Former ALEA Secretary adds defendants to termination lawsuit

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Robert Bentley and Spencer Collier

Spencer Collier, the former secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) has amended his wrongful termination lawsuit against Governor Robert Bentley and others.

Filed on Wednesday, the complaint names an attorney for ALEA Michael Robinson and ALEA special agent April Bickhaus as two new defendants. Five new counts are also listed in the complaint.

The amended documents claim Robinson and Bickhaus were part of an effort to smear Collier.

The five new counts are as follows:

  1. Count X accuses Bentley, Rebekah Mason, Stan Stabler and Robinson of conspiracy, alleging that they worked together to place Collier “in a false light and to falsely accuse him of crimes and other misconduct,” damaging his reputation in order to discredit his testimony as a potential witness against Bentley and others.
  2. Count XI is an invasion of privacy claim that states the false information and statements published were done so to intentionally hurt Collier and invade his privacy. The lawsuit says the statements were “made and published with malice and with knowledge and intent to hurt and discredit Collier.” It further says “Bentley grossly abused his position and committed Ethics Violations by using State equipment, facilities, time, materials, human labor, and other public property for his private benefit and personal desires to hurt Collier and damage his reputation.”
  3. Count XII claims Robinson used his job to “intimidate and coerce ALEA employees to make false and derogatory statements against Collier.”
  4. Count XIII accuses Bickhaus of an invasion of privacy. The lawsuit states that she “invaded Collier’s privacy by putting him in a false light and position in the eyes of the public by among other things, placing false and disparaging information in the ALEA Reports.” The claim also states that Bickhaus knew there was no “legitimate” purpose for the investigation.
  5. Count XIV accuses Bentley and his staff members, “at [the governor’s] direction”,  of publicly accusing Collier of committing crimes, while knowing the accusations were false.

View the amended suit below: