Alabama Governor Robert Bentley has won a delay in impeachment hearings that were due to start next week in the state legislature.

He's been fighting in court to avoid facing embarrassing charges that he misused his office to cover up an alleged affair.

Lawyers for the two-term Republican have won a temporary restraining order delaying impeachment proceedings that were set to begin Monday in the Alabama House Judiciary Committee. A Montgomery circuit judge granted Bentley more time to respond to the allegations.

The last-minute legal maneuvers come amid a damaging report released by the panel's special counsel, Jack Sharman. It lays out in sometimes sordid detail an extra-marital relationship between the 74-year-old Bentley and political advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason.

The report accuses him of using state resources, including law enforcement, to hide the affair and protect his reputation, "in a process characterized by increasing obsession and paranoia."

"Governor Bentley's loyalty shifted from the State of Alabama to himself," Sharman wrote in an executive summary. He said Bentley "encouraged an atmosphere of intimidation" to ensure the silence of his staff.

Earlier Friday, Bentley appeared in a hastily called news conference on the steps of the Alabama Capitol. He apologized for letting the people of Alabama down, but rejected calls from GOP legislative leaders to step down.

"I do not plan to resign," he said. "I have done nothing illegal."

Political pressure for him to resign has been growing since tape recordings were released in 2016 of him making sexually suggestive comments to Mason. Both were married at the time.

Diane Bentley later filed for divorce. The report says her suspicions of an affair were confirmed when Bentley mistakenly sent his wife a text that read "I love you Rebekah" with a red-rose emoji.

The Alabama House Judiciary Committee sought the investigation ahead of considering impeachment articles against the governor for willful neglect of duty and corruption in office. The chairman says the panel will meet Monday despite the court order, which he is trying to get overturned.

Earlier this week the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that Bentley should face criminal ethics and campaign finance charges, and handed the case to the Montgomery County District Attorney for possible prosecution.

Bentley, a former Baptist deacon, used the language of his religion during his Friday public appearance, acknowledging "personal struggles" and asking for prayer.

"I asked God to take these struggles and to help me carry these burdens," he said. "And I found freedom in that."

Bentley first met Mason, a former television reporter, at their Tuscaloosa church where he taught a couples' Sunday school class. She served as press secretary for his campaign for governor in 2010, and later joined his administration. During his second term, her salary was paid with campaign funds and through a separate advocacy non-profit organization set up by Bentley.

Her husband, Jon Mason, was appointed by Bentley as executive director of the Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

The couple recently accompanied Bentley on a trip to Washington, D.C., for President Trump's inauguration.</s>(Julie Bennett/AL.com via AP). Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even as his political troubles mounted an...

(Julie Bennett/AL.com via AP). Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even as his political troubles mounted an...

(Albert Cesare /The Montgomery Advertiser via AP). Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even as his political...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Latest on the scandal involving Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley (all times local):

Alabama lawmakers are filing an emergency appeal to the state Supreme Court in an effort to move forward with impeachment hearings against Gov. Robert Bentley.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Mike Jones says the notice of appeal was filed Friday. The committee is seeking to overturn a judge's order that halted impeachment hearings that has been set to begin Monday.

Jones says the committee will meet Monday to discuss the next steps.

Montgomery Circuit Judge Greg Griffin on Friday said he was temporarily blocking the hearings to give the governor more time to respond to the accusations against him.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintained he did nothing illegal or to merit his removal from office.

Montgomery Circuit Judge Greg Griffin on Friday said he was blocking the proceedings to give the governor more time to respond to allegations that he misused state resources.

The governor has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce.

The House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to being impeachment hearings Monday. The special counsel for the committee said they will likely appeal.

Bentley attorney Ross Garber said the rule of law applies, "even in impeachments." He Garber also criticized the release of the special counsel's report. He said it appears to be an "amalgam of hearsay, rumor and innuendo."

An Alabama judge has temporarily stopped impeachment proceedings against Gov. Robert Bentley.

Montgomery Circuit Judge Greg Griffin on Friday said he was granting the governor's request for a temporary restraining order. Griffin was initially appointed to the bench by Bentley before being elected.

Special Counsel Jack Sharman said lawmakers planned to appeal. He said it was unprecedented for the judicial branch to block a legislative proceeding.

The House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to begin impeachment hearings Monday. The governor asked for a 10-day delay while his attorneys argue the process is unfair.

A special counsel's impeachment report says Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley directed a state law enforcement officer to "advance his personal interests" and "encouraged an atmosphere of intimidation" to try to keep his romantic relationship with a staffer from becoming public.

Special Counsel Jack Sharman released the 131-page report Friday as Bentley's lawyers were in court to try to block its release.

