Alabama Gubernatorial Candidate’s Office Ransacked

Alabama Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken McFeeters’ Bessemer insurance office was the target of a break in early Wednesday morning. According to McFeeters, his office was “ransacked” but nothing was taken during the break in, which occurred at approximately 2:00 AM..

McFeeters, who placed second in the May 19 Republican primary to U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, has been actively involved in challenging Tuberville’s eligibility to stand for Governor under Section 117 of the Alabama State Constitution, which mandates seven years of Alabama residency prior to the election. McFeeters has alleged that Tuberville has been a resident of Florida, not Alabama, until recently.

McFeeters’ challenge to Tuberville’s ballot eligibility will be heard by the Alabama GOP on June 14 at the Birmingham offices of Balch & Bingham LLP.

ALPolitics.com spoke with McFeeters about the incident on Wednesday.

“I got a call this morning as I was heading to work,” McFeeters said, “from (a staff member who) got here a little bit early. She just called me, and said the office has been ransacked. Your office is completely trashed. And I said, well, let's hang up, call the police, and I'll be there as quick as I can. And I got there, and my office was completely ransacked, turned upside down, papers everywhere.

“It turns out, someone, from the backside of our building, took a sledgehammer or some kind of power tool, and cut a hole of about 2 foot by 3 foot through a brick wall, and then the plaster, and then knocked our phone system out, because all the workings of the phone system were on the back wall. Knocked it completely out, crawled through that, and they did that to get around the armored rear door, that's got an alarm system on it, and completely ransacked our office. No one pays cash anymore, so it's all on debit cards. We don't have a lot of cash. So they just ransacked the office. 

“We have it on video, the guy. Unfortunately, our cameras aren't infrared, so it's not a very clear video. But, we do have them on video. 

“Nothing was taken that we can find. And like I said, we don't have a whole lot of cash. No one pays cash anymore. No cash, nothing was missing. And we have some valuable stuff.“

According to McFeeters, none of the valuable equipment in the office was taken. 

“The police say, well, it wasn't just a drug addict that is normal for a B and E in downtown Bessemer on 19th Street,” McFeeters said. “They say, you know, they'll grab anything, try to hawk it and buy some drugs. That’s not what happened here.”

ALPolitics.com asked if this break in was going to affect his challenge to Tuberville’s residency, which McFeeters strongly denied.

“No, it's not, because I will not be intimidated, if this indeed was something to intimidate me. And if it's not, well, perfect; but I'm not backing down. I want the truth to be told,“ McFeeters said.

McFeeters confirmed that none of the documentation he intends to produce at his challenge to Tuberville’s residency on June 14 were lost in the break in.

At press time, no further information as to the progress of the investigation was available. Photos from Wednesday morning, provided by Ken McFeeters, are below.

This is a developing story.