BUSINESS/POLITICS FIGURES: “The Alabama business community is on the sidelines of the state’s high-stakes Senate special election, with some leaders refusing to back Republican nominee Roy Moore because of concerns that the controversies dogging his candidacy could be bad for the local economy.
After seeing its favored candidate, incumbent Republican Sen. Luther Strange, lose in the GOP runoff election, the Business Council of Alabama hasn’t endorsed Mr. Moore. One of the group’s most important allies in Washington, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, has cast a write-in ballot for another, unnamed Republican. The deluge of money that usually comes from national business coffers of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has dried up.
Some business leaders worry that controversies engulfing Mr. Moore, including recent allegations that he sought relationships with teenage girls, will damage the state’s image as Alabama tries to attract major businesses such as Amazon.com Inc.’s second headquarters. Mr. Moore denies the allegations that stem from his alleged actions that happened mostly he was in his 30s…
The Moore campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment about its business support.”
-Janet Hook, “Controversies Surrounding Roy Moore Chill Alabama Business Community’s Zeal for Politics,” The Wall Street Journal online, Dec. 4, 2017 10:20am