Sharman wrote that Bentley's relationship with Rebekah Caldwell Mason was well-known within his inner circle. He wrote that Bentley's loyalties shifted from the state to himself as he tried to keep the relationship quiet.

Sharman also wrote that Bentley obstructed the legislative investigation by refusing to cooperate and redacting text messages and other material requested by the committee. Sharman says Bentley directed law enforcement staffers to try to uncover who had recorded conversations of him and Mason.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's lawyers headed back to court after a new judge was assigned to hear his request to block impeachment proceedings.

Montgomery Circuit Judge Roman Shaul stepped aside from the case Friday.

Lawyers for Bentley and the Alabama lawmakers rushed back to the courthouse Friday afternoon for another proceeding before Circuit Judge Greg Griffin.

Bentley is seeking a temporary restraining order to block Friday's scheduled release of a report compiled by the special counsel in the impeachment probe. The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled impeachment hearings to begin Monday.

The governor has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce.

Bentley said Friday that he had been humiliated. But he maintained he did nothing illegal and had no intentions of resigning.

Another high-ranking Alabama Republican is urging Gov. Robert Bentley to step down before lawmakers begin impeachment hearings next week.

Republican House Speaker Mac McCutcheon on Friday said that the spectacle has been an embarrassment to the state. McCutcheon says he is hopeful that Bentley would "do the right thing and step down immediately. "

The Republican leader of the Alabama Senate has also urged Bentley to resign, saying he is not being an effective leader for the state.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Earlier this week, the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws and referred the case to a prosecutor's office.

Bentley says he has been humiliated by the embarrassing details, but is assuring voters he has done nothing illegal.

The special counsel in an impeachment probe of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley says he is moving forward with the release of an investigatory report.

Special Counsel Jack Sharman plans to release a 100-page report Friday afternoon that includes thousands of pages of exhibits. The report will be given to the House Judiciary Committee as the committee weighs whether to recommend impeaching Bentley.

The governor's attorneys rushed to court to try to block the report hours ahead of its scheduled release. But Montgomery County Circuit Judge Roman Shaul said his inclination "at this point would not be to restrain this report."

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley said Monday that he had been humiliated as "embarrassing details" of his personal life were made public over the last year. Bentley said he's been told that will happen again.

The special counsel in an impeachment probe of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley urged a judge to let lawmakers move forward with hearings and the release of his investigative report.

Jack Sharman told Montgomery County Circuit Judge Roman Shaul on Friday that Bentley's request to block the report and hearings is unconstitutional.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintains he did nothing illegal.

Sharman says the court doesn't have a right to interfere with the hearing process at this point.

Sharman had planned to release the investigative findings on Friday with a lengthy report that has 3,000 pages of exhibits. The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin impeachment hearings Monday.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's lawyers are in court in an attempt to block the release of a potentially embarrassing report related to a sex scandal and efforts to impeach him.

The governor's lawyers on Friday asked a judge to temporarily block the release of an investigative report by the special counsel for the House Judiciary Committee. The report is supposed to be released Friday and the committee is scheduled to begin impeachment hearings Monday.

Attorney David Byrne told the judge that the governor is not being treated fairly in the quickly moving process.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintained he did nothing illegal.

Earlier this week, the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws and referred the case to a prosecutor's office.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the release of a potentially embarrassing report related to a sex scandal that has led to an effort to impeach him.

In the lawsuit, Bentley calls the impeachment process "fundamentally unfair" and asks a court to block the release of the report by the Judiciary Committee's special counsel.

Online court records show the governor's office filed the lawsuit moments before he spoke against the House Judiciary Committee on Friday morning.

Earlier this week, the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws, accusations Bentley denies.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintained he did nothing illegal or to merit his removal from office.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley vowed again Friday he won't resign even as his political troubles mounted and lawmakers said they would move forward with impeachment hearings because of a sex scandal.

The 74-year-old governor hastily called a news conference in which he told constituents he knew he had let them down.

Earlier this week, the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws, accusations Bentley denies.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintained he did nothing illegal or to merit his removal from office.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>(CNN) The time has come for the Alabama Legislature to decide if it wants Gov. Robert Bentley to remain at the state's helm.

On Friday, the state's House Judiciary Committee will receive a report detailing the findings of an impeachment investigation led by the committee's special counsel, Jack Sharman.

The report, along with impeachment hearings slated to begin Monday, are aimed at resolving the two-term governor's yearlong saga, which began with allegations of a sex scandal involving his former adviser, Rebekah Mason.

