By Joseph M. Morgan
joseph@southerntorch.com
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Impeachment charges were officially filed against Gov. Robert Bentley in the Alabama Legislature on Tuesday.
State Rep. Ed Henry (R-Hartselle) presented the proposed articles of impeachment at a news conference at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery yesterday afternoon, declaring Bentley “unfit to serve the State of Alabama.”
Henry, who is also a Republican, said the lawmakers are accusing Bentley of obstruction of justice by telling Alabama's former top cop to not cooperate with an attorney general's office problem.
For the past two weeks, Bentley has been the subject of a nationwide scandal that has reached fever pitch. Bentley has been accused of having an alleged sexual affair with former senior political advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason. The story has received extensive national media coverage, dominating Alabama news reports and making headlines all over the country.
“We’re looking at this governor who has essentially betrayed the trust of the people,” Rep. Henry said. “The only course the people of Alabama have to address this issue is through the impeachment process.”
Charges likely would have been filed sooner, but the Alabama Legislature just returned to session on Tuesday following a 12-day legislative spring break. As Southern Torch reported on Friday, Henry made public last week his intent to file impeachment charges against the governor.
It is unclear at present whether or not Henry has the necessary votes among his House brethren to pass the resolution required before impeachment proceedings could move forward.
What is clear, however, is that Bentley cannot count on blanket support from Alabama Republicans, either in or out of the Alabama Legislature. A number of GOP lawmakers have already openly condemned Bentley , and support among democratic legislators since the story broke on March 23 has been virtually non-existent.
Southern Torch will point out that while Bentley and Rep. Henry are indeed both Republicans, the two also have a long track record of repeated conflicts regarding Bentley’s attempts during the 2015 Alabama Legislative Session and ensuing 2015 Special Legislative Sessions to raise taxes in order to balance the Alabama budget.
Bentley’s aide, Rebekah Mason, announced last Wednesday in a statement through the governor's press office that she would be resigning immediately.
"I have resigned as Senior Political Advisor to Governor Bentley and will no longer be paid from his campaign fund," Mason said. "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."
Despite Mason's resignation, Bentley said last Wednesday that he has no intentions of resigning the office of Governor. The resignation comes roughly two weeks after Bentley admitted to making inappropriate remarks to Mason, but denied any physical relationship.
Bentley's admission followed the firing of former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) Secretary Spencer Collier from his post as Alabama's "Top Cop" for alleged misuse of state funds.
Following his dismissal, Collier reported to local media that Bentley had admitted to being involved in an extramarital affair with Mason. The same day, March 23, audio recordings of the alleged Bentley and Mason affair were also leaked to the media. The governor can be heard making a number of sexually suggestive comments to a woman named Rebekah on the recordings.
The phone conversation was reportedly recorded as part of a private investigation conducted on behalf of Bentley’s ex-wife in 2014.
Bentley said that he has no intention of resigning as Alabama's governor and plans to fight any effort to remove him from office through impeachment.
“There are no grounds for impeachment, and I will vigorously defend myself and my administration from this political attack,” Bentley said. “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.”
Impeachment of a public official in Alabama is a very complicated, confusing multi-step process. Stay tuned for a Southern Torch article that provides a breakdown of the impeachment process and a simplified explanation of how it works. We will monitor this story closely and provide updates at southerntorch.com.
