Meet Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, the Republican lawmaker who’s currently having a tough time in the press because of an ongoing scandal involving an alleged affair with his former top aide, Rebekah Mason, who resigned in March. According to the above photo, which is publicly available on Bentley’s official Facebook page, the governor was enjoying a “world famous pie” at a local barbecue joint in April 2014. He probably had his wallet with him, which made purchasing said pie much easier than it’d be eight months later when a state-funded helicopter was dispatched to retrieve his wallet during a spat with his then-wife.
According to Talking Points Memo, two local news outlets reported and later confirmed the revelation that a complicated and expensive flying machine paid for and maintained by the Alabama taxpayers had been used to retrieve the governor’s wallet. Why? Because he and his wife, who filed for divorce the following year, were having a bit of a fight. Bentley fled his Tuscaloosa home in such a rush that he’d forgotten a few important personal effects.
Bentley addressed the matter on Thursday, saying that he requested his wallet be delivered by state law enforcement officials due to “security reasons”:
“I requested they deliver my wallet… I did not request that a helicopter was used. You have to have your wallet for security reasons. I’m the governor. And I had to have money. I had to buy something to eat. You have to have identification.”
The governor noted that the situation “sounds bad” and “looks bad,” but denied any ethical or legal wrongdoing in the matter.
No word yet on whether the “world famous pie,” barbecue plate or undisclosed food purchase that occurred after Bentley’s wallet was delivered to him via helicopter escort tasted as amazing as anything resulting from a government-approved helicopter ride should taste.
(Via Talking Points Memo)