The Alabama Ethics Commission announced Wednesday that it had "found probable cause to believe" Bentley violated campaign finance and ethics laws . The panel had received two complaints alleging that the septuagenarian "Luv Guv" -- as he's been dubbed by local media outlets and bloggers -- misused state resources to facilitate his affair.

Bentley has repeatedly denied having an affair with Mason, even after audio recordings surfaced purporting to capture Bentley telling Mason he loved her and enjoyed putting his hands under her shirt.

On one tape, he is heard suggesting, "If we're going to do what we did the other day, we're going to have to start locking the door."

The governor has acknowledged making inappropriate remarks to a staffer, but nothing more. Mason resigned last year, the same year Dianne Bentley, the governor's wife of 50 years, saw her divorce made final.

On Tuesday, a year to the day since articles of impeachment were first brought against the governor, the Alabama Ethics Commission met in secret to discuss Bentley, according to two state officials who asked not to be named.

The meeting agenda said the body planned to "discuss matters relating to the character and reputation of certain public officials or employees as well as matters covered by the Grand Jury Secrecy Act."

Asked before the meeting for a guarantee that the commission would not discuss Bentley's job performance, in contravention of state law, the commission's executive director, Thomas Albritton, told CNN in an email, "I don't really understand your question, but what I can tell you is that we will not violate Alabama's Open Meetings Act."

Following its meeting, the Ethics Commission announced that a yearlong investigation -- involving 45 witnesses and 33,000 documents -- indicated there was probable cause to believe Bentley violated the Alabama Ethics Act and Fair Campaign Practices Act.

Bentley, through attorney William Athanas, maintained his innocence, with Athanas saying, "There's a great distance between probable cause and beyond a reasonable doubt."

The House committee's effort to investigate the governor hasn't been without its own drama. The panel halted its probe in November when then-state Attorney General Luther Strange asked that his office be able to take over "related work."

But in February, before the attorney general office's investigation was done, Bentley appointed Strange to the US Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions, whom President Donald Trump nominated to become attorney general of the United States.

House leaders last month directed Sharman to get back to work. He sent the governor's lawyers a letter last week laying out a tentative schedule for impeachment hearings. If the House votes to impeach, it would kick off a trial in the Alabama Senate, which acts as a jury and could remove Bentley from office.

The governor's attorney, Ross Garber, condemned Sharman's schedule, claiming Bentley was being denied due process and expressing confidence that the Judiciary Committee "will not allow their proceedings to be hijacked and turned into a kangaroo court."

"I would want to resign if that was me," Harbison said. "I would want to end it."

But with only days to go before the impeachment hearings, Bentley has stood firm. Here's the origin of each article of impeachment.

The first impeachment article charges Bentley with neglecting his gubernatorial duties and breaking the law in an attempt to "promote his own personal agenda."

According to Henry, the malfeasance charge stems from allegations made by Alabama Law Enforcement Agency ex-Secretary Spencer Collier, before Bentley fired him.

After his dismissal, Collier sat down with reporters and told them he'd seen proof of Bentley's affair and accused the governor of using state resources to cover it up.

This allegation stems from what investigators call "credible evidence" that the governor misused state property to facilitate his relationship with Mason.

In addition, it states that the governor made important "administrative decisions" solely to foster his affair and conceal it — a reference to Collier's ousting on March 22, 2016.

"He was using his office to basically blackmail and strong-arm individuals into not disclosing any of his extramarital affairs," Henry said.

Another issue was the lack of transparency surrounding Mason's compensation. According to AL.com, Mason moved from the governor's office to Bentley's reelection campaign in 2013, working through her private consulting firm, RCM Communications. The campaign paid her $426,978, according to the Bentley campaign's expenditure report.

Because she was no longer on the government payroll, Mason wasn't subject to financial disclosures. Critics, including Henry, consider the move evidence that Mason and Bentley were trying to circumvent campaign ethics laws.

This one addresses Bentley's repeated blunders and his failure to deal with the scandal and its fallout effectively, Henry told CNN.

"He is not capable of running the state with the decisions he is making," Henry said. "Time and time again he has poor judgment and continues to make these decisions that are detrimental to the people of Alabama."

Henry points to Bentley's continued interactions with Mason even after she resigned. Most recently, the pair traveled to Washington D.C. to attend Donald Trump's inauguration. Mason's husband, Jon, accompanied them.

"We're still hearing stories of cabinet members having to have very intense conversations with him about continuing to allow her to travel with him," Henry said. "It never stops."

The term "moral turpitude," in this case, means that while Bentley's extramarital affair is not an illegal act by itself, his "inherently immoral" behavior shows he is unfit to be the governor, according to the allegation.

