Senator Tommy Tuberville insists he’s a resident of Alabama. He says he lives in Auburn. But his travel records, financial filings, and even his own past statements tell a different story — one that points straight to the Florida Panhandle.

In April, Tuberville filed for a taxpayer reimbursement of a $187 flight from Destin, Florida, to Washington, D.C. That flight might seem insignificant on its own. But it’s part of a much broader pattern. Over his time in the U.S. Senate, Tuberville has expensed more than two dozen flights departing from airports near his $6 million beachfront mansion in Santa Rosa Beach. Every one of them paid for by taxpayers.

While these expenses may fall within the letter of Senate rules, they raise larger, more uncomfortable questions: Where does Alabama’s senior senator actually live? And why are Alabamians paying for what looks more like a Florida commute?

Tuberville’s office maintains that he resides in a modest home in Auburn. But property records show the house is co-owned by his wife and son. Tuberville himself doesn’t own property in Alabama. That Auburn home was purchased after his son graduated from Auburn University — hardly the image of a long-time residence.

By contrast, what Tuberville does own is a beachfront estate in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Legal documents from a 2023 Florida real estate transaction list that property as his primary residence. And it adds up. The house sits less than 25 minutes from the Destin airport — the same one Tuberville repeatedly uses to fly to D.C. on the public’s dime.

APR sought clarification from Tuberville’s Senate office regarding his travel records and residency claims, but repeated requests were met with silence — no explanation, no denial, no response at all.

He’s even said as much. In a 2017 ESPN interview, before his Senate run, Tuberville stated, “Six months ago, after 40 years of coaching football, I hung up my whistle and moved to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.” He’s never walked that comment back. And his actions since then — his filings, his travel, his spending — have only confirmed it.

His Senate expense records show frequent flights between Florida and D.C. But when he flies into Atlanta — a hub you’d expect for a resident of Auburn — the trail abruptly ends. There are no car rental receipts, no per diem requests, no mileage reimbursements for the 100-mile drive to Auburn. No sign that he ever went there. If Tuberville lives in Alabama, his paperwork doesn’t show it.

The story becomes even clearer when you examine the records of his political action committees. In the same week as that April Destin flight, Coach PAC paid for another airline ticket, nearly $400 at a Santa Rosa Beach restaurant, and $695 to 30A Taxi and Shuttle Service, a Florida company that exclusively provides airport pickups and drop-offs in the Panhandle.

This wasn’t a one-off. In 2024 alone, Coach PAC paid that same shuttle service nearly $6,000. In the past two years, the total is over $11,000. In contrast, there are no equivalent transportation expenses in Alabama. No taxi services from Atlanta to Auburn. No meals in Montgomery. No local logistics at all.

These are not the expenses of a senator who occasionally escapes to a beach house. They’re the spending habits of someone who lives there full time — and sends the bill to the public.

Tuberville isn’t the first to face scrutiny for this kind of arrangement. In 2021, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson came under fire for expensing flights from his family’s Florida vacation home to D.C. Johnson tried to defend the charges as allowable under Senate rules. Tuberville hasn’t even tried to explain his.

But this isn’t just about ethics. It’s about eligibility.

Under Alabama law, a candidate for governor must have lived in the state for seven consecutive years before qualifying to run. Tuberville is rumored to be eyeing a 2026 gubernatorial campaign. But if he hasn’t legally resided in Alabama, he may not be eligible to run.

And this isn’t theoretical. Just last year, State Rep. David Cole pleaded guilty to felony voter fraud after falsely claiming to reside in a district he didn’t live in. The legal standard is clear. You can’t just claim a house — you have to live in it.

So far, Tuberville hasn’t met that standard.

As State Senator Sam Givhan put it: “I don’t think you can just say, ‘Well, I own a house in Alabama.’ You’ve got to live here.”

Tommy Tuberville was elected to represent Alabama. But by every measurable standard — property, travel, money, time — he’s chosen to live in Florida. As senator, Tuberville can live in Florida. But if he is to run for governor, he must have lived in Alabama for seven consecutive years — because that’s the law.