MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s office is hiring an outside firm to do communications and public relations work for Ivey who was suddenly catapulted to the governor’s office this spring.
Under the contract, the governor’s office will use state funds to pay $46,000 to Direct Response, LLC over the next six months. The contract description says the firm will do “communications and public relations support, external affairs development.”
The Alabama governor’s office has its own press office with state-paid several employees who send out news releases and answers reporters’ questions. Ivey spokeswoman Eileen Jones in an emailed statement said that Direct Response is needed to “support the ongoing transition to the Ivey Administration on a number of topics.”
“Direct Response is a PR firm that did contract work for the Lt. Governor’s office for two years and has worked in the transition. The contract is to allow them to continue work on PR support and messaging strategy as the Ivey administration continues to steady the ship of state,” the statement read.
The firm was founded by Brent Buchanan, a Montgomery-based political consultant, who will be performing the work for Ivey. State records show that the lieutenant governor’s office paid Direct Response $66,581 in fiscal year 2012 and $39,600 in 2011 for writing work.
Buchanan said his job will be to work on whatever the governor’s priories are, adding that it was a role he filled for her first two years as lieutenant governor.
Jones said governors typically have a two-month transition period between being elected in November and taking office in January. She said Ivey did not have that typical transition period after she was catapulted into the governor’s office in one day by the sudden resignation of Gov. Robert Bentley in April.
Bentley abruptly resigned amid fallout from an alleged affair with a staffer. He announced his resignation on the same day the House Judiciary Committee began impeachment hearings. Bentley also agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor campaign finance charges to end a state investigation.
The Legislative Contract Review Committee approved the contract this week.
Ivey is not the only politician to turn to outside public relations help and to use state funds to do so.
The House Majority Leader also proposed a $36,000 contract for a social media strategist to run through September.
House Republicans have employed the firm of Azbell Communications to provide strategic communications and public relations consulting services.”
Bentley created a nonprofit created to work on his message. While not funded by taxpayers, such nonprofits are often called dark money groups because they promote a political agenda without being required to disclose donors.
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