National & International

Metro & State

Vance Responds to Allegations of Election Violations

Democratic State Supreme Court Chief Justice candidate Bob Vance says allegations of election violations against him are a distraction and a desperate effort by Republicans.

Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead held a press conference Thursday accusing Vance of failing to disclose a donation to then Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008.

Armistead said Vance donated $2,000 on June 18, 2008, from his own campaign committee and because the amount is more than $1,000, the committee became a federal political committee. That would require registration and periodic financial filings with the Federal Election Commission, which Armistead said Vance did not do. Armistead said he plans to file a complaint with the FEC.

“These violations are serious and call into question Judge Vance's knowledge of the law and attention to adherence to the rules we are all bound to follow. They also draw attention to Judge Vance's close alliance with Barack Obama and his far left liberal political philosophy,” Armistead wrote in a statement.

“Clearly both Judge Vance and his wife support Barack Obama, the most liberal President to have ever led this country,” he said.

Vance is a Jefferson County circuit judge. He’s running against Republican Roy Moore. Vance’s wife, Joyce White Vance, is the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. She was appointed by President Obama.

Vance said the allegation is a desperate effort by Republicans coming at the eleventh hour.

“They see a tight race. They’re trying to throw sleaze on the wall to see what sticks,” Vance said.

Vance said he has properly filed paperwork regarding campaign contributions and has never been advised that there were problems.

“I’m not going to take any action because of what the Republican chairman says,” Vance said.

Vance said he is bothered by his wife being mentioned in this allegation. He said as a federal employee she is prohibited from speaking publicly about political matters.

“I’m going to continue to focus on real issues. The other side is just trying to distract,” Vance said.

Listen to interviews with Vance and Moore.

~ Andrew Yeager, November 01, 2012