An Alabama state representative from Madison County will plead guilty to a charge of voting fraud, according to a plea agreement filed Thursday afternoon.
Under the terms of the agreement, Rep. David Cole, R-Madison, will plead guilty to a charge of knowingly voting at a polling place where he was not authorized to vote. Both the prosecution and defense will recommend a three-year sentence. Cole will serve 60 days in the Madison County Jail and the remainder on unsupervised probation. The agreement also requires him to acknowledge he did not live in Alabama House District 10 when he was elected the area’s representative last year.
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Cole, a medical doctor by training, resigned from the House in a letter dated Wednesday, according to the Alabama House clerk’s office.
“Dr. Cole admits and takes full responsibility for the mistakes he made in the political process,” said a statement released by Bill Espy, Cole’s attorney. “He entered the process to serve his community. He has lived a life of service, including serving for 22 years in the Army with tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt. The Cole family appreciates all the prayers and support from his friends and community during this time. Dr. Cole will continue to serve his community going forward.”