Fighting Public Corruption in Alabama

Attorney General-elect Luther Strange announces leaders to help fight corruption

Attorney General-elect Luther Strange today said he has hired five people, including two FBI veterans and a former U.S. marshal, to reinforce the office's investigations division and division over public corruption and white-collar crime.

''I hope the announcement of this team sends a message that public corruption is a top priority in our office," Strange said. ''When I campaigned for the job, for attorney general, I promised to pursue public corruption and white-collar crime.

"Today, I am proud to introduce the team of veteran public servants who will stand beside me in fulfilling my promise to serve the people of Alabama with honesty and integrity," Strange said.

''This is the A team," said Strange, who was elected Nov. 2. He takes office Monday afternoon, replacing fellow Republican Troy King.

His recent hires start work Monday, including:
John Gibbs, who is coming out of retirement to lead the attorney general's Public Corruption and White Collar Crime Division, which Gibbs also led starting in 1997 under then-Attorney General Bill Pryor. Gibbs left the attorney general's office in late 2006.

Sonny Reagan, who is outgoing Gov. Bob Riley's chief legal adviser, to work in the division and ''specialize in issues related to illegal gambling." Strange said Reagan was Riley's lead counsel ''in the fight against illegal gambling." Reagan worked in the attorney general's office for 10 years before working for Riley.

Tim Fuhrman, who said he would retire today as the FBI's special agent in charge at the Mobile field office, to be chief of the attorney general's investigations division. Fuhrman said that in the FBI, he has had experiences ''in a number of investigative areas which are a high priority for the new attorney general, particularly in the areas of white collar crime and public corruption."

Jesse Seroyer, who is coming out of retirement to be the deputy chief investigator. Seroyer was chief deputy investigator in the attorney general's office from 1995 until 2002, when he became the U.S. marshal for Alabama's middle district, a post he held until last year.

Jim Murray, who retired about two weeks ago as an FBI special agent in Montgomery, to be a special investigator.