Petitions Call on ALGOP to address Ledbetter, Wahl Ballot Access

Two citizen petitions were launched online Friday evening calling on the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP) to address recent issues and ballot access concerns which have arisen with Speaker of the Alabama House Nathaniel Ledbetter and former ALGOP Chair John Wahl.

The Ledbetter petition stems from a recent incident where the Speaker was allegedly recorded as saying “I don’t give a (expletive) about the Republican Party!” The petition respectfully requests that the SEC:

Formally place this matter on the agenda and conduct an immediate review of whether Speaker Ledbetter’s conduct and publicly reported remarks are consistent with Republican leadership and candidacy.

Issue a clear written finding that addresses the substance of the remarks and sets a standard for accountability in party leadership.

Take decisive accountability action, including removing party support and replacing Ledbetter as the Republican nominee for House District 24, using the SEC’s lawful authority and established procedures. Alabama law expressly authorizes the party’s executive committee to fill a vacancy in nomination when a vacancy occurs “by... revocation, or otherwise.”

Communicate transparently to Republican voters what action was taken and why.

The petition further states that “Republican voters deserve leadership that respects the party, respects the voters, and governs consistent with conservative values – not a power structure that depends on insulating and incomes from accountability.” It goes to say that “if party labels mean anything, then contempt for the party and its voters must carry consequences.”

The petition ends with a call to action — that signing is a plea for the ALGOP SEC to act to restore trust and accountability in the Party leadership, and to share the petition across the State.

The Wahl petition calls upon ALGOP to “take immediate, transparent, ethics-driven action to restore trust in the Republican ballot-access process,” with requests for the:

1. Re-evaluation of ballot access/certification for Nehemiah Ezekiel Wahl (commonly known as “John Wahl”) under the applicable constitutional residency requirement for Lieutenant Governor, and 
2. Mandatory recusals of any committee member with a direct conflict of interest tied to Mr. Wahl or the Wahl family (employment, prior work, campaign services, paid consulting/vendor relationships, or any other material connection), so the decision is not tainted by insider self-dealing. Failure to require recusals and full transparency is hypocritical, disenfranchises voters, and divisively splinters the party. 
3. Full audited financial statements from the ALGOP reported to the party and its constituents. 

In support of these requests, the petition cites several pertinent facts, beginning with the constitutional requirement for both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to have been “resident citizens of the state at least seven years next before the date of their election.” Drawing on this constitutional provision, the petitioners assert that ALGOP should apply a consistent standard, with verifiable evidence, to every candidate.

The petition lists as supporting evidence that Nehemiah Ezekiel Wahl received a speeding ticket in Morgan County, Alabama in April of 2023, and the driver’s license given at that time had a Tennessee address (Five Points, TN). The petition further asserts that Tennessee requires proof of residency to obtain a driver’s license, as verified by documents listing the applicant’s name and current residential address.

The petition notes that a formal challenge to Mr. Wahl’s residency was previously filed with ALGOP, in which it was alleged that he did not meet the constitutional requirements for Lt. Governor. That challenge was dismissed.

The petition goes on to point out that questions have been raised in reports and opinions about official documents being signed “John Wahl” rather than his legal name “Nehemiah Ezekiel Wahl.”

Lastly, the petition states that “Voting in Alabama with an non-driver’s license ID with a name that did not match the voter rolls” is “inconsistent with the party’s stance on election integrity.”

The petitioners request that full transparency on all documents — filings, certifications, and others — be consistent and transparent with regards to any “known as” sobriquets, both for voter identification, verification and transparency.

The petition calls upon ALGOP to adhere to its own bylaws that “Persons actively involved in a contested primary election for any office shall be disqualified from discussion and voting on any issue of disqualification or contest for that office as members of any State or County Committee or subcommittee,” and asks that ALGOP:

1. Require and publish conflict-of-interest recusals consistent with ALGOP Standing Rules and basic ethics. Mandatory Recusal for Conflicts: ALGOP must adopt and enforce an ethics standard that requires recusal for any member whose employment, compensation, campaign services, prior work relationship, or financial ties create a direct conflict involving Mr. Wahl or the Wahl family. 
2. Provide full financial transparency, including third-party audited financials and the full disclosure of how and under what name Mr. Wahl was paid (W-2/1099). ALGOP’s governing documents provide for a Financial Oversight Committee that monitors the party’s financial activities. ALGOP shall provide full third-party audited financial statements for the relevant periods (including notes and schedules sufficient to understand compensation and vendor payments). ALGOP shall disclose whether Mr. Wahl was compensated by ALGOP as a W-2 employee, 1099 contractor, or other arrangement, including pay periods and total compensation. ALGOP shall disclose the name used for payment and tax reporting (i.e., whether compensation was issued under “Nehemiah Ezekiel Wahl” or “John Wahl”), and any payments to entities directly tied to Mr. Wahl or the Wahl family (dates, amounts, and purpose). 
3. Re-open / re-evaluate Mr. Wahl’s ballot access/certification for Lieutenant Governor under the Alabama Constitution’s 7-year residency requirement. Issue a written finding explaining the evidence considered, the standard applied, and the final decision—so Republican voters can trust the process.

The petition concludes with the assertion that Republican voters”deserve a party that enforces qualifications consistently,” because “when voters believe rules are applied selectively or insiders vote on their own interests, trust collapses, and the party fractures.“

There are no requirements for ALGOP to take any of the requested actions of these or any other citizen petitions. However, these petitions summarize questions that have recently arisen about Ledbetter, and have been simmering issues for Wahl for some time. To the petitioners, these questions appear to speak directly to each man’s ability to be an appropriate representative for the Alabama Republican Party and the ideals it espouses.

Ultimately, should a significant number of signatures be gathered by one or both, the pressure of election-year optics may compel the Alabama Republican Party to take action — whether it wants to, or not.

The Ledbetter petition may be read at THIS LINK and below.

The Wahl Petition may be read at THIS LINK and below.