An Alabama judge, Jefferson County Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard, is alleged to have spent more than $1 million (about £790,000) of taxpayers' money on consultants, radio commercials, glossy mailers and promotional campaigns that critics say served to raise her own public profile. Newly released records show she approved the spending over little more than a year, drawing on a discretionary fund that had originally been set up to preserve and digitise historic county records. The disclosures matter because Blanchard is already suspended from the bench over separate misconduct allegations, and the claims raise fresh questions about the use of public funds.

The records, obtained by AL.com, show at least $637,000 paid to CBG Strategies LLC, a Birmingham-based public relations and political consulting firm, and a further $450,000 to Greene Consulting Group LLC, a Huntsville government affairs company. Most payments were broadly described as "professional services". The revelations come days before Blanchard is due to face a judicial misconduct hearing in Montgomery on 9 July. She denies any wrongdoing, insisting the spending modernised the probate court and improved services for residents.