Governor Bentley's Communications Director Stephen Bradley's Modus Operandi

Stephen Bradley's past business dealings read like a character in a John Grisham novel gone off the rails.

The following AP/Huntsville Times article from 1999 illustrates the lengths and deception one man will go to to achieve his own agenda. With an accompanying cast of two convicted felons, Richard Scrushy and former Alabama governor Don Siegelman, (involved by way of his brother Les Siegleman initially) the article describes the clandestine meetings and exclusive "war room" maneuvers that went far beyond the norm in bringing the Honda plant to Lincoln, Alabama.

Both former Alabama governors (incoming Siegleman and outgoing James) along with the Alabama business recruiters were purposefully kept in the dark, at Bradley's behest, until the deal was secured. Why?

Honda has been an economic boom for Alabama and supplies many good paying jobs, but would anyone have ever thought otherwise? We understand why Honda's side wanted confidentiality, but why all the secrecy and shenanigans recruiting the company?

We suspect that it all boils down to money in some key players pockets first and foremost and those means are supposed to be justified by the ends: Honda's significant contribution to Alabama's economic engine after it located here.

Just because it turns out good doesn't mean the process wasn't really bad.

And this one smells.

Big time.

Three of the men involved in this, years forward and unrelated to the Honda deal, have been convicted of corruption and bribery or seen members of their administrations convicted. Fob James probably fell out of favor with the shadow government of the Big Mules for his positions against racism and discrimination. One long-time Alabama political insider tells us he paid for it in part by being soundly defeated by Siegleman in the Democratic primary of 1998, among the other reasons that contributed to his political demise.

The Big Mules don't like those who don't play by their rules and they see to it that antagonists to their interests are marginalized, as evidenced by Bradley's coded comments about James in the article below.

Siegleman was eventually credited with bringing Honda to Alabama, but since this article clearly defines who really brought them to the state, was Sielgeman allowed the public accolade so that the real players were able to walk away with fistfuls of cash unquestioned? What other "favors" and shadowy characters may have been involved in this scheme that were as secret as the "war room" discussions next to the Delta Airlines baggage claim area in 1998?

Eleven years have passed since this story was published and we know what happened to Scrushy and Siegelman--we also know what became of Stephen Bradley. Governor-elect Bentley made him and the special interests he represents key players in his transition team. Therefore, in our opinion, this story has current relevance.

What's that old saying about polecats and their spots...?

Marbled polecat. Like other members of Mustelinae, it can emit a strong smelling secretion from anal sacs under the tail when threatened. (There's the basis for a really bad joke in this, but we'll resist for now.)

The writing is on the wall suggesting the same ol' Big Mule train will drive the direction of Alabama's government for the next four years, but it really should be a part of a Grisham-like novel on industrial espionage and the pervasive fundamental corruption that continues to write the coal blackened history of Alabama.

Mr. Grisham, are you listening?

Alabama's `Bingo' key to decision by Honda
The Associated Press
Huntsville Times
May 10, 1999

Recruiting operation reads like spy novel

BIRMINGHAM - The recipe to attract a Japanese auto maker to Alabama to build a massive manufacturing plant near Lincoln included one helicopter, one videotape, *changed locks, briefcases and lots of secret meetings.
*(Editor's note--there were only three keys to this room after the locks were changed, Bradley & Henshaw probably had two of them, but who had the third?)

The project, called "Bingo" by Alabama's lead industrial recruiters, sounds a bit like a spy novel.

The mission was so classified, recruiters at first didn't even know what company they were dealing with. It prompted them to change the locks on their Birmingham war room at the Alabama Business Center, making only three keys.

Honda had picked Alabama as one of four possible sites for the $400 million plant as early as January 1998, though state recruiters didn't know it. The company's California law firm hired site-selection expert Harry Henshaw of Cleveland, who brought in Birmingham's Porter, White and Co.

Attention initially focused on the Southeast and Texas, but soon expanded to other areas. Honda wanted a rural site with at least 1,000 acres, preferably close to colleges and big cities. Too many tornadoes scratched Texas and the Plains states off the list, and the possibility of earthquakes eliminated Washington state.

Henshaw said 150 sites in 26 states were analyzed. Sites in 20 Alabama counties were examined, including ones near Decatur, Florence, Ashville and two in Talladega County.

After settling on a short list, Henshaw's team contacted recruiters in four states. The name of the company was not divulged.


"The consultant let us know early on that to even be speculating could cause us to no longer be considered," said Ted vonCannon, president of Birmingham's Metropolitan Development Board.

As Alabama's gubernatorial election neared last November, lobbyist Steve Bradley urged recruiters to keep former Gov. Fob James in the dark about the project. They listened.

"There were those in the James administration who were supportive of economic development," Bradley said. "Fob James was not one of them."

A few days after Gov. Don Siegelman's election, Bradley approached the governor's brother, Les Siegelman, who would act as a go-between for the project.

By this time, those concerned were holding regular 7 a.m. strategy sessions in a meeting room at the Birmingham airport.

They included Neal Wade, president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama; vonCannon; Bradley; Greg Barker, project manager for the Metropolitan Development Board; and industrial recruiters Mike McCain of Anniston and Calvin Miller of Talladega County.

The group still didn't know the name of the company.

In early December, Alabama was required to submit a proposal, and Don Siegelman was recruited to write a letter and make a video for the mystery company a month before he took office.

The tape also showed officials from JVC, Boeing and Mercedes-Benz cheering Alabama, along with shots of the state's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

The proposal was delivered in leather briefcases with the word "Alabama" on them.

As Honda and its consultants continued visiting sites, HealthSouth chief executive officer Richard Scrushy let them borrow his company's helicopter. Henshaw also borrowed a Mercedes M-Class for two days.

Alabama recruiters didn't find out who was behind "Bingo" until March, when they gathered with Honda officials at a Birmingham hotel.

Record Number: MERLIN_1437595