by legislators," he said.

Denton said he doesn't know how you could stop someone with a certain job from serving in the Legislature.

"Do we say you can't be an attorney or can't do a lot of other things?" he asked.

Bruce
Florence, Alabama
U.S.A.