Alabama lawmaker agrees to plead responsible to felony voter fraud cost

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — An Alabama legislator has agreed to plead responsible to a felony voter fraud cost that he used a fraudulent tackle to run for workplace in a district the place he didn’t dwell, in line with an settlement filed Thursday.

Republican Rep. David Cole of Huntsville will plead responsible to a cost of voting in an unauthorized location, in line with a plea settlement filed in state court docket. He will resign from workplace on the day he enters his responsible plea.

Cole, a physician and Army veteran, was elected to the House of Representatives final 12 months. According to a plea settlement, Cole signed a lease for area in a house with a purpose to run for workplace in that district, however by no means lived there and by no means “stepped past the entry foyer” on the 2 occasions he visited the placement.

“Dr. Cole admits and takes full responsibility for the mistakes he made in the political process. He entered the political process to serve his community,” Bill Espy, a lawyer representing Cole, stated in a press release.

According to the plea settlement, Cole will serve 60 days within the Madison County Jail and the rest of a three-year sentence on unsupervised probation.

Cole‘s arrest on Tuesday comes after accusations surfaced that he didn’t dwell within the district through which he was elected.