FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
February 6, 2019
For More Information, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Steve Marshall
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
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Alabama Attorney General
Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Formation
of Economic Crime Alliance of Alabama
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall and representatives from federal
and state law enforcement announced the formation of the Economic Crime Alliance of
Alabama (ECAA) to fight financial crime in the state. The group held its first meeting on
Wednesday morning at the Attorney General’s Office.
The ECAA was originally launched in the early 2000s to provide a statewide support
system for the prevention, investigation and prosecution of financial, economic and
high-technology crime. Due to changes in leadership and decreased interaction, the
work of the Alliance gradually tapered off. In early January, Marshall reached out to the
leadership of each agency that participated in the original group and urged them to
recommit to the effort. Though the original membership of the Alliance did not include
federal partners, Marshall gauged their interest in participating and received
overwhelming support – as evidenced by the attendance at today’s meeting.
The federal-state partnership signifies a commitment to more information sharing,
more communication between agencies, and a more comprehensive approach to
fighting corruption and financial crime in Alabama. Each entity brings its own expertise
and resources, which will be pooled together to bring about more efficient and effective
investigations and prosecutions of financial crime, as well as greater protection of the
public funds and financial resources of the citizens of Alabama.
“Our existing partnerships with Alabama’s U.S. Attorneys and the Justice Department
have been foundational to the progress we are already making in eradicating violent
crime,” Marshall said. “If we can work together effectively to confront violent crime, we
can and should do the same to confront corruption and financial crime.”
“From day one, Attorney General Marshall has endeavored to mend relationships and
restore productive partnerships with his federal counterparts, and we are now seeing
the fruits of those efforts,” U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin Sr. said after the meeting.
“This is another area of criminal law that requires everyone to work together as a team
and we are excited about our increased capacity to prosecute white-collar cases.”
501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us Page 2 of 2
The effort is not just about renewing federal-state relationships, but inner-state working
relationships as well. “I am pleased that the Attorney General has revived the Economic
Crime Alliance,” said Rachel Riddle of the Alabama Department of Examiners. “As
Chief Examiner, I have a unique perspective on the significant costs that come with
entities from the various levels of government not utilizing each other’s resources and
expertise. Unnecessary duplication of efforts and a lack of cohesiveness can lead to
severe inefficiencies that in turn do not serve the best interest of the public. I appreciate
the Attorney General taking the lead to get us all back on the same page.”
“In today’s highly technical environment, financial crimes can destroy the hopes of
Alabamians for a secure retirement, the dreams of young families for a home of their
own or education for their children. These crimes have no geographical boundaries and
combining resources and working together as an alliance enhances our ability to track
down, catch and prosecute criminals within or outside of Alabama,” said Joseph Borg,
director of the Alabama Securities Commission.
During the meeting, Marshall emphasized that he was committed to “tearing down the
silos between law enforcement agencies” that hinder the core mission of pursuing
justice. “That’s easier to do when you aren’t worried about who gets the credit,”
Marshall said, “but are focused instead on accomplishing a shared goal. We all
acknowledge that, over the years, our offices have missed out on some significant
opportunities to work together. We are going to have to sort through how and why we
got here, but we all agree that we want it to change. I believe the public will be able to
see the difference.”
Members of the Economic Crime Alliance of Alabama include: the Attorney General’s
Office, Alabama Department of Examiners, Alabama Department of Insurance,
Alabama Department of Labor, Alabama Department of Revenue, Alabama Law
Enforcement Agency, Alabama Securities Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Office of Prosecution Services, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District, U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Middle District and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern
District of Alabama.
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