MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A county prosecutor facing multiple charges of using his office for personal gain has been indicted on an additional charge of lying to the Alabama Ethics Commission, court records show.
Suspended Lee County District Attorney Brandon M. Hughes was indicted on a perjury charge in Montgomery County alleging he lied during sworn testimony to the panel on April 1, 2020, according to a document filed Thursday.
Hughes, 46, was charged in November with illegally hiring his three children to work for his office and paying private lawyers with public funds to settle a matter that helped him and his wife, authorities said. He also was charged with issuing a subpoena to a company to gather evidence for his own potential defense and perjury.
A defense lawyer has said Hughes, who was elected in 2016, maintains his innocence. He is set for trial beginning June 21 on charges including ethics violations and conspiracy to commit theft.
Hughes referred a possible violation to the Ethics Commission last year before the agency referred the matter to prosecutors. At the time, Hughes denied doing anything wrong intentionally.