It's a snub for a governor who in his inauguration speech praised the state's fresh ethics laws because, in his words, "The people of this state are counting on us to focus on them, not ourselves."

Bentley's scandal has hijacked the political apparatus, and all the focus is on him, critics say. Harbison, who didn't originally support impeachment but has since changed his mind, feels nothing will get done until they address the elephant in the governor's office.

"We have a lot of important issues we need to be dealing with. I just don't think we can deal with them if Bentley's in office because of the trust level of people in Alabama," he said. "This is kind of like a road block. A lot of people I've talked to, they don't want to see him in prison. ... They want to move on from this."</s>(CNN) The time has come for the Alabama Legislature to decide if it wants Gov. Robert Bentley to keep his job.

On Friday, the state's House Judiciary Committee will receive a report detailing the findings of an impeachment investigation led by the committee's special counsel, Jack Sharman.

The report, along with impeachment hearings slated to begin Monday, are aimed at resolving the two-term governor's yearlong saga, which began with allegations of a sex scandal involving his former adviser, Rebekah Mason.

The Alabama Ethics Commission announced Wednesday that it had "found probable cause to believe" Bentley violated campaign finance and ethics laws . The panel had received two complaints alleging that the septuagenarian "Luv Guv" -- as he's been dubbed by local media outlets and bloggers -- misused state resources to facilitate his affair.

Bentley has repeatedly denied having an affair with Mason, even after audio recordings surfaced purporting to capture Bentley telling Mason he loved her and enjoyed putting his hands under her shirt.

On one tape, he is heard suggesting, "If we're going to do what we did the other day, we're going to have to start locking the door."

The governor has acknowledged making inappropriate remarks to a staffer, but nothing more. Mason resigned last year, the same year Dianne Bentley, the governor's wife of 50 years, saw her divorce made final.

On Tuesday, a year to the day since articles of impeachment were first brought against the governor, the Alabama Ethics Commission met in secret to discuss Bentley, according to two state officials who asked not to be named.

The meeting agenda said the body planned to "discuss matters relating to the character and reputation of certain public officials or employees as well as matters covered by the Grand Jury Secrecy Act."

Asked before the meeting for a guarantee that the commission would not discuss Bentley's job performance, in contravention of state law, the commission's executive director, Thomas Albritton, told CNN in an email, "I don't really understand your question, but what I can tell you is that we will not violate Alabama's Open Meetings Act."

Following its meeting, the Ethics Commission announced that a yearlong investigation -- involving 45 witnesses and 33,000 documents -- indicated there was probable cause to believe Bentley violated the Alabama Ethics Act and Fair Campaign Practices Act.

Bentley, through attorney William Athanas, maintained his innocence. "There's a great distance between probable cause and beyond a reasonable doubt," Athanas said.

The House committee's parallel effort to investigate the governor hasn't been without its own drama. The panel halted its probe in November when then-state Attorney General Luther Strange asked that his office be able to take over "related work."

But in February, before the attorney general office's investigation was done, Bentley appointed Strange to the US Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions, whom President Donald Trump nominated to become attorney general of the United States.

House leaders last month directed Sharman to get back to work. He sent the governor's lawyers a letter last week laying out a tentative schedule for impeachment hearings. If the House votes to impeach, it would kick off a trial in the Alabama Senate, which acts as a jury and could remove Bentley from office.

The governor's attorney, Ross Garber, condemned Sharman's schedule, claiming Bentley was being denied due process and expressing confidence that the Judiciary Committee "will not allow their proceedings to be hijacked and turned into a kangaroo court."

"I would want to resign if that was me," Harbison said. "I would want to end it."

But with only days to go before the impeachment hearings, Bentley has stood firm. Here's the origin of each article of impeachment.

The first impeachment article charges Bentley with neglecting his gubernatorial duties and breaking the law in an attempt to "promote his own personal agenda."

According to Henry, the malfeasance charge stems from allegations made by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency ex-Secretary Spencer Collier, before Bentley fired him.

After his dismissal, Collier sat down with reporters and told them he'd seen proof of Bentley's affair and accused the governor of using state resources to cover it up.

This allegation stems from what investigators call "credible evidence" that the governor misused state property to facilitate his relationship with Mason.

In addition, it states that the governor made important "administrative decisions" solely to foster his affair and conceal it — a reference to Collier's ousting on March 22, 2016.

"He was using his office to basically blackmail and strong-arm individuals into not disclosing any of his extramarital affairs," Henry said.

Another issue was the lack of transparency surrounding Mason's compensation. According to AL.com, Mason moved from the governor's office to Bentley's reelection campaign in 2013, working through her private consulting firm, RCM Communications. The campaign paid her $426,978, according to the Bentley campaign's expenditure report.

