Former Alabama state Rep. David Cole, a Republican from Huntsville, has pleaded guilty to a voter fraud charge related to his attempt to fraudulently run for office in a district where he did not live. Cole admitted to renting a small space in a home in the district and signing a lease for it, even though he didn’t live there, in order to meet the residency requirement for running in House District 10.
He has been sentenced to 60 days in the Madison County Jail, with the remainder of his three-year sentence suspended. During the suspended period, he will be on probation. Cole has also been ordered to report to jail by October 17 and pay $52,885 in restitution. He resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives in August after agreeing to plead guilty.
Alabama law mandates that candidates must live in a legislative district for at least a year before running for office. Cole signed the lease for the small space after a redistricting plan placed his actual home in a different House district. He provided an altered version of the lease that indicated he was renting a house, not just a small space, when questioned by the media about his residency.
This case marks the third Alabama lawmaker to face criminal charges this year, with Cole being the second to resign. It highlights the importance of adhering to residency and election requirements for public office.
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