Just when you thought the Mason-Bentley scandal couldn’t get worse, it does
Watching the implosion around the Rebekah Mason – Robert Bentley scandal, one can’t help but think every time there’s another development, “How much worse could this get?” Because, inevitably, it does get worse. This doesn’t even refer to the relationship itself, which short of crimes being committed, is between the individuals, their families and their God. I’m talking about the horrible bumbling and fumbling of the facts and scandal itself. Mason’s husband, Jon Mason, wrote in a statement posted to his Facebook page on March 28, “I wanted to share that I long ago resolved the personal issue playing out now for everyone this week. Please continue to support families, the governor, and our state with prayers as we all move forward.” The audio recordings of Bentley speaking to Mason, much to the dismay of those who heard or read the transcripts, left little question that they had more than an emotional affair. A few too many references to touching, kissing, holding, etc. for it to be a platonic situation. Here’s my thoughts on the Top 5 public relations/crisis communication mistakes, in no particular order because they’re just all that bad: Not getting ahead of the scandal: With the known existence of audio tapes (that were two years old), ongoing rumors, and the number of individuals with first-hand knowledge, it would seem that the Governor and Mason had plenty of time to formulate a plan for when (not if) the relationship came to light. Only the parties involved know when it started though the Governor says he’s loved her for years in one of the audio recordings exclusively provided to YH News. Mason’s employment: I can’t for the life of me understand why Mason did not resign before the story broke and insisted on continuing to travel with the Governor one-on-one after the initial allegations surfaced during the Bentley divorce. The latest news broke this week, by the Montgomery Advertiser, that the Governor took Mason to a White House dinner in February of this year. This would be after his divorce, after her husband knew about the “inappropriate relationship.” When she finally did resign her statement was spot on leaving the question why didn’t she just do that sooner? The Governor’s press conference: I thought the Anthony Wiener press conference or maybe the Mark Sanford press conference would go down as the worst in political history in terms of unprepared, not well thought out statements but then Bentley opened his mouth. Where he made multiple statements that still boggle the mind such as, “I accept full responsibility. I want everyone to know though that I have never had a physical affair with Mrs. Mason.” (Despite describing touching her on the recorded call.) He went on to explain what he was apologizing for, “I’m apologizing for the things that I’ve said.” Umm. What? My favorite statement of the whole thing, “I love many members members of my staff. In fact all of the members of my staff…do I love …some more than others, absolutely.” Mason’s horrible statement: Following the Governor’s train wreck of a press conference, which you can watch below. Mason sent out a horrible, horrible statement citing gender bias as the reason for the reason she was being targeted. I planned to write a post about at that time but Katherine Robertson, from API beat me to it and nailed it. Robertson said, “Knowing the evidence that was now available to the public, Mrs. Mason did not deny anything, but in a desperate diversion, tried to claim that her gender was to blame for her present predicament.” She went on to say, “The statement released yesterday will not be soon forgotten by women who have actually struggled with inequitable treatment in their professions. Rather than expressing remorse, which the public would likely sympathize with, Mrs. Mason chose to cry wolf and play the gender card. As a result, whatever gender bias previously existed in Montgomery has just been dialed up a notch.” Because Mason called gender bias so early on and so haphazardly she couldn’t even point to it when it was occurring, as it just did with the misleading headline about her attending a concert with other staffers in Vegas. Denying the nature of the relationship: This one is the strangest. The Governor apologized for what was recorded. Mason dodged the relationship discussions all together. The recording and witness statements are pretty convincing yet there’s still an effort to stonewall. During the press conference the Governor as asked directly if his relationship with Mason was romantic and he ignored the question. It makes no sense to give a half apology. To accept responsibility for talking about physical acts but not the acts themselves. Rather than saying “I’m not going to address specifics of the relationship.” why say “There was no physical” relationship? I’m reminded of the old saying “The first rule of thumb when you find yourself in a hole is stop digging.” Bentley and Mason just keep digging and it’s made this story go from one news cycle to the next and next and next. It has reporters and bloggers alike on a hunt to unearth additional evidence and information to supplement what’s been said so far. There are currently a number of things happening surrounding this situation from impeachment discussions to recall laws being considered. I don’t expect the news to stop covering every little detail that is discovered. I don’t believe the calls for resignation will stop growing. I’m just hoping that the Governor and Mrs. Mason can get all their ducks in a row and facilitate this side show ending ASAP. Here you can find a list of those who have called on the Governor to resign so far. Video via KRG News 5:
Robert Bentley trudges on in the face of scandal questions
