Nation IN BRIEF : ALABAMA : Tax Fraud Alleged in Governor’s Trial

Gov. Guy Hunt’s ethics trial in Montgomery took on the appearance of a tax fraud case. Bob Frye, a state investigator, testified that Hunt’s returns for 1978, 1979 and 1980 showed deductions for loan interest he did not pay. But Hunt, who did not take the witness stand, said outside court that he did not cheat on his income taxes. Circuit Judge Randall Thomas set closing arguments for today. Hunt, 59, and three former aides are accused of diverting $200,000 from a tax-exempt 1987 transition and inaugural fund to the governor’s personal accounts. The aides face trial later.