Montgomery, AL – A Tuscaloosa businessman is suing Governor Riley over the governor's use of the state's winnings in a legal battle with Exxon Mobil.
The suit was filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court by Tuscaloosa real estate developer Stan Pate. He argues that the $122 million the state won should have gone into a state trust fund for royalties from natural gas wells.
Of the $122 million, about half was disputed royalties that a court said was due the state, and about half was interest on the judgment.
A spokesman for the governor says he relied on the advice of the attorney general when he put the interest income into the state General Fund to help balance the budget.
Pate's suit maintains that violates the state constitutional amendment setting up the Alabama Trust Fund.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)