Trailed by an unusually large crowd of reporters, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley walked the halls of an overcrowded state women’s prison Thursday, trying to focus on his legislative agenda but still dogged by questions about his relationship with a former top aide. Pressure has mounted around the governor ever since he acknowledged last week that he made inappropriate sexual remarks to his former confidante and adviser, with a few Republicans calling for his resignation or suggesting impeachment. Both possibilities seemed remote, turning the lame duck GOP governor into something of a political punching bag. At Julia Tutwiler Prison, Bentley, who is pitching an $800 million prison construction project, said overcrowding was a major crisis facing the state, and the hoped lawmakers would focus on what was good for all of Alabama instead of what he called a personal issue. “These are major problem in the state of Alabama. I was elected by the people of this state to help solve problems and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Bentley told reporters when asked if the scandal affected his ability to lead. Bentley has denied having an affair with Rebekah Caldwell Mason, who stepped down from his office on Wednesday. Former Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier — a day after being fired by Bentley — accused the 73-year-old governor of having an inappropriate relationship with Mason, 44. Collier also accused the governor of urging him to give false information about the status of a prosecutorial misconduct investigation involving the case against the speaker of the house. The governor has denied the allegations as well. Some Republicans have urged Bentley to resign or called for the state ethics commission and law enforcement to investigate if any state resources were misused. “There’s no credibility. There’s no confidence from the legislature or the people of this state in his office and his abilities,” said Rep. Ed Henry, a Republican. Henry said he was drafting articles of impeachment for lawmakers to consider. The 1901 Alabama Constitution spells out a somewhat vague process for impeachment for offenses including moral turpitude, willful neglect of duty and corruption among other things. Bentley said Thursday he didn’t do anything illegal. “I want the people of Alabama to know there is nothing there. There is nothing illegal. There is nothing that has ever been done that would affect the people of Alabama and affect my job,” Bentley said. The governor indicated he would be issuing a fuller response later. Several House Republicans said that the talk of impeachment was premature. “You investigate and then take action. You don’t take action and then investigate,” said Republican Rep. Jack Williams. The governor tried to plod forward this week, keeping up a string of scheduled public appearances that morphed into awkward and short-lived question and answer sessions with reporters about Mason. The governor said Thursday that he wanted to focus on his agenda that included trying to build legislative support for an $800 million prison construction project that he believes is critical to solving the state’s overcrowding problem, which has been blamed for two violent uprisings in the past few weeks Tutwiler, built in the 1942, houses 950 female inmates in a facility originally built for 550. The prison was thrust into the spotlight in recent years because the Department of Justice accused Alabama of failing to protect female inmates from sexual harassment and abuse. It was the allegations of improper relations in the governor’s office that many reporters wanted to ask about. The heavier media attendance and a notable absence of legislators or other public officials seeking to share the limelight during the prison stop suggested Bentley would remain under fire. Bill Stewart, the former chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama, said the full political impact might depend on how long the public’s attention is focused on Bentley. “He’s made some grave mistakes and he’s paying the political penalty,” Stewart said. Dianne Bentley, the governor’s ex-wife, filed for divorce in 2015 saying their 50-year marriage had suffered an irreparable breakdown. Recordings obtained by The Associated Press purportedly show the governor — before his divorce — professing love to someone named Rebecca or Rebekah and telling her how much he enjoyed kissing and touching her. The admissions may have even more sting because Bentley won in 2010 and 2014 based partly on his morally upright image. Gustavo Villanueva, a gay Birmingham man, said he thought the governor’s actions were hypocritical. “To hear that he was accused of having an affair and having a divorce kind of made me laugh about him saying gay men are ruining the sanctity of marriage and all this stuff,” he said. David Rubey said the scandal had cast on shadow on Bentley’s governorship. “It does hurt his leadership abilities because he’s proven to be a liar,” Rubey said. “That’s a character flaw for sure, so that carries over into your work if you can’t be honest with people which — obviously — he’s a politician.” The governor doesn’t appear to have any political allies right now, but also has no immediate reason to leave, said Natalie Davis, a political science professor at Birmingham-Southern College Who goes to bat for Gov. Robert Bentley? Now, if legislators want to push the envelope, that might force him out, but he has nothing to lose by simply hanging in there,” Davis said. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Ed Henry to bring forth “articles of impeachment” of Robert Bentley
Gov. Robert Bentley, who has been feeling the heat since allegations of an affair between him and former staffer Rebekah Mason surfaced, got more bad news Wednesday — Alabama House Rep. Ed Henry (R-Decatur) will bring forth articles of impeachment aimed at unseating the scandal-ridden governor. From all indications, he will have the support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers who have vehemently decried the governor’s behavior since word of the scandal broke. Henry said he will carry the resolution to impeach Bentley for ineffective leadership, incompetence and violations rooted in moral turpitude. Further, Henry hopes to have the resolution ready to go before lawmakers when they return from spring break April 5. Henry believes that in order for the state to make any progress on economic development issues Bentley will have to be removed from office. Further, the Republican lawmaker accused Bentley of lying to the Alabama people since the beginning of his second term as Alabama’s governor. Henry continued that Alabama lawmakers have lost trust in the governor and his political standing has declined since sexually explicit recordings of phone conversations between Bentley and Mason came to light. If the impeachment resolution is able to clear the House, it will go to the Senate for final passage and Henry believes he has the votes in both chambers to get it through.
