Longtime Birmingham TV sports anchor Mike Raita has a situation on his hands. A serious one.
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Raita turned himself in last week in Talladega County after a grand jury indictment tied to his time as executive director of the Alabama Motor Sports Hall of Fame, per AL.com. The charge centers on allegedly using his position for personal gain.
He posted $25,000 bond and was released the same day.
His attorney, Tommy Spina, says Raita plans to plead not guilty. And more than that, he's pushing back on the premise altogether.
"Mike has done nothing intentionally that the law forbids," Spina said, adding that all actions were taken with the "authority and blessing" of the Hall of Fame's leadership.
Still, the backdrop here raises eyebrows.
A state audit from the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts found 35 violations and more than $200,000 in improper spending tied to the commission, according to AL.com. That review covered October 2019 through September 2024 and ultimately led to the matter being referred to the Alabama Attorney General's Office.
Among the findings, according to the audit:
A 1968 Camaro Pace Car was sold to the former executive director for $15,000. The listing reportedly described it only as a "1968 Chevrolet." No details. One bidder.
The commission had also spent about $23,000 repairing the car before the sale.
Then there's a 1998 Ford F-150. Sold to the executive director's wife for $1,000. Again, the audit says the ad offered little more than "1998 Ford Truck, as is." Again, one bidder.
That's where the questions start to stack up.
Raita, 67, spent years as a familiar face at ABC 33/40 after joining the station in 1996. He later worked as a regional director for U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, though that office says he left months ago.
Fallout from the audit was swift. Kay Ivey removed all 18 members of the commission.
Former chairman Gerald Dial defended the group at the time, saying they'd "never done anything wrong."
