MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley’s political troubles mounted Thursday as lawmakers vowed to move forward with impeachment hearings and one influential Republican urged him to step down.

The developments came a day after the state Ethics Commission found probable cause that the Republican governor broke state ethics and campaign finance laws, accusations that Bentley denies.

“I hope the governor does what is best for the state and seriously considers stepping down,” state Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh said Thursday. “I don’t think it does us any good to have the House go through these impeachment proceedings.”

Bentley said Thursday that he does not intend to resign.

“I have no intentions of resigning and I am looking forward to continuing to work on important issues facing the state,” he said.

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.

Efforts to impeach Bentley have gathered steam for months, and the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold its first hearing on the matter Monday. Committee Chairman Mike Jones said Thursday that lawmakers should prepare for a long week.

“We’re at the point where it’s time to put this in front of us. Let’s address it and let’s get it behind us,” said the Republican from Andalusia.

The Alabama Ethics Commission’s probable cause findings were referred to the local district attorney, who will decide whether to prosecute. The ethics complaints filed against him have accused Bentley of misusing campaign funds and state resources, partly to pursue a relationship with the aide.

The commission did not give much further detail in its Wednesday announcement, but said it found probable cause that he used public resources, including “subordinate personnel, equipment and time all under his discretion or control to further his personal interests.”

Bentley Legal Adviser David Byrne argued Thursday there was important context and explanation for the findings of the Alabama Ethics Commission.

For example, Bentley is accused of improperly accepting a loan when he was not a candidate. Byrne said Bentley loaned money to his campaign last year so he could pay legal bills and hire a lawyer to represent him in the matter.

The scandal has tarnished the reputation of the 74-year-old dermatologist and former Baptist deacon who attracted voters to his longshot Republican primary campaign in 2010 with his nice-guy image and promises not to accept a gubernatorial salary. While Bentley won re-election in 2014 by an overwhelming margin, his popularity has plummeted after the accusations.

“We’ve got a black eye all over the state of Alabama because of him,” said Stacy George, who filed one of the ethics complaints against Bentley. George is a prison guard and former county commissioner who ran against Bentley in 2014.

The Ethics Commission’s findings could also give political ammunition to lawmakers who want to impeach him. Twenty-three lawmakers last year filed impeachment articles against Bentley accusing him of corruption and neglect of duty. The effort started with lawmakers who clashed with Bentley on matters such as the governor’s push to raise taxes, but has gained more support in recent weeks.

The top lawyer in the impeachment investigation said last month that he would release a report of his findings to the House Judiciary Committee and the public on Friday.

“What I’m hearing is the report is going to be extremely embarrassing for us as a state,” said Rep. Ed Henry, the lawmaker who spearheaded the impeachment articles.

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.

“What you saw yesterday, and the consequences of it, are not the kinds of things that result in impeachment of a governor,” Garber said. “It’s not.”</s>Alabama Gov. Robert J. Bentley could face criminal prosecution following a state ethics panel ruling Wednesday that there might be a probable cause of infringement of ethics and campaign finance law by Bentley for his involvement in a sex-tinged scandal for over a year. The Alabama Ethics Commission voted Wednesday to refer four issues to the…</s>Alabama lawmakers have announced a schedule for impeachment hearings against Gov. Robert Bentley.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Mike Jones told lawmakers that it was “time to put this in front of us.”

The committee, after hearing arguments and testimony, will make a recommendation to the full House of Representatives over whether Bentley committed any impeachable offenses.

The hearings will begin Monday and last through the week. Under the announced schedule, the committee would vote on April 14.

The announcement came a day after the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that Bentley violated state ethics and campaign finance law.

Bentley has maintained he has done nothing illegal or to merit his removal from office.</s>Alabama Governor Robert J. Bentley is likely to face prosecution for violating state ethics. A state ethics panel on Wednesday also concluded Bentley’s involvement in breaking campaign finance laws besides playing with state ethics.

The Alabama Ethics Commission observed that there is “probable cause” to make it believe that Alabama Governor Robert J. Bentley has violated the Alabama Ethics Act and Fair Campaign Practices Act. The commission’s findings took a year to investigate the matter and come to that conclusion. The commission referred the impeachment investigation issue to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.

