MADISON COUNTY, Ala — UPDATE (10/17) - Today the former District 10 representative turned himself in. David Cole wil serve 60 days in jail followed by three months probation. He pleaded guilty back in August to voting fraud.
UPDATE (8/31) - Rep. David Cole pleaded guilty Thursday to voting fraud charges, court documents show. FOX54 reached out to Cole's team for comment on the plea was provided the following statement from attorney William Espy:
Dr. Cole admits and takes full responsibility for the mistakes he made in the political process. He entered the process to serve his community. He has lived a life of service including serving for 22 years in the Army with tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Egypt. The Cole family appreciates all the prayers and support from his friends and community during this time. Dr. Cole will continue to serve his community going forward.
Shortly after releasing the statement, a letter of resignation was delivered to the Alabama Legislature from Rep. Cole's office. The one-sentence memo reads, "I regretfully must tender my resignation to serve as the district 10 representative for the Alabama House of Representatives, effective on the date of this memorandum."
A copy of the plea agreement obtained by FOX54 shows resignation from office was one of the conditions of the agreement. Cole is also expected to pay restitution "of all money earned or received by virtue of his employment and/or service as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives," which includes salary earned during his tenure.
He will also serve 60 days in the Madison County Jail, with the remainder of a three-year sentence on unsupervised probation.
Meanwhile, Sheila McNeil, Chair of the Madison County Democratic Executive Committee, released the following statement:
Voter fraud is an assault on democracy and is especially egregious when perpetrated by an elected official. I’m happy to see that Madison County takes voter fraud seriously and is taking steps to protect the integrity of our electoral process. But Mr. Cole isn’t the only one at fault here. The Alabama Legislature could have corrected this wrong itself, according to the Alabama Supreme Court. The GOP-dominated House of Representatives, apparently more concerned about politics and power than the voters of House District 10, declined to do so. The Madison County residents in District 10 deserve better than to be treated as tools of the GOP’s political priorities. We hope that Cole’s arrest will begin the process of restoring to them their right to elect legal, eligible candidates, regardless of party.