Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, right, talks with Rep. Duwayne Bridges, R-Valley, at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala., Tuesday, May 7, 2013. With their annual session nearing its end, Alabama lawmakers have yet to settle on changes to the state's gun laws, even as leaders of both chambers say they want to relax restrictions on gun possession. The primary gun measure began as a push to allow employees to have weapons in their cars while at work and has blossomed into a lengthy bill with numerous provisions. But the House and Senate have yet to agree on a final plan, and Senate Bill 286 appears headed for a compromise committee of lawmakers from each chamber. Hubbard said he's worried that further tinkering with the House's preferred bill will force law enforcement authorities to abandon the measure. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
This Friday, June 1, 2012 photo shows Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, at his office at the Auburn Network building in Auburn, Ala. Hubbard's new book outlines the Republican sweep of the Statehouse in the 2010 legislative elections and includes some interesting behind the scenes looks at politics in Alabama. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
This Friday, June 1, 2012 photo shows Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, at his office at the Auburn Network building in Auburn, Ala.OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) - An attorney for House Speaker Mike Hubbard says the powerful politician has been arrested on felony charges accusing him of several ethics violations.
Mark White, an attorney for Hubbard, disclosed the arrest Monday and says the lawmaker issued a statement calling his arrest "politics at its worst."
The 52-year-old Republican is considered one of Alabama's most powerful politicians and led the GOP's takeover of the Legislature in 2010, ending 136 years of Democratic control. The arrest comes weeks before the Nov. 4 election in which Hubbard has been widely favored for re-election.
Corruption allegations against Alabama politicians periodically make headlines in the state. Several state senators and lobbyists were acquitted on vote-buying charges in 2012, among other cases in recent years.
Earlier on Monday, a lawyer for Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard said Monday he was preparing for any possibility in the midst of a grand jury probe of Statehouse corruption, including the chance of Hubbard's arrest.
Lee County records show Hubbard and his attorney, Mark White, visited the sheriff's office on Friday. They went there to provide information so Hubbard could be processed and released on bond as quickly as possible if Hubbard should be arrested, White said.
White said the trip wasn't an indication that Hubbard anticipated being indicted, however.
"You can read into it that we are prepared for anything and everything," White said.
A special grand jury convened by the attorney general's office has been meeting on and off in Hubbard's home of Lee County for over a year. White said prosecutors have indicated they will not allow the prominent Republican to turn himself in if he is indicted. The specifics of any possible charges against Hubbard are unclear and grand jury proceedings are secret.
But prosecutors with the attorney general's office in December 2012 subpoenaed an internal Republican Party report regarding work that a party vendor subcontracted to a printing company co-owned by Hubbard.
Hubbard, 52, said last week that he was confident he had done nothing wrong and lashed out at the investigation, calling it a witch hunt.
"The only thing I'm guilty of is working hard to try to make changes in Montgomery," Hubbard said.
Hubbard on Monday carried out his work as House leader and legislative candidate. He had a speaking engagement during the day and planned to appear at a candidate forum later.
The grand jury investigation already has resulted in the indictment of Republican Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise, who pleaded not guilty.
Rep. Greg Wren of Montgomery pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor ethics violation in April and resigned.