Allen Fires Back at Wahl Over Campaign Ad Claims

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen is pushing back against a new campaign ad from former Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl, calling the spot false and accusing Wahl of trying to distract voters from questions surrounding his own record.

The exchange marks the latest escalation in the Republican primary race for Lieutenant Governor ahead of Alabama’s May 19 election.

Allen’s campaign issued a sharply worded response after Wahl launched an attack ad criticizing Allen’s record and accusing him of dishonesty. Allen said the ad came just one day after Wahl released a digital advertisement claiming he built a successful business.

“My opponent is airing a commercial he knows is false because he needs to distract from the lies he told about himself in the digital ad he aired yesterday,” Allen said. “Wahl claims that he built a successful business but a search of public records shows that no business is currently lawfully operating or has ever been lawfully operated by John or Nehemiah Wahl in the State of Alabama. Wahl has thrown out names of businesses he claims to run in speeches and even on his statements of economic interest but records show that none of these businesses have ever actually existed.”

Allen also accused Wahl of hypocrisy over claims of honesty in the campaign.

In the ad, Wahl refers to Allen as dishonest, but Allen argues that Wahl’s own past controversies tell a different story. Public scrutiny around Wahl has grown in recent years following reports involving his use of the name “John Wahl,” despite public records identifying his legal name as Nehemiah Ezekiel Wahl. Additional controversy surrounded reports that Wahl used a self-created form of identification while voting.

“I have always been completely honest and transparent with the people of Alabama and that will not change,” Allen said. “Wahl is the one who has tried to perpetuate fraud after fraud on the people of this state from registering to vote in two different states under two names to using an alias and signing official documents with that alias to denying his participation in a Muslim Ramadan celebration at the Islamic Center of Anniston, despite the photos proving he was there. He has lied so often that we should not be surprised that he is lying to the people of Alabama now.”

Allen also defended his public promotion of Alabama’s voter ID requirements, an issue Wahl reportedly criticized in campaign messaging.

“Wahl claims I am promoting myself by promoting Alabama’s Voter ID law. It should not surprise anyone that a man that refused to show a voter ID at the polls and then voted using an alias instead of his real name opposes ads telling Alabama citizens that they need to bring their valid voter ID to the polling place to vote,” Allen said.

Allen further rejected Wahl’s criticism of his legislative record on infrastructure spending and taxes.

“As for the claim of tax increases, Allen said he voted for approximately $80 million in tax cuts during his time in the Alabama legislature.”

“Wahl’s ad is critical of me voting to pay our own way rather than borrowing money to pave our roads and bridges. He wanted us to borrow money and have our children and grandchildren pay the debt later. That is not fiscally conservative and it’s not responsible,” Allen said. “I voted to pay our own way while also voting for $80 million in tax cuts and balancing the budget all four years I was in the legislature. Wahl wants to spend, spend, spend and let someone else pay for it later. That’s not good budgeting and that’s not good government.”

Allen also questioned Wahl’s support for President Donald Trump, pointing to Alabama’s 2020 Republican presidential primary records. “We were fighting for the future of this nation in 2020 and Wahl didn’t vote for Trump in the 2020 Republican primary election,” Allen pointed out. “We know this because he didn’t bother to vote at all. I am the one who voted for him every single time."

The increasingly bitter contest comes as some polling shows Allen holding a sizable lead in the race. Alabama’s Republican primary election is scheduled for May 19.