Keahey wants an audit of Gov. Riley's flights
By Jim Cox Co-Publisher

State Rep. Marc Keahey of Grove Hill has introduced a resolution in the Alabama House of Representatives that seeks an official audit of Gov. Bob Riley's use of state aircraft.

The resolution asks the Alabama Examiners of Public Accounts to subpoena the flight logs of state aircraft used by the governor for a complete audit to "determine whether private or personal travel was made at state expense without full and appropriate reimbursement to the state."

Keahey is a first term Democrat and at 26 the youngest member of the Legislature.

He described two flights that are of special concern to attend the weddings of a former aide and a member of his security staff.

"I'm not accusing him of doing anything wrong. I just want it audited and checked," Keahey told the Associated Press.

Riley said he welcomed the audit and said he always checks with the Alabama Ethics Commission before taking flights that appear to have a personal purpose.

Riley has started posting flight logs on his website. Records show that on Feb. 17 he, along with first lady Patsy Riley and several staff members, flew on a state plane to Columbus, Ga. to attend the wedding of a member of Riley's security detail.

A month later, on March 17, Gov. and Mrs. Riley and several staffers flew to Jackson, Miss. to attend the wedding of a former Riley aide.

Riley said the Ethics Commission approved the flights as being in compliance with state law. Hugh Evans, an attorney with the commission, said state law is "pretty liberal" in how a governor can use a plane.

The flight logs do show many trips where Riley used the state plane for political trips and he reimbursed the state with campaign funds.

Rep. Mike Hubbard, RAuburn, house minority leader and chairman of the state Republican Party, said Republicans would not fight the resolution.

He said Republicans and the governor welcomes the scrutiny. Hubbard said Riley is the first governor to post his flight log on the Internet.

Hubbard said Riley tries to avoid using the state plane for personal use. He said he has flown with the governor on trips where they both flew commercial flights because the trips were not state business.

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