While the commission ruled that the Alabama governor has violated the ethics and misused funds, his lawyer, Bill Athanas, said that his client maintained innocence. He also stated that there was no strong evidence that could lead to the levying of charges on Robert J. Bentley.

“We disagree strongly with the result, but I think it is important to keep in mind that it is a finding of probable cause, not finding of a violation… The battle goes on,” ABC News quoted Athanas as saying. “It’s important to keep in mind, this is simply a finding of probable cause. It’s not a finding of a violation,” Athanas added.

The state ethics commission said that officers were asked to interrogate almost 45 witnesses. The district attorney office’s people analyzed around 33,000 documents to investigate the matter. According to law, if a person is found violating the two acts — Alabama Ethics Act and Fair Campaign Practices Act — intentionally, he will have committed Class B felonies. People found guilty under Class B felonies have to face two to 20 years of imprisonment for each violation plus a penalty of up to $20,000.

The Alabama Ethics Commission also found that the “nice guy” of the state was not that nice. It also took into consideration the audio recordings that have been obtained as evidence in the matter. In the video, Robert J. Bentley is apparently heard having a sexually-motivated conversation with a former aide, Rebekah Mason.

The 2014 audio recording was one of the major issues that drew the attention of authorities, thereby leading to the impeachment investigation last year. The commission also found that the Alabama Governor misused state resources for his alleged affair.

“I worry about loving you so much,” Robert J. Bentley says as heard in the audio. “When I stand behind you, and I put my arms around you, and I put my hands on your breasts, and I put my hands [unintelligible] and just pull you real close. I love that, too.”

The affair came into focus when the wife of the Alabama governor filed a divorce in September, 2015, after 50 years of marriage. According to reports, the audio recording was made public by the Bentley family, who were believed to have captured the voices to find out if Robert J. Bentley really had an affair. The revelation made Mason resign.

Though Robert J. Bentley admitted that he made a mistake as he had an affair, he denied having a physical relationship with his former aide at the same time. After the release of the audio recording, the Alabama governor conducted a press conference. There he said that he had never taken the law for granted and hence he had not done anything legally wrong. He admitted making a mistake in his personal life and made an apology to the state and his family.

“I made a mistake. Two years ago, I made a mistake,” Robert J. Bentley said in 2016.</s>CLOSE Background on accusations against Gov. Robert Bentley.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley exits out of the back of the RSA Union Building in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday April 5, 2017 as the Alabama Ethics Commission meets in executive session looking into allegations against him. (Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

MONTOMGERY, Ala. — After more than nine hours of testimony and deliberations Wednesday — and over a year after the filing of the first complaint — the Alabama Ethics Commission found "probable cause" that Gov. Robert Bentley violated the state's ethics and campaign finance laws.

The commission referred the charges to Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey. If indicted and convicted, Bentley could face up to 20 years in prison for each violation and a fine of up to $20,000 on each charge.

Bill Athanas, an attorney for the governor, called the vote disappointing, but said Bentley planned to fight.

"There is not a basis to find the governor violated any law, much less the ethics act or the campaign finance act," Athanas said after the decision Wednesday. "The battle goes on."

Read more:

The decision adds to Bentley's legal ordeal over allegations about his personal and professional relationship with former staffer Rebekah Caldwell Mason, charges that could lead to his removal from office. The House Judiciary Committee could begin impeachment hearings against Bentley next week, and the committee's special counsel should file an investigative report on the governor by Friday. The Alabama attorney general's office is also investigating Bentley, though it's not clear if that probe relates to the Mason charges or another matter.

Bentley left the RSA Union building, where the hearing was taking place, early Wednesday evening. Athanas declined to say if he testified before the commission.

Reporters also saw potential witnesses in the building, including former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Spencer Collier, who made the allegations against Bentley last year. Collier's charges formed the basis of a complaint State Auditor Jim Zeigler filed with the commission last year, though others followed.

State Auditor Jim Zeigler announces legal action intended to void a $47 Million contract during a news conference at the state capitol building in Montgomery, Ala., on Friday July 22, 2016. (Photo: Mickey Welsh)

"I have mixed emotions," said Zeigler, who was on a witness list but did not testify Wednesday. "Pleased that the governor is finally going to face accountability, but sad for the state of Alabama that we've had to go through this for the past year-and-a-half."

