Politics –
Alabama Governor Resigns
Amid Sex Scandal
Oh, when will they ever learn!
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is out of a job today, after resigning on Monday amid a sordid sex scandal that has become common ground for seemingly mild-mannered members of the GOP.
Politics
The 74-year-old Republican and former Baptist deacon who is best known as a staunch family values conservative filled with moral righteousness, accepted an 11th-hour deal to step down rather than face impeachment proceedings, which state legislators vowed would be imminent. His surprise resignation was a complete reversal from his stance of only last Friday when Bentley stood on the Capitol steps and vowed that he would never leave office because he had done nothing illegal.
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Bentley and his wife of 50 years divorced in 2015 after she recorded several sexually charged phone conversations between the Alabama governor and his senior political adviser, Rebekah Caldwell Mason. According to a report by Montgomery attorney Jack Sharman, a special counsel working for the Alabama House Judiciary Committee, Bentley used his political clout to cover up the affair, threaten staffers, silence Alabama’s top law enforcement official by firing him, and use official state vehicles to chauffeur Mason around in order to gain favor with her.
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“I sure miss you. I need you. I want you. You are the only one.”
– a text message from Bentley to Mason presented as evidence
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In addition to charges from the Alabama Ethics Commission stating Bentley broke state ethics and campaign laws, he was also charged with a misdemeanor stemming from a $50,000 loan he made to his campaign in November that he neglected to report until January. An additional charge included his use of campaign funds to pay nearly $9,000 in legal bills for Ms. Mason.
Politics
In court, the once cocksure Alabama governor stood sullen and stoic, while looking down at the floor. As the judge read the charges, Bentley stood and said “yes, sir” in a gravelly voice to confirm that he understood the gravity of the charges against him. He then pled guilty.
“There’ve been times that I let you and our people down, and I’m sorry for that,” Bentley said in a statement inside the old Alabama House chamber following his guilty plea.
“He did what he did, and he deserves now to be called a criminal,” said Ellen Brooks, a retired district attorney overseeing the state investigation.
“It’s really time for us to look ahead and start moving forward on more pressing matters,” Republican Sen. Cam Ward said. “It was a constant distraction, one that was never going to change, and it’s time for us to get back to work.”
As part of his plea agreement, the now former Alabama governor must surrender campaign funds totaling nearly $37,000 within a week, as well as perform 100 hours of community service as a physician. Additionally, Bentley can never seek public office again.
Oh, when will they ever learn!
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is out of a job today, after resigning on Monday amid a sordid sex scandal that has become common ground for seemingly mild-mannered members of the GOP. […]
So um…we have a "sordid sex scandal" connected to the party of "family values" once AGAIN right?
Yes, well… as DJ expressed, it really has become just an all too "common" THANG within the Republican party hasn't it? Just a bunch of sexually repressed (mostly) middle-aged and OLD men in high political positions lusting after all kinds of *candy."….male, female, whatever.
Also, the fact that this whole sorry story is reported to have began "at church" doesn't surprise me either. From what I've observed of so-called "Conservative Christians" over the years, they are nothing if not shameless liars and phony-azz hypocrites.