09/12/2026
*updated to include statement from LCS Jay Jones
Hunt files ethics complaint
LEE COUNTY - Lee County Sheriff-elect Cam Hunt is calling attention to an ongoing Alabama Ethics Commission matter concerning the use of a taxpayer-funded vehicle tracking system during the 2025–2026 Lee County Sheriff’s election.
Hunt submitted the complaint to the Alabama Ethics Commission on June 4, 2026. The matter was assigned Case No. 20260354 and requests an investigation into the alleged misuse of taxpayer-funded government resources and official authority by members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office during the election.
The matter involves the Verizon Fleet GPS system used by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to track agency vehicles for legitimate fleet management, operational, and law enforcement purposes.
During the election, a GPS “geofence” was established around Hunt’s private residence. Information provided to Hunt indicates the geofence was used to identify Sheriff’s Office vehicles entering the area around his home, potentially identifying deputies who visited or associated with him while he was challenging incumbent Sheriff Jay Jones.
The questions now are who authorized the geofence, why it was created, who monitored it or received notifications from it and what legitimate governmental purpose, if any, was served by establishing a digital perimeter around the home of a political opponent.
The issue comes amid increased local and national discussion surrounding government tracking technology and privacy, including the use of automated license plate reader systems such as Flock Safety.
“I have consistently said that technology can be an extremely valuable public safety tool while also presenting legitimate privacy concerns,” Hunt said. “This situation demonstrates exactly why safeguards, audit trails, oversight and accountability matter. The concern is not simply what technology government possesses, but how government officials choose to use it.”
The Ethics Commission complaint also describes concerns raised by Sheriff’s Office employees during the campaign about potential retaliation for associating with Hunt. Employees reported fears that their personal social media activity was being monitored, and Hunt received information that a list was allegedly maintained identifying employees believed to support him or his campaign.
The complaint asks investigators to determine who created, authorized, approved, modified, or monitored the geofence; who received notifications associated with it; whether a legitimate law enforcement or governmental purpose existed; and whether taxpayer-funded resources or official authority were used for political purposes.
It also requests preservation and review of Verizon Fleet records, audit logs, notifications and related electronic data that could establish the full scope of the activity and those responsible.
“Government tracking technology presents legitimate questions on both sides. There are circumstances where these tools may serve a legitimate public safety purpose, but that does not give government unlimited authority to collect, access or use that information,” Hunt said. “The more powerful the technology becomes, the more important the constitutional boundaries, safeguards and accountability surrounding its use become. The public should not have to choose between public safety and individual liberty.”
“This is bigger than one election or one piece of technology,” Hunt said. “It is about the government’s ability to track people, the limits placed on that power and the accountability that follows when those limits are crossed.”
Hunt won the Republican primary for Lee County Sheriff in May 2026 and is scheduled to take office in January 2027.
"The Sheriff's Office has utilized a fleet management location system with GPS technology for many years," Jones said in a statement. "The system's purpose is to provide for the safety of our patrol deputies if standard communications methods fail and to ensure patrol units are allocated to provide the most efficient response to calls for service. The Sheriff's Office has not and would not allow the use of this system for any purpose not involved in the interest of public safety. If contacted, we would provide our full cooperation to the Alabama Ethics Commission."
