TUPELO, Miss.–After a rough year state Rep. Brian Aldridge has said he will not seek re-election to the Mississippi House. Aldridge made that announcement on WTVA TV in Tupelo. At least two other people have now qualified to run for his seat.
Those two are Republican Mark Prince, of Tupelo, and Democrat Jim Newman, also of Tupelo.
Aldridge, who has been in office for ten years, was cleared of embezzlement charges in August.
He was arrested in 2013 along with his parents, Louis and Janice.
Aldridge is the CEO of a charity, Touched By an Angel Ministries. His aunt, Florence Aldridge, accused the family of taking over a half million dollars from her and funneling it into the charity’s bank account from 2005 to 2007. She even won a lawsuit in civil court in 2012.
Florence Aldridge died in April. Her testimony would have been vital to the case.
Since it was a felony charge, Aldridge stood to be forced to resign from the state House.
