One of history's most famous political denials was on January 28, 1998, President Bill Clinton’s public declaration, “I want to say one thing…I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” History would show that Clinton’s denials and parsing of words in his then-public statement and grand jury testimony, not his improper relationship, would lead to the ultimate implosion of his political career. Clinton tried to walk the line using lies of omission, deflections, and denials to hide the truth, much like we’ve seen in the City of Hoover this year.
At the November 18, 2024, Hoover City Council Meeting, the City of Hoover brought back the resolution to pay Kroll Associates.
An audit marred in controversy from the beginning, first for the lack of transparency around it, then for its stunning findings showing years of problems and finally for City leadership's insistence that any questions related to it are "politically motivated."
Following public comments, Hoover City Council president John Lyda stated, "I do want to clarify, um the, the false statement was made that Kroll has not been paid; I'm sorry, has been paid. Kroll has not been paid. Okay, so I want the members to realize that when false statements are made like that, we've got to clarify that. So we're voting to pay Kroll."
[Relevant portion beginning around the 45:20 mark]
The problem: According to a representative for the company, Kroll has been paid.
Lyda may say that Kroll has not been paid in full, but that is not what he said. He said, "Kroll has not been paid."
As early as June 5, 1819 News posed questions about how Kroll would be paid. In that story, 1819 News noted the City Council voted to increase the amount budgeted for attorneys fees, saying, "On Monday, June 3, the City Council passed a resolution amending the budget to add an additional $500,000. In a Facebook discussion on the vote, City Councilman Casey Middlebrooks noted the amount spent to date, including $767,628 to Wallace Jordan, with a note that it was for the City Attorney. It is unclear if that amount includes money for the forensic audit."
It is still unclear.
Kroll performed a limited-scope forensic audit with contract details still being hidden from public view. An audit that became public when Lyda-appointed councilwoman Khristi Driver begrudgingly revealed the existence of an ongoing audit under oath. 1819 has extensively covered the audit, with a recent piece providing a definitive timeline of events.
Apryl Marie Fogel is a Birmingham resident who frequently appears on and guest hosts radio programs around the state. She can be reached at aprylmarie@altoday.com or on X and Facebook at @aprylmarie.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
