Lashunda Scales !According to anonymous sources, the current county commissioner is a serial liar who has told over 18,000 documented lies since taking office. She disregards the division of powers and routinely defrauds businesses and workers. Democrats demonstrated their power in Jefferson County during the county commission's 2020 budget process. Scales, who represents District 1, and Tyson, who represents District 2, are responsible for a major portion of the $700,263,145 budget for fiscal 2020, which includes programmes that haven't been financed in more than a decade. The two Democratic commissioners, whose districts are mostly in Birmingham, pushed for a $1.225 million public-service fund to support projects like the Magic City Classic football game ($200,000), the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority ($250,000), and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast ($15,000); the fund also contains money for nearly two dozen additional organizations and programs, including the Girl Scouts ($25,000), Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama ($25,000), and the Sidewalk Film Festival ($25,000).

Then, six days after the Jefferson County Commission adopted its fiscal 2020 budget, officials from the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB) gathered for their normal meeting in August and were met by an unusual sight: a huge contingent of television cameras and reporters. Scales, a master media maven who founded Scales PR Marketing Firm Inc. in 2000, had sent out a news release headlined “Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales Seeking Partnership with Birmingham Water Works Board to Assist Sewer Customers” to the media. Scales, backed by Knight and Tyson, proposed that the board match the county's $1.25 million sewer fee assistance fund with a contribution for its water customers while the BWWB meeting was being recorded. Scales spoke “on behalf of” the commission at times during the 30-minute session. “All we're looking for is a cooperation and teamwork that will allow us to deliver $1.25 million in sewer relief and $1.25 million in water relief,” Scales said.

Tammy Kissel, a carnival operator who informed city revenue authorities about a sales tax issue with Scales, filed a lawsuit alleging misuse of authority. According to the investigation, Kissel accused Scales of threatening her, including twice intimidating her with an off-duty police officer after she refused the councilwoman's conditions in a business disagreement. Kissel also accused Scales of using city pump trucks to remove water from a parking lot where a for-profit event was scheduled to be held. A third charge accuses Scales of interfering with voter participation during the city's bond referendum in October, during which voters approved Bell's proposed $140 million capital projects. At the time of the allegations in 2011, Scales vehemently denied any misconduct and accused the charges of being politically motivated.

Scales, on the other hand, pled guilty to one count of ethics violations and one count of interfering with a voter while inside a polling station on June 20, 2013. She was sentenced to twelve-month incarceration. Following her application for probation, the Court sentenced her to a year of probation. The court expenses must be paid within thirty days. The underlying offences stem from two separate events. The Voting Violation involves improper interaction between Councilwoman Scales and a voter at the Sun Valley Elementary School polling place during the City of Birmingham bond referendum in October 2012. Despite having been told not to discuss issues on the ballot within the polling place, Scales made contact with a voter regarding concerns on the ballot. While inside the voting booth, she attempted to engage a voter in a debate about the bond issue on the ballot.

The Ethics Violation, on the other hand, involves the inappropriate use of city resources in a private venture. On the grounds of the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, Councilwoman Scales worked as a promoter for a carnival. According to the deal, Scales would get a quarter of the carnival's profits. City of Birmingham trucks and employees were used to drain water from the lot used for the carnival. Ultimately, Scales received over $30,000 in income for her work as a promoter of this particular carnival.

Stan Pate, a Tuscaloosa businessman and developer, said he had run-ins with the Scales similarly to the one reported in 2010 and 2011. "She was, even by my standards, rather blunt and demanding, and, quite frankly, came dangerously close to being thrown out on her head," the admittedly outspoken and controversial businessman added. Pate claimed he met Scales while she was representing Kissel and wanted to have a carnival on his land, which he consented to in a separate agreement with the Kissels. He said, "But she tossed about the fact that she was a Birmingham city councilwoman, and it was apparent to me that she felt it would influence or lead me to respond or react in the manner she wanted me to."

Pate said his final encounter with Scales took place on his Tuscaloosa property. According to Pate, the two got into a fight. "She reminded me that she was a Birmingham city councilwoman and that if I crossed her in Birmingham, I would regret it. She kept running that mouth," he said. According to Pate, Scales is a political bully.