Candidate uses faked photo to tout Saban backing

Published 12:00 am Thursday, August 19, 2010

BESSEMER, Ala. (AP) — A candidate for Bessemer mayor, Dorothy Davidson, used a fake photo of herself with Alabama coach Nick Saban and a false claim that Saban had endorsed her candidacy.

When the fake photo came in question, Davidson at first claimed it was legitimate, then admitted it had been altered, The Birmingham News reported. She said the Saban endorsement was accurate, but that also unraveled Wednesday when her campaign manager, Kevin Morris, said there was no official endorsment and that he was responsible for the falsified photo.

“I lied,” Morris told the News. “She didn’t do anything wrong.”

Davidson and Morris didn’t returned phone calls seeking comment from The Associated Press.

Morris, 35, told the News he stepped down Wednesday as campaign manager for Davidson.

He said he misled her into thinking that Saban had OK’d altering the phtograph, which showed Saban and his wife, Terry Saban. The altered image showed the Alabama coach with Davidson.

Morris claimed to have spoken with Saban about supporting Davidson, but said there was no official endorsement.