GOP governor of Alabama Robert Bentley officially resigned on Monday after being consumed by a sexual scandal that had him facing possible impeachment.
To make matters worse, according to The New York Times, Bentley also pled guilty to a pair of misdemeanor charges: “failing to file a major contribution report and knowingly converting campaign contributions to personal use.”
He was booked in jail but will not face jail time. Instead, Bentley was sentenced to 100 hours of community service; a good old fashioned slap on the wrist.
All of this comes a year after he admitted to making sexually explicit remarks to senior political adviser Rebekah Caldwell Mason.
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More from The New York Times:
His exit from government and guilty pleas followed mounting calls for his resignation, especially after a report that was made public on Friday said that he had fostered âan atmosphere of intimidationâ and compelled state employees to help him cover up the relationship. Impeachment hearings â the first in Alabama in more than a century â began Monday morning, when the State House was consumed by rumors that the governor would soon quit.
Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey succeeds Mr. Bentley; she is a former state treasurer who will be the second woman to hold the office. She is a graduate of Auburn University who was a high school teacher and a bank officer before going to work for the Legislature.
Mr. Bentley, 74, repeatedly denied having a physical relationship with Ms. Mason and long insisted that he had not broken any laws, but he was a subject of multiple investigations, including reviews by the F.B.I. and the Alabama attorney generalâs office.
Once again, it appears the Republicans talk a good game about upholding religious and family values, but just don’t practice it in everyday life. It’s the same story with Donald Trump, who repeatedly pretended to care about religious morals during the campaign but bragged about sexually assaulting women behind the scenes.
It’s become a staple of the Republican Party â do as I say, not as I do, especially when it comes to sexual behavior.
Still, Bentley says he truly did give it his all:Â “Though I sometimes failed, Iâve always tried to live up to the high expectations the people placed on the (person) who holds this esteemed office,” he said, according to The New York Post.
As Bentley is forced out of office amid this corruption, it’s clear he didn’t try hard enough.
Picture: Twitter
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obamaâs presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
