DOTHAN, Ala. – After months of hearing conservative talk, support for President Donald Trump and attacks on the front-running candidate’s past business dealings with the government, Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District Republican voters will select their party’s nominee for November’s general election Tuesday.
Although there are seven candidates vying for the nomination to replace retiring Rep. Martha Roby of Montgomery, four of them — Dothan businessman Jeff Coleman, former state Attorney General Troy King, former state Rep. Barry Moore, and political newcomer Jessica Taylor of Prattville — have risen from the pack.
With the four candidates sounding similar when talking about conservative values of pro-life, gun rights, a strong military, border security and support of Trump, Coleman has come under fire from his opponents for a 2012 Department of Justice lawsuit against his company, Coleman Worldwide Moving.
The lawsuit focused on allegations that the company defrauded the federal government of $723 million when submitting moving invoices with inflated weights for military families. The company opted to pay a $5 million settlement, which Coleman said was a business decision to avoid further legal costs and wasted time.
Coleman said during the campaign: “We have remained in good standing with the government. We continue to have government as an excellent customer.”