Barely a month goes by without an Alabama politician finding themselves embroiled in some kind of scandal, so the latest string of headlines involving all three branches of Alabama’s state government have probably not been all that surprising to most Yellowhammer State residents.
However, the web of interconnectivity between the scandals is proving to be enough to make even the most jaded political observer raise his eyebrows.
The leaders of each of Alabama’s three branches of government are all currently in varying predicaments.
Governor Robert Bentley is facing impeachment after being caught on tape discussing his sexual encounters with a former aide inside the governor’s office.
House Speaker Mike Hubbard is preparing to go to trial on felony charges that he used his office for personal gain.
And Chief Justice Roy Moore is suspended and facing possible removal from office after directing state probate judges to not to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
The situations are as different as the individuals themselves, but their fates are bizarrely intertwined, as is perfectly summed up by the final paragraph of a recent article in The Economist detailing Alabama’s “circular web of scandals.”
The cases have collided. To recap: Mr. Bentley could appoint Mr. Moore’s successor, if he is not impeached first. Mr. Moore could oversee Mr. Bentley’s impeachment, unless he is defenestrated, in which case the governor’s appointee might preside. Mr. Hubbard would refer the impeachment to the Senate, depending on the verdict of his own trial, which may feature testimony from Mr. Bentley. Alternatively, of course, they may all keep their jobs.
Read that a few times and let it sink in.
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