Articles

Have a happy New Year!

Two bald eagles perch on branches flanking a small Christmas tree with eagle and flag ornaments, and wrapped gifts at its base

Have a Merry Christmas!

Dried purple roses in a clear glass vase against a white background

Mayor Lori Mock and Columbia officials siphoned town funds into unauthorized contracts, personal gifts, and family favors. Cancelled municipal checks and financial invoices held by local whistleblowers document a paper trail of blatant self-dealing. Discover how local officials banked on state immunity to hide their paper trail.

Small-town politicians are running dirty operations right under our noses while public health crises rage across the state. Discover how local municipal bosses turned a public sewer plant into an illegal bootlegging hideout. Listen as Backstory Podcast confronts the small-town grifters treating taxpayer property like their personal playground.

Community Chest card reading Get Out of Jail Free and This Card May Be Kept Until Needed or Sold, with a cartoon winged figure beside an open birdcage

Following up on Columbia's scandal, state ethics officials created an immunity racket designed to systematically toss out criminal complaints against corrupt politicians. Internal ethics logs and bank records demonstrate how connected prosecutors shield small-town mayors from felony theft charges. What happens when concrete evidence finally shatters their bulletproof protection scheme?

Black and white photograph of Blanche Weeks in a kitchen, with text below reading Blanche Weeks and Blanche’s gumbo is now famous

Powerful local insiders hijacked the Baldwin County zoning process to crush a local family's restaurant venture after a single complaint. Text chats and public records reveal how corrupt officials blocked public land access to cater to wealthy bayfront donors. The Ripp Report exposes how political influence steamrolled a family business.

A diagonal stack of U.S. currency featuring a ten-dollar bill in the foreground, edited to show George Washington wearing a white face mask

Mayor Sullivan and Jack Burrell put Fairhope citizens at risk while seizing control of millions in waterfront project funds. Newly uncovered documents reveal a trail of past financial scandals and ignored public surveys. Discover why local leadership gambled with public safety to push their own agenda.

A man in a dark pinstripe suit and striped tie has cartoon rabbit ears and a rubber nose mask superimposed over his face against a white background

Council President Jack Burrell continues to ignore citizen demands and health warnings to serve special political interests. FOIA requests prove city leaders threw out public input to alter plans for a multi-million-dollar grant. We outline the calculated self-interest driving Fairhope's political machine.

A red prohibition sign with a diagonal slash over the word Catalyst, overlaid with a howling wolf silhouette against a rainy green background

Political cronies completely gutted a massive infrastructure plan left behind by the previous administration. Leaked communications and public records show officials eliminated vital public features to cover up local corruption. Uncover the real truth behind this watered-down waterfront scheme.

A nighttime outdoor gathering in Baldwin County shows two people embracing while others clap and hold drinks, depicting a public event during the pandemic

City officials recklessly pushed forward with public events despite explicit warnings from local medical professionals. Financial records and meeting notes show a clear pattern of prioritizing backroom political deals over community safety. Look at the records to see the true cost of their negligence.