Alabama Republicans Are Officially Trying to Impeach Their Governor
Last week, senior advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason left the staff of Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, with whom she allegedly had an affair. The circumstances of her resignation—whether she volunteered it, or if it was requested or forced—remain murky but today, Republicans in the state House moved to impeach Bentley.
In a news conference this afternoon, Rep. Ed Henry told reporters that Bentley had “betrayed the trust” of his constituents and thus should no longer serve: Via AL.com:
“We’re looking at this governor who has essentially betrayed the trust of the people of Alabama through actions and lies that have caused us to have some doubt about his leadership,” Henry said.
“And as such, the only course the people of Alabama have to address this issue is through the impeachment process.”
Henry said that he hopes the House will vote on Bentley’s impeachment next week.
Henry and his backers face a challenge. According to the AP, the impeachment resolution will likely be sent to the House Rules Committee, and it’s not certain to move past that point. If it does, it will have to pass a vote in the House before being referred to the Senate, which would then hold a trial.
Another issue is that, perAL.com, the current legislative session ends next month, and there are only 12 meeting days between then and now. Rep. Mac McCutcheon, who chairs the state’s rules committee, told the AP that it’s unlikely the issue will be resolved by that point.
Bentley issued a statement today which said in part:
There is a lot of work to do before I end my term in office in 2019,” Bentley said. “I have laid out a strategic plan for success, and I will continue to focus my efforts on making Alabama a great state.
“That is what the people of Alabama overwhelmingly elected and re-elected me to do. I will continue to work hard for them every day.”
At his press conference, Henry stated that if Bentley “truly loves the people of this state, he’ll step down.”