Mike Hubbard, David McKnight

Mike Hubbard, left, answers questions from defense lawyer David McKnight on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 in Opelika, Ala. Hubbard faces 23 felony ethics charges accusing him of using his political positions to obtain $2.3 million in work and investments for his companies. (Todd J. Van Emst/Opelika-Auburn News via AP, Pool)

(Todd J. Van Emst)

Here's a recap of some of House Speaker Mike Hubbard's testimony on Wednesday.

Hubbard took the stand for the second day in his ethics trial in Opelika.

Hubbard is charged with 23 felony ethics counts, accusing him of using his public positions to illegally generate $2.38 million for his businesses, Auburn Network and Craftmaster Printers.

He has denied all the charges, and is expected back on the stand Thursday morning.

Capitol Cups

Four of the charges against Hubbard stem from his contract with Capitol Cups, a business previously owned by Robert Abrams.

Hubbard is charged with using his office for personal gain to obtain the contract, with using state personnel to help Abrams and with lobbying the governor's office and the Department of Commerce on Abrams' behalf.

Hubbard testified he has known Abrams since 1998 and sometimes met him for breakfast in Auburn. Abrams has owned manufacturing plants in Auburn, including Capitol Cups and one he owns currently, Si02 Medical Products.

Hubbard testified that Abrams was interested in hiring him because of Hubbard's contacts in college athletics. He said Abrams wanted to market Capitol Cups for college sports as he had with professional sports teams.

In 2012, Capitol Cups hired Hubbard to help market its cups, including sippy cups for toddlers, under a contract that paid Auburn Network $10,000 a month and a total of $220,000 over about two years.

Hubbard testified that he put Capitol Cups in touch with buyers at Chick-fil-A, Waffle House and Publix.

That mirrored testimony from Capitol Cups general manager Tina Belfance last week.

Belfance testified Hubbard's contacts have not produced any cup sales.

The patent

Hubbard testified about his efforts to help Abrams get final clearance to use a patent for one of his companies. Abrams, whose companies have many patents, testified last week that there was an unusual delay.

"He wanted to know if I had any ideas about how to speed that up," Hubbard testified today.

Hubbard's former Chief of Staff Josh Blades testified two weeks ago that Hubbard asked him to help with the patent and he made calls about it.

Blades said Hubbard did not tell about his contract with Capitol Cups.

Blades testified that he got worried when Hubbard told him he had "100,000 reasons" to help Abrams with the patent. Blades said he thought Hubbard meant money in some way.

Hubbard testified today that he was referring to what Abrams had told him, that the patent approval was important to resolving litigation that was costing Abrams $100,000 a day in legal fees.

"I said that there are hundreds of thousands of reasons," Hubbard said.

That mirrored testimony Abrams gave last week.

Asked why he didn't tell Blades about the contract, Hubbard said he did not like to talk to his staff about his private business.

The patent got final approval.

In response to questions from defense attorney David McKnight, Hubbard testified that he helped Abrams with the patent because he was a constituent who employed 500 people in his district, not because of the Capitol Cups contract.

American Pharmacy Cooperative Inc.

Two charges in Hubbard's indictment concern American Pharmacy Cooperative Inc., which represents independent pharmacies in Alabama and other states.

Hubbard signed a contract with APCI in June 2012 that paid his company, Auburn Network, $5,000 a month and a total of $95,000.

Hubbard said his job was to help APCI recruit pharmacies in other states.

The indictment alleges it was a crime for Hubbard to take money from APCI because it is a principal, a company that employs a lobbyist.

And it alleges he voted on legislation with a conflict of interest because he voted for the state budget in 2013 that contained a clause making APCI the only company eligible to be a pharmacy benefit manager for Medicaid if the agency chose to use one.

Before the budget came up for a vote, Hubbard testified he met with APCI's lobbyist, Ferrell Patrick, and others to discuss making sure independent pharmacies were not cut out of Medicaid business.

Patrick had been involved in Hubbard getting the contract with APCI.

Hubbard said APCI wasn't mentioned at the meeting and he told no one at the meeting he had a contract with APCI. Hubbard said he made it a point not to talk about his private business with his legislative staff.

On the day of the budget vote, Chief of Staff Josh Blades and lobbyist John Ross learned about Hubbard's contract with APCI.

Hubbard said Blades and Ross told him that language Rep. Greg Wren had had put in the budget could make Alabama the only eligible pharmacy benefit manager for Medicaid.

They were concerned about a conflict of interest, or at least the appearance of one. Both Blades and Ross testified about the APCI matter two weeks ago.

Hubbard testified that he told them it was fine with him if the clause was removed.

Later that day, Hubbard voted for the budget with the APCI clause still in it.

Blades had cautioned him not to vote for it.

Hubbard said he thought the budget was too important for state agencies overall for him to withhold his vote.

Hubbard testified that he appointed the House members to a conference committee that removed the APCI clause from the final budget.