Because she was no longer on the government payroll, Mason wasn't subject to financial disclosures. Critics, including Henry, consider the move evidence that Mason and Bentley were trying to circumvent campaign ethics laws.

This one addresses Bentley's repeated blunders and his failure to deal with the scandal and its fallout effectively, Henry told CNN.

"He is not capable of running the state with the decisions he is making," Henry said. "Time and time again he has poor judgment and continues to make these decisions that are detrimental to the people of Alabama."

Henry points to Bentley's continued interactions with Mason even after she resigned. Most recently, the pair traveled to Washington D.C. to attend Donald Trump's inauguration. Mason's husband, Jon, accompanied them.

"We're still hearing stories of cabinet members having to have very intense conversations with him about continuing to allow her to travel with him," Henry said. "It never stops."

The term "moral turpitude," in this case, means that while Bentley's extramarital affair is not an illegal act by itself, his "inherently immoral" behavior shows he is unfit to be the governor, according to the allegation.

It's a snub for a governor who in his inauguration speech praised the state's fresh ethics laws because, in his words, "The people of this state are counting on us to focus on them, not ourselves."

Bentley's scandal has hijacked the political apparatus, and all the focus is on him, critics say. Harbison, who didn't originally support impeachment but has since changed his mind, feels nothing will get done until they address the elephant in the governor's office.

"We have a lot of important issues we need to be dealing with. I just don't think we can deal with them if Bentley's in office because of the trust level of people in Alabama," he said. "This is kind of like a road block. A lot of people I've talked to, they don't want to see him in prison. ... They want to move on from this."</s></s>MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley won a court fight Friday to halt his looming impeachment hearings, but couldn't prevent the release of an investigative report that describes his paranoia and obsession over trying to keep his romance with a staffer from becoming public.

The stunning events capped a wild week in Alabama politics. Lawyers for the governor rushed to court and appeared before two judges to stop the impeachment proceedings, which were set to begin Monday. Shortly before the lawyers argued, Bentley defiantly stood on the steps of the state Capitol and refused growing calls from fellow Republicans that he step down. Earlier this week, Bentley learned he could face criminal prosecution when the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that he broke ethics and campaign law.

Bentley, 74, has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before he and his wife of 50 years got divorced. The mild-mannered dermatologist and former Baptist deacon has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintained he did nothing illegal or to merit his removal from office.

The legislative impeachment report suggested otherwise, saying he "encouraged an atmosphere of intimidation" to keep his romantic relationship secret.

"Gov. Bentley directed law enforcement to advance his personal interests and, in a process characterized by increasing obsession and paranoia, subjected career law enforcement officers to tasks intended to protect his reputation," the report said.

House Judiciary Committee special counsel Jack Sharman wrote that Bentley's relationship with Rebekah Caldwell Mason was well-known within his inner circle. Bentley's loyalties shifted from the state to himself as he tried to keep the relationship quiet, Sharman wrote.

Bentley obstructed the legislative investigation by refusing to cooperate and redacting text messages and other material requested by the committee, the report said. Bentley also directed law enforcement staffers to try to uncover who had recorded conversations of him and Mason, Sharman wrote.

After the judge temporarily halted the impeachment proceedings, Sharman said he would appeal.

Bentley said he has been humiliated and apologized for his mistakes. But, he said, he has done nothing illegal.

"If the people want to know if I misused state resources, the answer is simply no. I have not," Bentley said in a statement on marble steps of the Capitol. He did not take questions.

Bentley tried to block the report's release, but it was posted online Friday afternoon.

The controversy erupted last year when the former head of state law enforcement, Spencer Collier, a day after being fired by Bentley, publicly accused Bentley of having an affair with his longtime political adviser, Mason. Collier said Mason wielded so much power that she was considered the "de facto governor."

Bentley's lawsuit calls the impeachment process "fundamentally unfair." Bentley's legal adviser David Byrne has said the rapidly moving process hasn't given the governor time to respond. He also said the impeachment articles accusing Bentley of corruption and neglect of duty are "extremely vague."

The special counsel to the Judiciary Committee, Sharman, has said the committee hadn't violated any due process rights.

Earlier this week, the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws. The commission referred the case to a prosecutor, who will decide whether to seek criminal charges.

Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh and House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, leaders in the Republican-controlled Legislature, have both called on the governor to step aside.

"It's the only way to avoid taking the state on a long, painful and embarrassing journey whose ending is likely already known to us all," McCutcheon said Friday.

