Escambia County, Alabama, District Attorney Stephen Billy has charged Atmore News publisher and co-owner Sherry Digmon and reporter Don Fletcher with revealing grand jury secrets. The charges are based on a story about an investigation into whether federal COVID-19 funds were improperly paid to seven former Escambia County School System employees. The school system’s payroll and insurance bookkeeper was also charged with the same crime, but the newspaper said it isn’t clear why. Billy defended the charges. “You just can’t do that, and there’s no reason for that. Innocent people get exposed, and it causes a lot of trouble for people,” he said.
