MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama House Judiciary Committee will meet on Tuesday at 1 p.m. to continue the discussion on Governor Robert Bentley’s pending impeachment. Tuesday’s meeting will be the first since the committee hired a special counsel to investigate the matter.
In July, the Judiciary Committee hired Birmingham attorney Jackson Sharman to determine if there had been any wrongdoing by the governor.
“We come to this with absolutely no preconceptions, and we intend to have a process that is as prompt and as fair as possible,” Sharman said to The Associated Press.
Three of the 23 signers of Bentley’s impeachment resolution – Rep. Mike Ball, Rep. Allen Farley, and Rep. Mike Holmes – sit on the Judiciary Committee. While Bentley’s attorney has requested that they recuse themselves from the proceedings, they are not required to do so.
Articles of impeachment were first filed on April 5 in the wake of revelations that the governor may have misused state resources to facilitate and cover up an affair with his top political advisor, Rebekah Caldwell Mason. But State Rep. Ed Henry (R-Hartselle) — a leading proponent of impeachment — argues Bentley’s “betrayal of the public trust” began with his incessant attempts to raise taxes after running for re-election on a “No New Taxes” pledge.
“If he really loves Alabama, he should put aside his selfishness and step down,” Henry said.
House members levied four articles of impeachment against Bentley: neglect of duty, corruption, incompetency, and offenses of moral terpitude.
The Bentley administration has been mired in scandal since late March when Yellowhammer exposed the existence of audio recordings that captured sexually charged conversations between Bentley and Mrs. Mason. State and federal authorities have also launched criminal investigations into possible wrongdoing that stemmed from their inappropriate relationship.
