Alabama governor Robert Bentley is currently facing impeachment hearings after being accused of using state resources in order to keep an alleged affair with a female staffer under wraps.
Bentley, a second-term governor, has thus far denied any wrongdoing and admitted to have made personal mistakes. Yet he insists that he hasn’t broken the law, in regards to his relationship with Rebekah Caldwell Mason, his former senior political advisor. Bentley was caught making romantic and “sexually charged” comments to Mason, including in texts, before finalizing his divorce, including text messages sent to and from burner phones purchased at an Alabama Best Buy. Bentley’s problems were compounded after several text messages were leaked to the media, including one in which he calls his now ex-wife Dianne “Rebekah.” Here’s the evidence…
You can read all the leaked texts here, but here’s another quick example.
omg pic.twitter.com/EevbR08zLy
— John Archibald (@JohnArchibald) April 7, 2017
According to a report released last week to the state’s judiciary committee, Bentley “encouraged an atmosphere of intimidation” and ordered officials to assist him in covering up an “inappropriate relationship.” This is the latest in a series of blows to the governor, according to the New York Times: “Last week, the Legislature’s ranking Republicans called for his resignation, and the State Ethics Commission found probable cause to ask a district attorney to consider prosecuting the governor.”
According to one of the governor’s spokespeople, Bentley is not personally involved in any negotiations to resign from office.
UPDATE: Bentley has resigned and agreed to plead guilty to charges stemming from his attempts to cover up the affair with his aide.