Former Birmingham sportscaster mike raita was arrested Thursday, April 2, and charged with using his official position or office for personal gain. He was released the same day on a $25,000 bond, and the charge centers on his time as executive director of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
International Motorsports Hall of Fame
Raita served as executive director from 2020 until 2024. A 2025 state audit of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame found that another former employee, a part-time accounts manager, allegedly stole more than $200,000, and it detailed vehicle transactions tied to the commission’s property.
The audit said the former executive director bought a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro convertible pace car for $15,000 in April 2023. The commission had advertised the vehicle for sale 16 months earlier in a local newspaper as "1968 Chevrolet." The audit also said the commission paid for at least $22,917 of the $27,917 in repairs made to the vehicle before Raita bought it.
March 2024 Sale
In March 2024, Raita’s wife bought a 1998 Ford F-150 for $1,000 from the commission as the sole bidder. The truck had been advertised in a local newspaper as "1998 Ford Truck, as is." Those transactions are the specific vehicle sales the audit tied to the later charge.
Governor Kay Ivey removed all of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame’s board members after the audit was released and appointed a new board. The audit and those vehicle sales form the backdrop to the arrest, which followed about two months after Raita ended his role as a regional director for Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
April 2 Arrest
Raita was 67 years old at the time of the arrest. The charge description used by the report was "using his official position or office for personal gain," and the audit timeline is the basis identified in the report for linking him to the vehicle transactions.
What remains unresolved in the available record is the next court step for Raita and whether any additional charges will follow the audit’s findings. The current filing identified the arrest, the bond, and the alleged misuse-of-office charge, but it did not provide a hearing date or further case action.
