Rutledge man files complaint against Mitchell, Democrats
Published 12:00 am Thursday, December 14, 2006
A Crenshaw County resident has filed a complaint with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General's Office and the Alabama Ethics Commission against Sen. Wendell Mitchell claiming that the senator and the Alabama Democratic Party conspired to “fraudulently conceal” Mitchell's actual domicile residence.
Harold Sorensen of Rutledge, filed the complaints Nov. 14 and Nov. 21. Sorensen said that according to “Black's Law Dictionary,” the domicile of a person is very important “since it, rather than the actual residence, often controls the jurisdiction of the taxing authorities and determines where a person may exercise the privilege of voting and other legal rights and privileges.”
Sorensen said that Mitchell and his family live at 1806 Beauvoir Lake Drive in Montgomery, but that he and his wife Rosalind fraudulently voted in Crenshaw County during the general election.
The senator has another home located at7596 Montgomery Highway in Luverne, but Sorenson said that is not considered Mitchell's “domicile” residence.
“I can't vote in Autauga County because I don't live there,” Sorensen said. “People can't just pick and choose where their domicile residence is. We have some public officials who think they are above the law, and I'm concerned that our laws are not being enforced.”
The complaint names not only Sen. Mitchell, but his wife Rosalind, and the Democratic Party of Alabama Chairman Joe Turnham as well.
“I'm not questioning all that he (Mitchell) has done for Crenshaw County and his district,” Sorensen added. “I'm just concerned because of the fact that there are taxpayers paying his salary from the county he does not live inŠ.he's living in one place and claiming his domicile residence in another.”
Sorensen was also concerned about Mitchell being reimbursed with travel vouchers.
“He gets reimbursed for traveling from his home to his place of work,” he said. “Where is he getting reimbursed from? If he's traveling from Crenshaw County, he may be getting money that he's not supposed to get.”
Sen. Mitchell said that Sorensen's claims are “totally without any foundation at all.”
“This election is over,” Mitchell said. “These issues were raised throughout my campaign, and they were rejected by the people of this district when I was overwhelmingly re-elected. There are no merits to these charges whatsoever.”
Sorensen said that he wasn't being “vindictive” toward Mitchell.
“There just needs to be fairness and integrity in our elections, and people need to vote where they live,” he said.
Sorensen said that he had not heard from the Attorney General's office yet.
“They are still reviewing it,” he said.