Things are getting messy in Alabama.
Montgomery mayor, Steven Reed, is in hot water over a profanity-filed recording.
WFSA 12 reported the leaked audio is from three years from a meeting discussing the death of George Floyd with community leaders.
According to Reed, one of the meeting attendees, Charles Lee, had ulterior motives. He claimed Lee, owner and founder of That’s My Dog and That’s My Child, asked for $30,000, money that was “owed” to him by previous administration.
The mayor said he asked Lee to leave the meeting and feels the leaked audio is an extortion tactic.
“His extortion attempt during the George Floyd aftermath was one of the most despicable and disgusting acts of cowardice I have ever heard of or have been a part of,” Reed said.
“Charles Lee is a liar, he is shyster and is a hustler. Let me be absolutely clear about that.”
Lee claimed he had nothing to do with the audio being leaked, however, according to The Montgomery Advertiser, he knew the conversation was being recorded and knew there was a plan to leak it. The videos were posted to a Youtube account titled “Montgomery Deserves Better.”
They were also made available the day before Reed’s 49th birthday and a few months shy of Montgomery’s mayoral elections.
In part one of the recordings, Reed can be heard saying he doesn’t have to do any work and will still get a majority of the vote.
In another part, the mayor can be heard referring to a bill and other political leaders being “threatened.”
Two other parts of the audio have been removed. Reed said while the clips have been “heavily altered,” he doesn’t deny making the expletive-filled comments and that they were made “in anger and taken out of context.” He also said he has no problem testifying and plans to seek legal action against Lee, claiming the meetings were held with the district attorney’s office in the aftermath of the incident.
As for Lee, the non-profit owner denies ever asking the mayor for money.
