Prologue: What the Hell is Happening in Orange Beach?

Chances are, you didn’t wake up this morning and think, You know what I’d really like to do today? Learn the political history of Orange Beach, Alabama. 

More likely, you found your way here after seeing one of C.C. Dixon-Moreno’s Facebook posts. Maybe someone shared it. Maybe you stumbled across it while doomscrolling. Maybe Facebook’s algorithm decided your day needed a little more chaos.

Whatever the reason, you probably had the same reaction a lot of people do. 

“Who are these people?”

“What the hell is everyone arguing about?”

“Why does this woman keep talking about body camera footage?”

If that’s where you are, don’t worry. You’re not behind. In fact, I’d argue you’re exactly where you should be. Because here’s the thing about Orange Beach politics: nobody hands you a cast list. 

People throw around names as if everyone has lived here forever. Someone references Tony Kennon. Then Jamie Logan enters the conversation, followed by Jeff Silvers, Ginger Harrelson, Robert Stuart, Jack Robertson, CC Dixon-Moreno, an ethics complaint, a federal lawsuit, a body camera video that nobody can seem to watch, and somewhere along the way someone inevitably says, “Well, if you knew what happened twenty years ago…”

At which point you’re left wondering if you’ve accidentally started watching Season 8 of a show without seeing the first seven.

That’s what this series is for.

Before we dive in, I think it's important to explain why Murder Creek Media is telling this story.

If you've followed my work for any length of time, you know I usually investigate homicide cases, cold cases, missing persons, and wrongful convictions. Politics wasn't exactly on my 2026 bingo card.

But at its core, this isn't a political story. It's an investigative story.

It's about following records instead of rumors. It's about asking questions when something doesn't make sense. It's about understanding how decisions are made, how public money is spent, how government operates, and whether the people entrusted with public office are being transparent with the communities they serve.

Throughout this series, I'm going to show you exactly how I investigate. We'll read public records together, trace property transactions, untangle LLCs, compare documents, and separate what can be proven from what can only be speculated. Sometimes we'll find answers. Sometimes we'll end up with more questions. That's how real investigations work, and it’s exactly what the team at Murder Creek Media encounters every day, no matter the case we’re working.

You don't have to agree with every conclusion I reach. In fact, I hope you don't take my word for any of it. My goal is to hand you the same records I'm looking at, explain why I think they matter, and let you draw your own conclusions.

Because that's what Murder Creek Media has always been about. Not telling people what to think. Showing them how to find the truth for themselves.

Why "Tony Crony"?

The title of this series is a play on the word cronyism, a term commonly used to describe situations where personal relationships, political connections, or favoritism are perceived to influence government decisions or appointments.

The title is not an accusation that any individual has committed a crime or violated the law. Rather, it reflects the central question this investigation seeks to explore: How do relationships, influence, transparency, and public decision-making intersect in Orange Beach?

As with every Murder Creek Media investigation, this series is grounded in public records, documents, interviews, and verifiable information. Where facts are established, we'll say so. Where questions remain unanswered, we'll tell you that, too.

What to Expect

I’m going to introduce you to the people, the history, the records, the lawsuits, and the relationships one chapter at a time. By the end, you’ll understand not only who everyone is, but why they are important to the story, and the web that makes up Orange Beach, Alabama.

And as much as it may seem like the story starts with Tony Kennon or C.C. Dixon-Moreno, it doesn’t. Like most good mysteries, this one starts much earlier. 

It starts with a man named Steve Russo.