Total tax dollars for William Lunsford and the Butler Snow firm now at $94 million

The Alabama Department of Corrections’ dysfunction continues to outdo itself– over 1,600 people have died in its custody since the Department of Justice released its damning report on conditions in 2019, violence and corruption remain rampant all the way up to prison facility administrators, and taxpayers are on the hook for billions of dollars to pay for the fallout.

In the face of such dysfunction, private Alabama attorney William “Bill” Lunsford is set to receive over $38 million more to defend the state’s indefensible prisons.  As Appleseed has continued to research payments to Lunsford, we keep finding new piles of money dating back to 2016. The current total is $56.4 million paid so far, and another $38 million in pending contracts requested by the Alabama Attorney General’s Office for a new grand total of $94.4 million! 

Lunsford and his firm have been hired to defend the Alabama Department of Corrections in multiple class action lawsuits, as well as smaller civil rights claims brought by incarcerated people who have been beaten or abused, or by the families of incarcerated people who have been killed in state custody. The ongoing violence, corruption, and mismanagement suggests a litigation strategy focused on paying expensive, private lawyers to drag these cases out rather than settling them and addressing the human rights crisis across the state prison system.

Attorney Bill Lunsford of Butler Snow

Lunsford is paid far more than any other government employee in the State of Alabama, including the Governor. $94.4 million could fund the salaries of every District Attorney in the State of Alabama for at least nine years. $94.4 could fund the entire Alabama Attorney General’s Office, which employs about 80, for six years.

But there’s still time. The contracts providing this money have been put on hold for 45 days following last week’s Joint Contract Review meeting, giving lawmakers the time to ask important questions and the Governor time to remove her approval.

Tell Gov. Ivey you do not want more of your taxpayer dollars going to a single, private law firm to continue defending the Department of Corrections– ask her not to approve any new contracts to Bill Lunsford.

Contact Gov. Ivey by emailing her office using this link, or call 334.242.7100.

If you wish to also email your state representative and senator about this issue, you can find them here. Find contact information for your representative here, and your senator here. If you need assistance with your outreach, please contact Appleseed Policy and Advocacy Director Elaine Burdeshaw by emailing elaine.burdeshaw@alabamaappleseed.org.

For more information, read Appleseed Researcher Eddie Burkhalter’s story documenting Lunsford’s rising pay and showing how other states have responded in the face of DOJ litigation here.