HARVEST, Ala. — After his first attempt at reconciliation with Alabama voters fell flat, Gov. Robert Bentley (R-Ala.) on Monday delivered another apology for the growing scandal that has engulfed his administration.
“I’ve asked God to forgive me because that’s the most important thing,” Bentley said during a press conference at Limestone Correction Facility. “But I asked other people to again forgive me and I’ve already done that and I have truly asked the people of this state – they’re the folks who love me and are the best people in the world – I have asked them to forgive me.”
Bentley spent the first two-and-a-half minutes of his press conference at the north Alabama prison addressing the scandal that led to the resignation of his senior political adviser, Rebekah Caldwell Mason, and for some lawmakers to consider impeachment proceedings.
Bentley also said the scandal would not affect the recruitment of industry from outside the state, although economic developers Yellowhammer spoke with last week disagree.
Yellowhammer sources inside the economic development community say several companies considering expanding their operations into Alabama have already backed away.
“We’ve got all this momentum with aerospace and Airbus suppliers are moving in and Google’s coming to the state and fiber broadband is going in and then boom — just like that the momentum is stopped by a scandal that none of us can do anything about,” said one local economic developer. “To say it is frustrating would be understating it.”
That sentiment was shared by numerous economic developers Yellowhammer spoke with last week, from heads of local economic development authorities to executives at large companies engaged in the state’s job recruitment and retention efforts.
“If you’re (Secretary of Commerce Greg) Canfield, you’ve got to be over there just throwing your hands up in exasperation,” added one Montgomery-based lobbyist. “The guy’s literally been all over the world declaring Alabama open for business, meanwhile the boss minding the shop is complaining that he’d rather be shacked up on FaceTime with one of his staffers than running the state. Beats all I’ve ever seen.”
The governor told the New York Times that he plans to make a video statement to the people of Alabama, but has not announced when it will be released.
The entirety of the governor’s statements on the scandal today can be read below:
Let me say this, I have addressed, I personally have addressed this issue. I addressed this tape that came out that was recorded three years ago. I addressed that. I have addressed the issues related to that. Those issues have been taken care of long ago, but it has just been made public just recently and I have to address them again.
I’ve asked God to forgive me because that’s the most important thing. I want back in His fellowship. And so I asked God to forgive me.
But I asked other people to again forgive me and I’ve already done that and I have truly asked the people of this state – they’re the folks who love me and are the best people in the world – I have asked them to forgive me.
And, you know, it’s mine. I own it. I own it. I did it. I point no fingers to anybody else. I make no excuses from that. I own my problem. It’s not your problem. You have other problems. It’s not your problem. It’s my problem and I have to deal with that. And so I have humbly opened myself up to the people of this state and I have asked them to forgive me and let me continue to do the things they elected me for twice, and that’s to try to make their lives better. And that’s what I’m going to do.
It is not (affecting my work). This has been addressed a long time ago. It really has. It’s all been clarified, it’s all been addressed. I have put it in the rear-view mirror. Others have not because it’s obviously been brought out now. It’s one of those things that I take full control of. It’s me. I did it. I did it. And that’s why I ask the people of this state to forgive me because they are a forgiving people and they know God’s grace.
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