A House committee looking into the possible impeachment of Governor Robert Bentley has announced that proceedings will be put on hold for now. The decision comes after Attorney General Luther Strange advised it would be “prudent and beneficial” for the legislative panel to halt their activity in order to avoid complicating an ongoing state investigation.
State Representative Mike Jones (R- Andalusia), who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, indicated that the committee’s work will remain in effect, though members have agreed to pause the proceedings.
“As I said at the first meeting on the Articles of Impeachment, this committee would work cooperatively with other investigating agencies and today’s action testifies to that,” said Rep. Jones. “We are temporarily suspending activity at the attorney general’s request but we are not abdicating our responsibility. Everything the committee has done remains in effect.”
Bentley has faced legislative scrutiny since mid-June, when 23 House members signed a letter that charged the him with corruption and neglect of duty. To that end, Rep. Jones went on to say that the governor’s compliance with the House panel has been “minimal at best,” but added that- prior to the Attorney General’s request- they were days away from setting hearings that aimed at collecting testimony and evidence.
House Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R- Monrovia) said he stands by the committee’s decision to pull back until criminal proceedings against Bentley “ran their course.”
“While I have complete confidence in the Judiciary Committee and its special counsel, I believe that moving forward with the impeachment hearings while there is an active criminal investigation would put a number of parties in a difficult position,” McCutcheon said.
Governor Bentley is expected to release a statement later on Thursday. To date, he has maintained that he’s done nothing to warrant removal from office.
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