Robert Bentley investigation timeline, 2015-2017

Gov. Robert Bentley Investigation
Term in office: January 17, 2011 - April 10, 2017
Next in succession: Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey (R)

Key Figures

• Governor Robert Bentley • Former aide Rebekah Mason • Fmr. ALEA Sec. Spencer Collier • State Rep. Ed Henry

Key Groups

• ACEGOV

Key Laws

• 2016 amendment measure • Article VII

This page presents a timeline of events related to misconduct allegations against Alabama Governor Robert J. Bentley (R) and the attempts to recall him beginning in 2015.

See also: Robert Bentley ethics investigation, 2016

2017

April

• April 10: Impeachment proceedings against Bentley began. That afternoon, Bentley was booked in the Montgomery County Jail on two misdemeanor charges of campaign finance violations. He later resigned as part of a plea deal.
• April 8: The Alabama Supreme Court unanimously ruled to stay the lower court's temporary restraining order, allowing impeachment hearings to proceed on April 10, 2017.
• April 7: Sharman released his written report of the investigation, despite a lawsuit filed by Bentley to prevent the document's release. A Montgomery County judge issued a temporary restraining order to halt Bentley's impeachment hearings, which had been scheduled to begin on April 10, 2017.
• April 6: The State Ethics Commission released a finding of probable cause that Bentley had violated the state's ethics and campaign finance laws. The commission forwarded the finding to the Montgomery County district attorney, who will determine the course of any future investigation or prosecution.

March

• March 28: Sharman announced that he would release a written report of his investigation on April 7, 2017. He also provided a tentative timeline for the impeachment process, which would have brought the matter before the full state House by May 9, 2017.
• March 8: Members of the House Judiciary Committee met on March 8, 2017, and voted to resume the committee's impeachment investigation under the direction of special counsel Jack Sharman.

February

• February 15: Attorney General Steve Marshall, who succeeded Strange on February 13, 2017, announced his recusal from the investigation. He appointed Ellen Brooks, a former deputy attorney general and Montgomery County district attorney, as the supernumerary district attorney to lead the investigation. Marshall's announcement confirmed the existence of an investigation by the attorney general's office, contrary to Strange's denial earlier in the month.

• February 14: State Representatives Randall Shedd (R) and Corey Harbison began collecting signatures from House members for a new impeachment resolution against Bentley. If the House Judiciary Committee did not resume its impeachment investigation, the members aimed to suspend the necessary House rules in order to bring the resolution directly to the House floor for a vote.

• February 9: Bentley appointed Attorney General Strange to the U.S. Senate following former Senator Jeff Sessions' confirmation as U.S. attorney general. Following his appointment, Strange denied that the attorney general's office had an ongoing investigation into Bentley. "I want to make this clear because I think there have been some misconceptions," Strange told the media. "We have never said in our office that we are investigating the governor. I think it’s actually somewhat unfair to him and unfair to the process."

January

• January 23: The Alabama Political Reporter published leaked information from sources close to the State Ethics Commission claiming that the commission's investigation was nearing a close. The sources claimed that the investigation's anticipated closing date would occur in February.

2016

November

• November 3: Attorney General Luther Strange sent a letter to members of the House Judiciary Committee to inform them of "related work" being performed by the attorney general's office. At Strange's request, the committee suspended its impeachment investigation.

April

• April 12: Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey (R) told the Auburn University student newspaper, The Plainsman, "We're all very disappointed in the governor's activities and actions. They speak for themselves." If Bentley were removed from office, she would succeed him.

• April 5: Henry introduced articles of impeachment against Bentley into the House Judiciary Committee.

March

• March 30: The commission replied stating that it would initiate an investigation; State Rep. Ed Henry (R) announced that he would introduce articles of impeachment against Bentley; Mason resigned from her post; and Bentley stated at a press conference that he does not intend to resign.

• March 25: State Auditor Jim Zeigler (R) filed a report with the State Ethics Commission requesting an investigation into the alleged misuse of state funds.

• March 23: Recordings emerged of Bentley making sexual comments to Mason on two separate phone calls.

Gov. Bentley news conference on March 24, 2016

• March 23: At a press conference, Bentley denied misusing state funds and asserted that his relationship with Mason was never physical.

• March 22: Allegations resurfaced of an affair with aide Rebekah Mason and misuse of state funds.

2015

September

• September 2: Farley alleged that Bentley misused state funds in order to conduct an affair with an aide. Farley requested an investigation by Attorney General Luther Strange (R); no investigation was initiated.

August

• August 28: Alabama First Lady Dianne Bentley filed for divorce.