Stan McDonald of the Alabama Ethics Commission on Thursday. Appeared on the Jeff Poor Show And he acknowledged making donations to political campaigns while serving as one of three commissioners.

Two hours after that admission, state Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) said in an interview on the show that McDonald had admitted to committing a felony under a law Simpson is working to change, a proposal McDonald has sharply criticized.

Simpson said the state's current ethics laws are overly complicated and need to be reformed, and used McDonald's situation as an example to make his point.

“It's hard to understand how you can go on the radio and say everyone understands the ethics law when you yourself don't understand it,” Simpson told Yellow Hammer News.

Simpson explained that Alabama law prohibits ethics commissioners, commission attorneys and commission staff from engaging in partisan political activity, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

“No, it doesn't,” Governor Simpson said when asked if McDonald's crime constitutes a felony under Governor Simpson's ethics reforms. “I don't think this crime is serious enough to warrant any prison time. I think it should be treated as a civil and administrative infraction.”

McDonald, a Limestone County attorney and former judge, has donated to 10 state candidates, including state Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville), Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Alabama Attorney General candidate Alice Martin, former House Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) and both the Limestone and Madison County Republicans.

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McDonald is an attorney in Athens and a former probate judge for Limestone County. He served as a political advisor to both Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and former Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville). McDonald was appointed to the Alabama Ethics Commission in 2019.

McDonald's five-year appointment was approved unanimously by the state Senate.

Former Alabama Governor Foeb James appointed Mr. McDonald as an administrative law judge for the state Department of Health Planning and Development. Former Alabama Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed him as a special assistant to the attorney general on behalf of the Alabama Department of Transportation, and former Governor Robert Bentley appointed him as Limestone County probate judge in 2011. He did not run for reelection in 2012.

The decision on whether to prosecute McDonald on state law will rest with Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. Simpson's bill passed the Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday by a vote of 79-9.

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