Birmingham podcaster Iva Williams has filed an ethics complaint against State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) for paying her brother for campaign services in her race for Birmingham mayor against incumbent Randall Woodfin. Givan said that the expenditures were valid and called the complaint against her "petty," insisting that it was yet another "attack on my character" by those associated with Woodfin.
Williams' complaint states, "According to her Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA) filings, Rep. Givan raised roughly $150,000 during her campaign. In reviewing her expenditure reports, I noticed that she paid her brother, Brenden Givan, a total of $27,618.18."
A review of Givan's campaign finance data by 1819 News shows that her brother was paid in 10 transactions, not including a reimbursement for sign stakes. The first ten ranged from $80.00 to $600, with a final payment of $27,618.18, including a note for "canvassing, phone banking, administrative".
Williams points out that payments to Givan's brother, "From what I can tell, this was one of the single largest expenditures reported."
The complaint goes on to list Williams' concerns:
- There is no clear record that Mr. Givan provided bona fide campaign services at fair-market value for that payment.
- At the same time, her campaign does not show significant spending on the usual items you would expect - such as TV advertising, direct mail, or a field plan.
- This combination suggests that campaign money may have been diverted to a family member rather than invested in genuine voter outreach.
When reached for comment, Givan said she was unaware of the complaint. Her response was direct, stressing that it was just another attack. "This is once again the level of vitriol I have experienced. This entire campaign cycle has been one in which I have sustained blow after blow after blow, and attacks on my character, and assassination attempts on my character to attempt to discredit me in the legislature, to discredit me for House District 60, as well as for the mayoral race," she said.
While she didn't blame Woodfin outright, she did say that most of the attacks she's faced are coming from "those that are in association with those that I just completed a race with," further saying, "this is absolutely ridiculous."
In his complaint, Williams wrote that the Ethics Commission has "issued guidance that campaign funds should not be paid to family unless the services are legitimate, documented, and fairly priced."
Givan was adamant that state law does not prohibit her brother from working for her campaign and stated that he was compensated for the professional services he provided over the course of eight months. Services that she says others can attest to, saying that he canvassed himself, led a team of canvassers, put up signs, took down signs, and phoned banks.
When asked about his experience, Givan said that her brother has worked for other candidates. The Secretary of State's office does not have searchable municipal election data for previous years; however, his name does appear on a campaign finance report from April 2015 for Perryn Carroll, who was running for Circuit Court Judge at the time.
In 2018, Williams filed a complaint against William Bell. According to a WBRC report, Williams claimed that "Bell called city employees to city hall before the runoff last year with Randall Woodfin. Williams said Bell told the employees they would lose their jobs if he lost."
The ethics commission recommended that the Jefferson County DA impose a fine for Bell. It was on Williams' podcast in August 2023 that Woodfin hinted that he would seek a third term.
The process described on the Ethics Commission website states that upon receiving a complaint, it has 180 days to decide if probable cause exists, though an extension of an additional 180 days may be granted.
Upon investigation, a complaint may be:
- Closed because the Ethics Commission does not have jurisdiction regarding the alleged wrongdoing, or the Statute of Limitations has expired.
- Dismissed due to lack of evidence to support the complaint.
- Presented to the Commission for Determination of Probable Cause.
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