...doling out special advise
...oh my
...during the good times
...during the good times
The Governor of Alabama Robert Bentley
(left) has been accused of having an affair with his chief adviser by
former Alabama Law Enforcement Secretary, Spencer Collier, (far right)
just hours after he fired him
According to AL.com, Collier claims he approached the governor - who he considered a father figure - and confronted him with the allegations.
He said the governor confirmed the relationship and said he would end it quickly.
'It's
a horrible, ugly episode and I am ashamed to have been around it,'
Collier said on Tuesday. 'But I told him I would never lie for him.'
Jennifer
Ardis, the governor's spokeswoman, said the governor denied Collier's
allegations. Attempts to reach Mason tonight were unsuccessful.
The governor has denied an improper relationship since rumors began the Capitol last year.
...the special adviser
Collier
said the first evidence of an affair arose August 2014, AL.com
reported, when he was still married to his ex-wife Dianne.
Stan
Stabler – who replaced Collier – reportedly saw a text message from
Mason on Bentley's cell phone after the governor dropped it.
He then got his hands on a recording of a conversation between Bentley and Mason of an allegedly sexual nature.
It was said to have been recorded by a family member so they could stage an 'intervention'.
Collier reportedly told the governor he could be committing a felony if he carried out the relationship, but Bentley denied it.
Collier claims he approached the
governor - who he considered a father figure - and confronted him with
the allegations. He said the governor confirmed the relationship and
said he would end it quickly
It
was unclear if his dismissal came before or after Coller told his
story. His statement on Tuesday however is the first time it has been
made public.
He
had been placed on medical leave in 2014 to have back surgery. Bentley
had also indicated he was also being punished for failing to follow an
order.
Stabler said in a statement: 'The allegation and implication from Mr. Collier is completely false and without merit.
'ALEA
is focused on the future and my priority remains the same – to carry
out the mission of the agency and ensure our law enforcement officers
and support staff honorably provide service, protection, and safety for
all of our citizens.'
Bentley and first lady Dianne Bentley agreed to a divorce settlement in November, ending their 50-year marriage.
The
governor's office says they agreed to a settlement and filed it Monday.
The governor has also asked a judge to unseal the case file so the
public can see it.
Bentley
said in a statement that the last four weeks has been a difficult for
his family and the state. He says he is grateful for people's
encouragement and prayers.
The settlement was reached about four weeks after the first lady filed divorce papers.
Dianne
Bentley filed for divorce Aug. 28 saying their marriage had suffered an
'irretrievable breakdown.' The couple, both 72, marked their 50th
wedding anniversary in July.
Bentley argued staunchly against legalizing gay marriage because heterosexual unions are more 'stable'.
In
statements made before the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage the law
of the land, Bentley said: 'Alabamians should work together to protect
traditional marriage.
'The two-parent family provides the best environment of stability, discipline, responsibility, and character.'
Collier, who was accused of misusing
funds, claimed he first knew about the relationship in 2014, while the
governor was still married to wife of 50 years Dianne (pictured in
2015). They divorced last November
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