Ross Garber, the lawyer representing Bentley in the impeachment investigation, has urged lawmakers to be cautious. Garber said that since 1929 only two governors have been removed by impeachment and both were under criminal indictment.

Associated Press writer Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama, contributed to this report.</s>(Albert Cesare /The Montgomery Advertiser via AP). Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even as his political...

(Julie Bennett/AL.com via AP). Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even as his political troubles mounted an...

(Albert Cesare /The Montgomery Advertiser via AP). Alabama Governor Robert Bentley walks to the podium before a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even...

(Julie Bennett/AL.com via AP). Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even as his political troubles mounted an...

(Julie Bennett/AL.com via AP). Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even as his political troubles mounted an...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley won a court fight Friday to halt his looming impeachment hearings, but couldn't prevent the release of an investigative report that describes his paranoia and obsession over trying to keep his romance with a staffer from becoming public.

The stunning events capped a wild week in Alabama politics. Lawyers for the governor rushed to court and appeared before two judges to stop the impeachment proceedings, which were set to begin Monday. Shortly before the lawyers argued, Bentley defiantly stood on the steps of the state Capitol and refused growing calls from fellow Republicans that he step down. Earlier this week, Bentley learned he could face criminal prosecution when the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that he broke ethics and campaign law.

Bentley, 74, has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before he and his wife of 50 years got divorced. The mild-mannered dermatologist and former Baptist deacon has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintained he did nothing illegal or to merit his removal from office.

The legislative impeachment report suggested otherwise, saying he "encouraged an atmosphere of intimidation" to keep his romantic relationship secret.

"Gov. Bentley directed law enforcement to advance his personal interests and, in a process characterized by increasing obsession and paranoia, subjected career law enforcement officers to tasks intended to protect his reputation," the report said.

House Judiciary Committee special counsel Jack Sharman wrote that Bentley's relationship with Rebekah Caldwell Mason was well-known within his inner circle. Bentley's loyalties shifted from the state to himself as he tried to keep the relationship quiet, Sharman wrote.

Bentley obstructed the legislative investigation by refusing to cooperate and redacting text messages and other material requested by the committee, the report said. Bentley also directed law enforcement staffers to try to uncover who had recorded conversations of him and Mason, Sharman wrote.

After the judge temporarily halted the impeachment proceedings, Sharman said he would appeal.

Bentley said he has been humiliated and apologized for his mistakes. But, he said, he has done nothing illegal.

"If the people want to know if I misused state resources, the answer is simply no. I have not," Bentley said in a statement on marble steps of the Capitol. He did not take questions.

Bentley tried to block the report's release, but it was posted online Friday afternoon.

The controversy erupted last year when the former head of state law enforcement, Spencer Collier, a day after being fired by Bentley, publicly accused Bentley of having an affair with his longtime political adviser, Mason. Collier said Mason wielded so much power that she was considered the "de facto governor."

Bentley's lawsuit calls the impeachment process "fundamentally unfair." Bentley's legal adviser David Byrne has said the rapidly moving process hasn't given the governor time to respond. He also said the impeachment articles accusing Bentley of corruption and neglect of duty are "extremely vague."

The special counsel to the Judiciary Committee, Sharman, has said the committee hadn't violated any due process rights.

Earlier this week, the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws. The commission referred the case to a prosecutor, who will decide whether to seek criminal charges.

Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh and House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, leaders in the Republican-controlled Legislature, have both called on the governor to step aside.

"It's the only way to avoid taking the state on a long, painful and embarrassing journey whose ending is likely already known to us all," McCutcheon said Friday.

Ross Garber, the lawyer representing Bentley in the impeachment investigation, has urged lawmakers to be cautious. Garber said that since 1929 only two governors have been removed by impeachment and both were under criminal indictment.

Associated Press writer Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Alabama's Republican, family values-touting governor Robert Bentley's future in politics may soon come to a premature end, thanks to allegations that he carried on an affair with a staffer and used his office to cover it up and pressure those who knew about it.

On Wednesday, April 5, a state ethics commission said Bentley, whom local media has christened the "Luv Guv," may have violated campaign finance laws. On Friday, April 7, Alabama's House Judiciary Committee will receive a report from its special counsel, Jack Sharman, outlining Bentley's alleged impeachment investigation. Impeachment hearings are set to begin on Monday, April 10, CNN reported.

Bentley's travails began in 2015, when his wife of 50 years, Dianne Bentley, filed for divorce. From her divorce filings the public learned that the Bentleys had been separated for about seven months, despite keeping up the appearance of a happily married couple in public.

Then, on March 22, 2016, Alabama's former law enforcement secretary, Spencer Collier, who Bentley had fired the same day, held a press conference at which he claimed Bentley had been having an affair with his chief adviser, Rebekah Caldwell Mason, since at least 2014, and had used state resources to cover it up.

