Lawyers for embattled Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley are negotiating an agreement that would allow him to step down from office as soon as Wednesday in a plea-deal exchange, AL.com reported Monday.
Bentley has remained steadfast in claiming he did nothing wrong while in office as details emerged of an affair with assistant Rebekah Mason, a state employee. Bentley employed Mason’s husband, Jon, as well. The affair came to light when secretly-recorded conversations between the two were revealed last year.
The Alabama governor could face felony charges over improper use of state funds, and a state legislative committee was meeting Monday to begin hearings to consider impeaching the governor.
A separate investigation by the Alabama Ethics Commission over whether Bentley broke campaign finance and ethics laws is pending. If found guilty, Bentley could face up to 20 years in prison.
Bentley may plead to lesser misdemeanor charges, should he agree to resign, according to sources. Both Republican and Democratic state leaders have called for his resignation, but in a statement he read Friday on the steps of Montgomery’s courthouse, Bentley said he had no plans to step down from office.
Yasamie August, the governor’s spokeswoman, said, “The governor is not personally involved in any negotiations,” according to AL.com.
In addition, a state political columnist for Al.com tweeted that Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler made a formal request to state officials on Monday asking that Bentley be required to repay taxpayers for legal fees used in the investigation and defense of the governor.
State Auditor Jim Zeigler is demanding Gov. Robert Bentley repay money he cost state, asking authorites to demand it in plea negotiations. pic.twitter.com/xwpk2LO86n
— Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) April 10, 2017
Should Bentley resign, Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey will step in as governor. She would also assume the role if the governor is found guilty of ethics violations or is under impeachment.
