MONTGOMERY – The House Judiciary Committee held its first meeting Wednesday on the impeachment petition against Gov. Robert Bentley. The meeting addressed only the procedures and rules by which the committee will proceed.
State Auditor Jim Zeigler, a leading critic of Bentley, said the impeachment process is “way too slow.”
“You’ve heard of a ‘slow boat to China?’ Well, this impeachment process is a ‘slow boat on the Alabama River.’”
The committee adopted rules of procedure, agreed to conduct a search for an attorney called a “special counsel,” and agreed to set up subcommittees. But it did not set a second meeting date and will not do so until all these preliminary tasks are competed and reported back.
“The committee set up an awkward bureaucracy that will be a long, hard road to travel,” Zeigler said.
“The citizens of Alabama are weary of the Bentley problems. They want the air cleared on the Bentley administration soon.
“The impeachment investigation will not report its results to the full House until February 2017, when the regular session starts.” Zeigler said. “The people of Alabama do not want to wait until 2017 to clear the clouds over the governor’s office. They want something done now, or at least in the next few months. I agree.
“It is unfair to the taxpayers for their state government to have to operate under a cloud.
“The Mike Hubbard investigation and legal proceedings took three years. If the Bentley investigation takes that long, his term could be over. This is not acceptable. Justice delayed is justice denied,” Zeigler said.
The committee’s agenda says members will discuss rules and procedures, subpoena process and enforcement, special counsel and notice of letter to investigating agencies. The committee, which will have subpoena power, will hear the allegations and conduct its own investigation to determine whether it will make a recommendation to the full House to impeach Bentley.
The committee is chaired by Rep. Mike Jones, R‑Andalusia. Other members are Republicans Jim Hill, Mike Ball, Paul Beckman, Dickie Drake, Allen Farley, David Faulkner, Matt Fridy, Mike Holmes and Phillip Pettus and Democrats Thad McClammy, Marcel Black, Merika Coleman‑Evans, Chris England and Juandalynn Givan.
Hearings are open to the public.
The hearings come after 23 House members signed articles of impeachment against Bentley, a two –term Republican governor. He has been under fire after he admitted inappropriate sexual remarks to his former political advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason. The petition alleges Bentley misused his office in conducting and covering up the relationship with Mason, a charge the governor has repeatedly denied. Both Bentley and Mason are the subjects of ethics commission and criminal investigations.
