Impeachment call latest complication for Robert Bentley
Two weeks after admitting to sexually charged remarks to a female aide, embattled Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley faces a call for his impeachment from a bipartisan group of lawmakers who said the public has lost confidence in the Republican governor. Although the impeachment effort is considered a longshot in the legislative session that ends next month, it is a sign of the governor’s growing political troubles in the wake of the scandal. “We are looking at this governor who has essentially betrayed the trust of the people of Alabama through actions and lies that have caused us to have some doubt about his leadership,” Rep. Ed Henry said during a news conference at the Alabama Statehouse. Henry introduced the five-page articles of impeachment Tuesday, accusing Bentley of moral turpitude, willful neglect of duty, corruption and incompetence. Bentley lashed out at the effort Tuesday, saying he would vigorously defend himself. “Today’s press conference is nothing more than political grandstanding intended to grab headlines and take the focus away from the important issues the Legislature still has to address before the end of the session,” Bentley said in a statement. Bentley last month admitted making inappropriate remarks to his senior political adviser, Rebekah Caldwell Mason, who has since resigned. The admission came after former Alabama Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier, a day after being fired by Bentley, accused the governor of having an affair with Mason and of interfering with law enforcement investigations. Bentley has denied both accusations. Yet the scandal has engulfed Bentley, a mild-mannered dermatologist and former Baptist deacon whose political ascendency was based partly on his morally upright, honest reputation. Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled Alabama Legislature are not pushing the impeachment effort. The resolution was sent to the House Rules Committee, where it will likely linger for the 11 meeting days remaining in the legislative session without a floor vote. House Rules Committee Chairman Mac McCutcheon said the committee would first establish an investigating commission to vet the articles of impeachment and determine whether grounds exist for impeachment. Some Alabama lawmakers quickly dismissed the impeachment effort as premature. “I’m not in the mood to impeach someone over personal issues. Unless someone can show us a reason — that someone has misused their office or misused tax dollars — and I haven’t seen that,” said Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, the GOP’s leader in the chamber. Republican Rep. Jack Williams said Tuesday that he can’t support an impeachment process “wrought with stoked-up emotion.” Williams said the governor deserves due process as the state Ethics Commission conducts its investigation. “It’s the wrong day and the wrong way,” Williams said. Alabama lawmakers have never previously tried to impeach a sitting governor. The state constitution spells out a vague but seldom-used procedure for impeachment. If the House of Representatives approves the impeachment resolution, a trial would be held in the Alabama Senate. But the impeachment effort is another indication of the shift in the fortunes of a governor who has banked on his scrupulous character. “There is a crisis of confidence, and this needs to be resolved,” Republican Rep. Mike Ball 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 her and touching her breasts. “I love you so much; I worry about loving you so much,” Bentley says on the call. The governor in a news conference last month said he did not have a “physical affair” with Mason and that there was no “sexual activity.” Henry said the recordings cast doubt on Bentley’s description and undermine the governor’s credibility on that and other issues. The impeachment articles lay out few specifics of the charges against the governor but cite an “inappropriate relationship” with Mason and suspicions that he might have inappropriately used his office resources to conceal or advance the relationship. The impeachment articles also cite a lack of transparency in how Mason was paid. Mason was not on payroll, but was paid by Bentley’s campaign. Bentley has a habit of saying in speeches how much he loves the people of his state. Henry said voters do not reciprocate the affection right now. “If he truly loves the people of this state, he’ll step down,” Henry said. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
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 says, ”I have no intentions of resigning”
Embattled Gov. Robert Bentley visited rural Franklin County in northern Alabama on Wednesday, his first trip to the area since his administration was rocked last by a scandal involving inappropriate comments to a former employee. Bentley spoke to groups in the town of Russellville, where he addressed issues related to rural access to health care and broadband internet. But of course, when he spoke with reporters, the questions quickly went to his alleged misconduct with former political advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason. Asked whether he would resign, Bentley was definitive: “I have no intentions of resigning. My intentions are to try to make this state better, to work through the difficulties we’re going through.” “Have I made mistakes? Yes. I’m sorry. We have addressed them. I’ve apologized. These are old issues, but it’s just now that people are hearing about them,” Bentley said. “We may have some organizational changes, but we’re going to work through this and I want the people of the state to know how much I care about them. I want the people of Franklin County to know how much I care about them. They’ve known that over the years when I was here for the tornadoes. They know that I love them.” Bentley now faces an investigation by the state’s ethics commission on allegations he violated the terms of his office during the Mason affair. State Auditor Jim Zeigler, a staunch critic of his fellow Republican Bentley, filed the complaint that precipitated the probe.
Robert Bentley to be investigated by state ethics commission
On Tuesday, the Alabama Ethics Commission responded to a complaint filed by State Auditor Jim Zeigler in reference to an alleged affair between Gov. Robert Bentley and staff member Rebekah Mason. Ethics Commission attorney Hugh Evans informed Zeigler that case numbers have been assigned to the complaint and special agents will be assigned to investigate soon. Evans also instructed Zeigler not to discuss the ongoing investigation “in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation.” However, Zeigler has still been encouraged to pass on any additional evidence he may come across. The complaint was lodged after sexually explicit audio recordings of Bentley surfaced, though he and Mason both have contended that there was no physical affair between them. Zeigler contends that Bentley may have misused his office if in fact it was used for an affair – in one of the recordings, Bentley mentions having to rearrange his office. While it is unclear when the ethics commission will complete its investigation, if Bentley is found to have misused his office for salacious encounters he may well be eligible for impeachment on the grounds that such a misuse would constitute an “offense involving moral turpitude while in office.”
Robert Bentley responds to Jim Zeigler’s ethics complaint
Shortly after news broke that State Auditor Jim Zeigler had filed a complaint with the Alabama Ethics Commission, urging the body to investigate the purported affair between Gov. Robert Bentley and staff member Rebekah Mason, the governor responded. In a statement released Friday afternoon, the governor said the following: “I have always complied with the ethics laws of the State. In fact, I voluntarily release my tax returns to the public every year in a spirit of openness and transparency. I have always and will continue to cooperate with the Alabama Ethics Commission.” In the statement, Bentley made no mention of the alleged affair, which he denied vehemently during a press conference Wednesday.
