Legislative Committee Approves Governor’s Request for Attorneys to Keep Communications Confidential in Baldwin County Bridge Lawsuit

Montgomery, Alabama (WIATMore) — The governor’s office cleared Thursday the hurdle of keeping certain communications confidential in a lawsuit between the Baldwin County Bridge Company and the Alabama Department of Transportation Commissioner.

The Legislative Contract Review Board approved the Governor’s Office’s request for $50,000 to retain Maynard, Cooper & Gale to protect “privileged” information in the Baldwin County Bridge Company LLC v. ALDOT Director John Cooper case. bottom.

“In the process of making this decision and filing this lawsuit, this company sought several privileged documents not only from ALDOT’s directors, but also from the governor’s office,” said Will Parker of the governor’s office. told the committee.

Last October, the Baldwin County Bridge Company sued Cooper said in a lawsuit about ALDOT’s plans to build a bridge on Gulf Shores, about a mile away from the Orange Beach toll bridge, that the new bridge could put them out of business.

The governor’s office said ALDOT’s goal is to ease traffic.

“The Transportation Commissioner wanted to help find a solution to the traffic congestion problem. He wanted to build a bridge,” says Parker.

The committee, which required a quorum of one lawmaker and was attended by two on Thursday, gave the deal the green light.

Mobile representative Chris Pringle defended the decision when asked if this raises issues of transparency, saying this is similar to how other confidential matters are handled.

“The legislature has a duty of confidentiality,” Pringle said. “In these cases, we have attorneys who represent us when we are asked for confidential correspondence. They represent us. is not.”

In February, there was an injunction hearing to stop construction of the new bridge. The hearings continued until April 19th.