The Mobile City Council was in an intense debate during its weekly meeting, with Council President C.J. Small, William Carroll, and Cory Penn threatening to stall the entire agenda unless an investigation into allegations made by Paul Prine against the administration was approved. Councilman Ben Reynolds stated that he would not vote on the investigation until all the details were thoroughly discussed, including the scope of any approved investigation.
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson addressed the council and informed them that two independent investigations had been conducted following the allegations made by Prine. These investigations were carried out by Burr-Foreman Law Firm and the City of Mobile’s Office of Professional Responsibility. Stimpson explained that the reports and supporting materials had been sent to the Alabama Attorney General’s Office for review, stating that there was no higher investigative authority in the state.
Stimpson emphasized that hiring another firm to conduct an investigation without prosecutorial powers would only add opinions to the mix and prolong the process. Councilman William Carroll raised concerns about the investigations conducted, arguing that they were controlled by the administration and not by the council, which had called for an independent investigation from an entity outside of it.
Carroll, along with Small and Penn, expressed their reluctance to support other items on the agenda if an investigation into Prine’s allegations was not approved that day. The council members were in disagreement over whether these investigations were sufficient or if a more thorough independent review was necessary to address these allegations against the administration.
