Hoover City Councilman Steve McClinton is speaking out after the Alabama Ethics Commission cleared him of wrongdoing in what he described to 1819 News as a “weaponized” complaint filed by council president John Lyda, with support from Mayor Frank Brocato and City attorney Phillip Corley.
At the August 4, 2024, council meeting, the council was presented with the issue of payment of legal fees incurred by McClinton after an unfounded harassment claim was filed against him.
The meeting was one of the more heated in recent years, highlighting the clear division with Lyda, Brocato and Corley aligning to oppose or discourage the reimbursement to McClinton while misrepresenting facts or leaving out details known to them.
For instance, in October 2023, almost a year before the issue was brought before the council in an email to Lyda with copies to McClinton, Councilman Curt Posey, the chair of the council’s finance committee and Brocato, Corley wrote that he had already discussed the matter with the executive director of the Alabama Ethics Commission, Tom Albritton, and the assistant attorney general and chief of the Opinions Division Office of the attorney general, Ben Baxley.
“Both confirmed to me that the question of whether to pay Steve’s legal fees would be a factual question for the City Council,” Corley wrote.
He went on to say, “Whether it is a good idea or not is a policy call. The risk of negative publicity may outweigh the benefit of getting those fees paid.”
At the August 4 council meeting, Lyda and Corley told the council they would request another ethics opinion; in reality, that request was phrased to insinuate a new complaint.
McClinton explained in a written statement as follows:
It’s now undeniable, John Lyda misled the Council during the August 19th work session, as he implied that he had requested an opinion from the Ethics Commission concerning paying my legal fees. In truth, what he filed was a formal complaint, and he deliberately withheld that information from the Council.
The facts—and the testimony of my fellow Council members—were in my favor as the Ethics Commission dismissed the case. And this wasn’t some solo effort by Lyda. The complaint, filed on city letterhead and processed through the Clerk’s office, was drafted by legal counsel. It’s highly likely that our own City Attorney was involved, and given the pattern, the Mayor’s fingerprints are also all over this.
Once again, we’re seeing City Hall weaponized for political gain—twisting the Ethics Commission process to smear and silence others. This is the very reason I made the motion to strip the gavel over a year ago. I had already seen the Mayor and Councilman Lyda mislead developers, manipulate information, and use city resources to punish those with whom they disagreed.
This has no place in Hoover. We’re supposed to serve with integrity and transparency, not play power games behind closed doors.
Their actions have tarnished our city’s reputation. Frankly, their exit from leadership can’t come fast enough. I’ve long since forgiven them personally—but professionally, there must be consequences. And it looks like those consequences are finally catching up.
Just as one of the mayor’s political ads states: The Facts Don’t Lie!
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning or become a member to gain access to exclusive content and 1819 News merch.