Email insights: Rebekah Mason’s resignation statement
Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Robert Bentley‘s office released this statement from Rebekah Mason: “I have resigned as Senior Political Advisor to Governor Bentley and will no longer be paid from his campaign fund. I have also ended my work with the Alabama Council For Excellent Government. My only plans are to focus my full attention on my precious children and my husband who I love dearly. They are the most important people in my life. Thank you for your prayers for our family.” Alabama Today will continue to cover this breaking news.
Robert Bentley admits making inappropriate remarks to staffer; denies affair
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley is admitting that he made inappropriate remarks to a female staffer two years ago but says he never had a physical relationship with the woman. Bentley spoke to reporters Wednesday after the state’s former top law enforcement official made a series of accusations. That official, former Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier, had been fired Tuesday. He said during a news conference that he believed the governor had an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer. Collier says another law enforcement officer played a recorded conversation for him in which Bentley makes sexual remarks to a woman. The governor divorced last year after Dianne Bentley said their marriage had suffered a breakdown. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Fired Spencer Collier alleges Governor Robert Bentley affair happened
Tuesday night, within hours of being fired Spencer Collier gave the first on the record comments about the alleged affair of Governor Robert Bentley and a married long-time staffer. According to AL.com’s John Archibald, Collier gave detailed accounts of the relationship and discussed the contents of a recording of the couple that he allegedly heard but no longer was in possession of. The account of recording included suggestive personal, if not sexual language. I believe I can speak for most of the state that we could have gone our lives without ever dreaming up the 73 year-old governor ever using said language. In the world of TMZ, tabloid gossip sites and social media it’s hard to remember that there are boundaries to the amount of personal information of celebrities and politicians we are entitled to. With fame or power comes a higher level of scrutiny and even expectations but at the end of the day everyone is human and their personal relationships however flawed, immoral or complicated aren’t anyone’s business but their own. In the case of Governor Bentley, as I said when the allegations first surfaced, the rights of the people of Alabama are clear: we deserve and must demand answers. As residents, tax payers and voters we are entitled to know if any laws were broken or any improper use of the office or resources occurred. Are we entitled to the sordid details of the alleged relationship? No. Does anyone really want the visual of the governor’s sex life? No. If the allegations prove true and laws were broken then those involved should be held accountable. If the allegations prove true and no laws were broken than, while voters can rightfully be upset that they voted in a man who trumpeted his faith and family while not living up to the standards he set for himself. The fact is in the scheme of things that the faith based promises be just added to the long list of ways in which the governor has disappointed conservatives but is not much different than the broken promises of not raising taxes or not expanding Medicaid (his next efforts should this scandal not lead to his resignation). This is a man who hardly let a moment pass between his reelection and going about breaking nearly every promise he ran on to be reelected. If you’re angry and throwing a fit now but weren’t angry about the policy promises you’re clearly not thinking straight. We will continue to cover the investigation into the legal questions prompted by the most recent claims but that will be the extent of our coverage.
Thank you to Jessica Garrison for Marie Claire interview
Jessica Garrison has told her remarkable story of taking on Alabama blogger Roger Shuler (who we will not link to) to nationally recognized magazine Marie Claire. As of our posting of this story, Garrison’s account has received more than 1,200 shares. After detailing the series of rumors and multiple posts Shuler wrote, including an accusation about her son’s paternity, she says, “I decided I had nothing more to lose – so I rolled up my sleeves and fought back.” In a world and especially a career field where women frequently don’t stand up for themselves, I thank Jessica Garrison for her courage and tenacity. It may not stop Shuler from continuing to post about women, but maybe it will inspire more women to recognize they don’t have to just take the abuse.