Bentley initially admitted to speaking inappropriately to Mason, but denied having a sexual relationship with her. The day after Collier's press conference, recordings of conversations between Bentley and Mason, allegedly captured by members of Bentley's own family, were released. The recordings cast new light on Bentley's comments. In them, Bentley described touching Mason's breasts and buttocks.

Since then, Bentley has been under pressure from Alabama Republicans and Democrats to step down or face impeachment. Republican Rep. Ed Henry told CNN impeaching Bentley is "one of the few truly bipartisan issues."

Bentley faces four charges, or articles, of impeachment: willful neglect of duty, corruption in office, incompetency and moral turpitude. While having an affair isn't illegal in Alabama, Bentley's critics argue it makes him unfit to be governor.

Bentley is expected to respond to Sharman's report by Tuesday, April 11. If the House Judiciary Committee recommends impeachment then, under the current schedule — which Bentley is fighting — the state's House will consider it by May 20, according to local news reports.</s>(Julie Bennett/AL.com via AP). Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even as his political troubles mounted an...

(Julie Bennett/AL.com via AP). Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even as his political troubles mounted an...

(Albert Cesare /The Montgomery Advertiser via AP). Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks during a news conference on Friday, April 7, 2017, outside the Alabama Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. Bentley vowed again he won't resign even as his political...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Latest on the scandal involving Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley (all times local):

An Alabama judge has temporarily stopped impeachment proceedings against Gov. Robert Bentley.

Montgomery Circuit Judge Greg Griffin on Friday said he was granting the governor's request for a temporary restraining order. Griffin was initially appointed to the bench by Bentley before being elected.

Special Counsel Jack Sharman said lawmakers planned to appeal. He said it was unprecedented for the judicial branch to block a legislative proceeding.

The House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to begin impeachment hearings Monday. The governor asked for a 10-day delay while his attorneys argue the process is unfair.

A special counsel's impeachment report says Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley directed a state law enforcement officer to "advance his personal interests" and "encouraged an atmosphere of intimidation" to try to keep his romantic relationship with a staffer from becoming public.

Special Counsel Jack Sharman released the 131-page report Friday as Bentley's lawyers were in court to try to block its release.

Sharman wrote that Bentley's relationship with Rebekah Caldwell Mason was well-known within his inner circle. He wrote that Bentley's loyalties shifted from the state to himself as he tried to keep the relationship quiet.

Sharman also wrote that Bentley obstructed the legislative investigation by refusing to cooperate and redacting text messages and other material requested by the committee. Sharman says Bentley directed law enforcement staffers to try to uncover who had recorded conversations of him and Mason.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's lawyers headed back to court after a new judge was assigned to hear his request to block impeachment proceedings.

Montgomery Circuit Judge Roman Shaul stepped aside from the case Friday.

Lawyers for Bentley and the Alabama lawmakers rushed back to the courthouse Friday afternoon for another proceeding before Circuit Judge Greg Griffin.

Bentley is seeking a temporary restraining order to block Friday's scheduled release of a report compiled by the special counsel in the impeachment probe. The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled impeachment hearings to begin Monday.

The governor has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce.

Bentley said Friday that he had been humiliated. But he maintained he did nothing illegal and had no intentions of resigning.

Another high-ranking Alabama Republican is urging Gov. Robert Bentley to step down before lawmakers begin impeachment hearings next week.

Republican House Speaker Mac McCutcheon on Friday said that the spectacle has been an embarrassment to the state. McCutcheon says he is hopeful that Bentley would "do the right thing and step down immediately. "

The Republican leader of the Alabama Senate has also urged Bentley to resign, saying he is not being an effective leader for the state.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Earlier this week, the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws and referred the case to a prosecutor's office.

Bentley says he has been humiliated by the embarrassing details, but is assuring voters he has done nothing illegal.

The special counsel in an impeachment probe of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley says he is moving forward with the release of an investigatory report.

Special Counsel Jack Sharman plans to release a 100-page report Friday afternoon that includes thousands of pages of exhibits. The report will be given to the House Judiciary Committee as the committee weighs whether to recommend impeaching Bentley.

The governor's attorneys rushed to court to try to block the report hours ahead of its scheduled release. But Montgomery County Circuit Judge Roman Shaul said his inclination "at this point would not be to restrain this report."

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley said Monday that he had been humiliated as "embarrassing details" of his personal life were made public over the last year. Bentley said he's been told that will happen again.

The special counsel in an impeachment probe of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley urged a judge to let lawmakers move forward with hearings and the release of his investigative report.

