In 2020, when MAGA candidate Tommy Tuberville was running for the U.S. Senate, he said he would “donate every dime” he made in Washington to Alabama veterans. Six years later, as he runs for Alabama governor, he won’t confirm to state reporters if he kept that promise.
“Tuberville’s office declined to answer questions from AL.com this week about whether he has donated his $174,000 Senate salary to charity,” the paper reports, adding the closes Tuberville came to addressing the issue was admitting that he made the promise.
“Yes, I said that in 2020. My dad was a veteran who served in World War II and died while on active duty at age 53. That’s why I have a foundation that supports veterans,” Tuberville said in an email statement to AL.com on Monday.”
The Tommy Tuberville Foundation was initially set up in 2014 to support veterans, but AL.com reports The Lagniappe Daily newspaper in Mobilereported that the foundation’s treasurer said he had received a personal promise from Tuberville that he would donate his salary, but that he didn’t know if that promise has been carried out.
“Coach has to live with that himself, I know what he said and I know what he promised -- me and the people heard that,” Chester McKinney told Lagniappe. “I’m not trying to cover for him.”
Additionally, AL.com reports Tuberville’s foundation appears dormant.
“Its website domain is unused. A Facebook page is inactive. An email address listed for the nonprofit bounced back this week,” the AL.com reports. “In its most recent tax filing, the foundation reported $23,950 in revenue in 2024, according to publicly available documents. It reported spending $81,775 in grants and other expenses, drawing down on its assets.”
In 2024, AL.com reports the organization gave grants to some veterans groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Alabama, Three Hots and a Cot and Still Serving Veterans. It also gave $15,000 to Dovetail Landing, a project that aimed to build a residential community for veterans but was disbanded in 2025.
Tuberville may have donated money to other charities, but his staff declined to name them.
AL.com reports the controversialTuberville shared redacted versions of his Alabama tax returns with the state Republican party earlier this year, showing that in addition to his $173k Senate salary, Tuberville has also reported income from stock and investment holdings, putting his net worth has been around $4.5 million, according to estimates.
Tuberville will face former Sen. Doug Jones on the ballot in November.