AL. House Speaker Hubbard arrested on ethics charges

OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard has been arrested on felony ethics charges. Acting Attorney General Van Davis says a grand jury in Lee County indicted Hubbard on 23 charges accusing him of misusing his office as speaker and his previous office as chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. Hubbard was processed Monday afternoon at the Lee County Jail. Hubbard called the charges "a political witch hunt" The 52-year-old Republican is considered one of Alabama's most powerful politicians and led the GOP's takeover of the Legislature in 2010, ending 136 years of Democratic control. The arrest comes weeks before the Nov. 4 election in which Hubbard has been widely favored for re-election. Hubbard's attorney, Mark White, said the speaker is confident and ready to go to battle against the charges.