Under state law, the Alabama Ethics Commission acts as a grand jury when a public official faces accusations of breaking the state's ethics law. The commission cannot press charges but can find probable cause and refer cases to the Alabama attorney general or a district attorney — usually the one in Montgomery County — for prosecution. Testimony and deliberations take place in private, but votes are public.

Commissioners approved charges that Bentley improperly used public resources "to further his personal interest;" a charge that he improperly used campaign money to pay Mason's legal bills; accepted a campaign contribution outside the established time limits for doing so, and made a loan to his campaign outside those time limits.

The commission approved the vote on a series of 3-1 and 4-0 votes. Commissioner Butch Ellis abstained from the votes.

Athanas said he would seek a meeting with Bailey as soon as possible.

"It’s a finding of probable cause, which is one of the lowest legal standards we apply in these cases," he said. "We certainly disagree there was evidence to support a probable cause finding. We definitely disagree there was enough evidence to support a finding beyond a cause of reasonable doubt."

Bailey said in a statement Wednesday he had not yet received the commission's findings.

"Once received, I will review and make a decision on how to proceed," he said.

The vote could buttress other investigations based on Collier's charges. After Bentley fired Collier in March 2016, accusing Collier of mismanagement and "possible misuse of state funds," Collier hit back with accusations that Bentley, whose wife divorced him in 2015 after 50 years of marriage, had an affair with Mason, his senior political adviser; used state resources to pursue it and tried to prevent Collier from signing an affidavit in the criminal investigation of then-House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn.

The Alabama Ethics Commission meets in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday April 5, 2017. (Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

Audio of Bentley making suggestive comments later surfaced. Bentley acknowledged making inappropriate remarks to Mason, but both deny having a sexual affair or misuse of state funds.

How the allegations of sexual impropriety affected the commission's decision is unknown. Before going into executive session, commission member Stewart Tankersley moved to include sex in a list of "things of value" that, if exchanged between politicians, lobbyists or those who employ them, violate the state ethics law. The motion failed. Commission member Charles Price, a retired Montgomery County Circuit Judge, said the Legislature had to make those determinations.

Collier's allegations formed the basis of the impeachment drive against Bentley in the House. But the initial ethics complaint came from an unexpected source.

Jerry Fielding, chairman of the Alabama Ethics Commission, speaks during a meeting of the commission in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday April 5, 2017. (Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

A few days after the allegations and denials flew, Zeigler sent what he termed a “report” summarizing Collier’s accusations against the governor to the commission. The auditor compiled four counts against Bentley, including Mason’s quasi-public role; Bentley using state property and resources to pursue an affair with Mason; Mason failing to register as a lobbyist despite receiving payments from an outside entity and Bentley and Mason trying to prevent Collier from signing an affidavit in the criminal investigation of then-House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn.

The campaign finance charges appeared to come from a complaint by Stacy Lee George, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate and corrections officer. The legal payments to Mason — totaling $8,912 — did not become public record until the governor's 2016 campaign finance report was filed earlier this year. Athanas at the time said changes to the state's campaign finance law allowed those payments.

George, who the commission sequestered like Zeigler as a possible witness, praised the committee's decision Wednesday night, and called for Bentley's impeachment by the Alabama House of Representatives.

"The state house members, 105 of them up over there, they have to put up or shut up on Friday," he said, referring to the expected investigative report in the House Judiciary Committee.

Zeigler's filing last did nothing to help his Hulk Hogan-Rowdy Piper relationship with Bentley. Zeigler had already clashed with Bentley over BP money used to refurbish the governor’s mansion on the Gulf Coast. The state auditor also claimed that Bentley forced him to sit in the balcony of the Old House Chamber during the 2016 State of the State address and that he “never met” Bentley in person, a claim that was disproven in photographs shared by the governor’s office.

Zeigler later ordered Bentley to testify to him about the allegations that he misused state resources. Bentley ignored the order from the auditor, who has no powers of enforcement.

