Birmingham attorney Mark White says he's been hired by Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard to pursue people accused of libeling him.
Hubbard's business, Auburn Network, recently canceled a consulting contract with Southeast Alabama Gas District, which financed his trip to Paris this year. Hubbard traveled with other state officials, whose trips were financed by the Alabama Department of Commerce.
AL.com reported the contract was approved in 2012 by the state Ethics Commission. Officials said the arrangement was sound as long as Hubbard didn't make efforts to benefit himself or Auburn Network clients.
The state Attorney General has convened a special grand jury in Lee county, where Hubbard is from. The Attorney General's office hasn't said what's being investigated.
White told the Montgomery Advertiser he doesn't know what officials are investigating.