Jack Sharman told Montgomery County Circuit Judge Roman Shaul on Friday that Bentley's request to block the report and hearings is unconstitutional.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintains he did nothing illegal.

Sharman says the court doesn't have a right to interfere with the hearing process at this point.

Sharman had planned to release the investigative findings on Friday with a lengthy report that has 3,000 pages of exhibits. The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin impeachment hearings Monday.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's lawyers are in court in an attempt to block the release of a potentially embarrassing report related to a sex scandal and efforts to impeach him.

The governor's lawyers on Friday asked a judge to temporarily block the release of an investigative report by the special counsel for the House Judiciary Committee. The report is supposed to be released Friday and the committee is scheduled to begin impeachment hearings Monday.

Attorney David Byrne told the judge that the governor is not being treated fairly in the quickly moving process.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintained he did nothing illegal.

Earlier this week, the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws and referred the case to a prosecutor's office.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the release of a potentially embarrassing report related to a sex scandal that has led to an effort to impeach him.

In the lawsuit, Bentley calls the impeachment process "fundamentally unfair" and asks a court to block the release of the report by the Judiciary Committee's special counsel.

Online court records show the governor's office filed the lawsuit moments before he spoke against the House Judiciary Committee on Friday morning.

Earlier this week, the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws, accusations Bentley denies.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintained he did nothing illegal or to merit his removal from office.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley vowed again Friday he won't resign even as his political troubles mounted and lawmakers said they would move forward with impeachment hearings because of a sex scandal.

The 74-year-old governor hastily called a news conference in which he told constituents he knew he had let them down.

Earlier this week, the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws, accusations Bentley denies.

Bentley has been engulfed in scandal since recordings surfaced in 2016 of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce. Bentley has acknowledged making personal mistakes but maintained he did nothing illegal or to merit his removal from office.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Alabama Governor Robert Bentley has won a delay in impeachment hearings that were due to start next week in the state legislature.

He's been fighting in court to avoid facing embarrassing charges that he misused his office to cover up an alleged affair.

Lawyers for the two-term Republican have won a temporary restraining order delaying impeachment proceedings that were set to begin Monday in the Alabama House Judiciary Committee. A Montgomery circuit judge granted Bentley more time to respond to the allegations.

The last-minute legal maneuvers come amid a damaging report released by the panel's special counsel, Jack Sharman. It lays out in sometimes sordid detail an extra-marital relationship between the 74-year-old Bentley and political advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason.

The report accuses him of using state resources, including law enforcement, to hide the affair and protect his reputation, "in a process characterized by increasing obsession and paranoia."

"Governor Bentley's loyalty shifted from the State of Alabama to himself," Sharman wrote in an executive summary. He said Bentley "encouraged an atmosphere of intimidation" to ensure the silence of his staff.

Earlier Friday, Bentley appeared in a hastily called news conference on the steps of the Alabama Capitol. He apologized for letting the people of Alabama down, but rejected calls from GOP legislative leaders to step down.

"I do not plan to resign," he said. "I have done nothing illegal."

Political pressure for him to resign has been growing since tape recordings were released in 2016 of him making sexually suggestive comments to Mason. Both were married at the time.

Diane Bentley later filed for divorce. The report says her suspicions of an affair were confirmed when Bentley mistakenly sent his wife a text that read "I love you Rebekah" with a red-rose emoji.

The Alabama House Judiciary Committee sought the investigation ahead of considering impeachment articles against the governor for willful neglect of duty and corruption in office. The chairman says the panel will meet Monday despite the court order, which he is trying to get overturned.

Earlier this week the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that Bentley should face criminal ethics and campaign finance charges, and handed the case to the Montgomery County District Attorney for possible prosecution.

Bentley, a former Baptist deacon, used the language of his religion during his Friday public appearance, acknowledging "personal struggles" and asking for prayer.

"I asked God to take these struggles and to help me carry these burdens," he said. "And I found freedom in that."

Bentley first met Mason, a former television reporter, at their Tuscaloosa church where he taught a couples' Sunday school class. She served as press secretary for his campaign for governor in 2010, and later joined his administration. During his second term, her salary was paid with campaign funds and through a separate advocacy non-profit organization set up by Bentley.

Her husband, Jon Mason, was appointed by Bentley as executive director of the Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

The couple recently accompanied Bentley on a trip to Washington, D.C., for President Trump's inauguration.
The governor of the State of Alabama, Robert Bentley, wins a court victory halting impeachment proceedings that were set to begin Monday to determine whether he should remain in office after it was discovered that he had a romantic relationship with a staffer.