In a statement released by the Alabama Ethics Commission Wednesday evening, officials said investigators interviewed at least 45 witnesses in the investigation and analyzed 33,000 documents.

"The staff of the Commission has worked tirelessly and thoroughly to investigate every complaint that we received," the statement said. "The evidence was reviewed and tested multiple times by career lawyers."

Follow Brian Lyman on Twitter: @lyman_brian

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2oLoLkZ</s>Former Alabama Gov. Albert P. Brewer has died at age 88. Brewer was the state's 47th governor and served from 1968 to 1971.

Alabamians have lost a great leader today in the passing of Governor Albert Brewer. He lived his life as an example of integrity and professionalism in public service, and displayed an unwavering commitment to making Alabama a great state. Always a friend to me, Governor Brewer was ever ready with a kind and encouraging word. Most of all he loved serving the people of this state. In addition to serving as the 47th Governor, Brewer was elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives and as Lieutenant Governor. The State of Alabama is grateful for his faithful service. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

The Alabama Democratic Party also expressed its condolences to Brewer's family and many friends, releasing this statement:

"As Democratic Party Chair, I considered Governor Brewer to be a personal friend and mentor through the years. I shall miss his quiet counsel, his wisdom, and his vision for our state," said Alabama Democratic Party Chair Nancy Worley.

A Tennessee native, Brewer's family moved to Decatur when he was just 7-years-old where his father worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority. Following high school, Brewer enrolled at the University of Alabama where he graduated from the UA School of Law in 1952.

Brewer was elected to the Alabama Legislature in 1955 and was twice re-elected to his seat. He served as Alabama's House speaker before being elected lieutenant governor in 1966. He assumed the office of governor upon the death of Gov. Lurleen Wallace on May 7, 1968.

Brewer's tenure as governor lasted only 33 months before he was defeated in a very negative campaign by former Gov. George Wallace in 1971 while seeking a full term. He attempted a second unsuccessful run for the office in 1978.

To date, he's the only Alabama governor to ever hold the offices of speaker, lieutenant governor, and governor in succession.

During his time as governor, Brewer established the state's first code of ethics for state employees, decreased the power of special interests in the capital, formed a constitution reform committee, and started the state motor pool, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

The governor's greatest accomplishment came in 1969 with education reform that brought teacher raises, a $100 million increase in education appropriations, and the establishment of the Alabama Commission for Higher Education.

Brewer is preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Martha Famer Brewer, who died in 2006. The couple had two daughters, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren.</s>MONTGOMERY, Ala.. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers have announced a schedule for impeachment hearings against Gov. Robert Bentley.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Mike Jones told lawmakers that it was “time to put this in front of us.”

The committee, after hearing arguments and testimony, will make a recommendation to the full House of Representatives over whether Bentley committed any impeachable offenses.

The hearings will begin Monday and last through the week. Under the announced schedule, the committee would vote on April 14.

The announcement came a day after the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that Bentley violated state ethics and campaign finance law.

Bentley has maintained he has done nothing illegal or to merit his removal from office.</s>Alabama Governor Robert J. Bentley is likely to face prosecution for violating state ethics. A state ethics panel on Wednesday also concluded Bentley’s involvement in breaking campaign finance laws besides playing with state ethics.

The Alabama Ethics Commission observed that there is “probable cause” to make it believe that Alabama Governor Robert J. Bentley has violated the Alabama Ethics Act and Fair Campaign Practices Act. The commission’s findings took a year to investigate the matter and come to that conclusion. The commission referred the impeachment investigation issue to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.

While the commission ruled that the Alabama governor has violated the ethics and misused funds, his lawyer, Bill Athanas, said that his client maintained innocence. He also stated that there was no strong evidence that could lead to the levying of charges on Robert J. Bentley.

“We disagree strongly with the result, but I think it is important to keep in mind that it is a finding of probable cause, not finding of a violation… The battle goes on,” ABC News quoted Athanas as saying. “It’s important to keep in mind, this is simply a finding of probable cause. It’s not a finding of a violation,” Athanas added.

The state ethics commission said that officers were asked to interrogate almost 45 witnesses. The district attorney office’s people analyzed around 33,000 documents to investigate the matter. According to law, if a person is found violating the two acts — Alabama Ethics Act and Fair Campaign Practices Act — intentionally, he will have committed Class B felonies. People found guilty under Class B felonies have to face two to 20 years of imprisonment for each violation plus a penalty of up to $20,000.

The Alabama Ethics Commission also found that the “nice guy” of the state was not that nice. It also took into consideration the audio recordings that have been obtained as evidence in the matter. In the video, Robert J. Bentley is apparently heard having a sexually-motivated conversation with a former aide, Rebekah Mason.

The 2014 audio recording was one of the major issues that drew the attention of authorities, thereby leading to the impeachment investigation last year. The commission also found that the Alabama Governor misused state resources for his alleged affair.

“I worry about loving you so much,” Robert J. Bentley says as heard in the audio. “When I stand behind you, and I put my arms around you, and I put my hands on your breasts, and I put my hands [unintelligible] and just pull you real close. I love that, too.”

The affair came into focus when the wife of the Alabama governor filed a divorce in September, 2015, after 50 years of marriage. According to reports, the audio recording was made public by the Bentley family, who were believed to have captured the voices to find out if Robert J. Bentley really had an affair. The revelation made Mason resign.

Though Robert J. Bentley admitted that he made a mistake as he had an affair, he denied having a physical relationship with his former aide at the same time. After the release of the audio recording, the Alabama governor conducted a press conference. There he said that he had never taken the law for granted and hence he had not done anything legally wrong. He admitted making a mistake in his personal life and made an apology to the state and his family.

“I made a mistake. Two years ago, I made a mistake,” Robert J. Bentley said in 2016.</s>Alabama Governor Says He Has No Plans to Resign

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley says he has no intentions to resign his office.

Bentley made the statement Thursday after the Republican leader of the Alabama Senate said he should consider stepping down.

The governor says he is “looking forward to continuing to work on important issues facing the state.”

The state Ethics Commission on Wednesday found probable cause that Bentley broke state ethics and campaign finance laws. The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin impeachment hearings next week. The committee will eventually recommend on whether Bentley should be impeached.

The 74-year-old Republican governor has struggled to shake off a scandal after recordings surfaced last year of him making suggestive remarks to a female aide before his divorce.

Bentley has admitted making personal mistakes but denied doing anything illegal or that would merit his removal from office.</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 simultaneously sued to block potential impeachment proceedings and apologized to voters Friday, assuring them he has done nothing illegal and vowing to stay in office in the face of a sex-tinged scandal.

The governor's defiance comes at the end of particularly difficult week. Calls for Bentley's resignation have grown, and he learned he could face criminal prosecution after the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that he broke ethics and campaign law.

"Let me say to the people of this state how sorry I am," Bentley said on the marble steps of the Capitol. He did not take questions. Moments before he addressed the media, his office filed the lawsuit against the House Judiciary Committee, which was expected on Friday to release a special counsel's report in the ongoing impeachment investigation.

In the lawsuit, Bentley called the impeachment process "fundamentally unfair" and asked a court to block the release of the potentially embarrassing report.

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.

Bentley continued to deny any wrongdoing and criticized unnamed people for "taking pleasure in shaming" him and his family.

"The people of this state have never asked to be told of or shown the intimate, embarrassing details of my personal life and my personal struggles," Bentley said.

With an impeachment hearing set for Monday, Bentley's legal adviser David Byrne told a judge Friday that the rapidly moving process hasn't given the governor time to respond.

"It has taken on an immediacy that we believe leaves due process in the dust," Byrne said. He also said the impeachment articles accusing Bentley of corruption and neglect of duty are "extremely vague."

Efforts to impeach Bentley have gathered steam for months, and the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold its first hearing on the matter Monday. Committee Chairman Mike Jones said Thursday that lawmakers should prepare for a long week.

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 called on his fellow Republican to seriously considering stepping down.

"I don't think it does us any good to have the House go through these impeachment proceedings," Marsh said Thursday.

The top lawyer in the impeachment investigation said last month that he would release a report of his findings to the House Judiciary Committee and the public on Friday.

"What I'm hearing is the report is going to be extremely embarrassing for us as a state," said Rep. Ed Henry, the lawmaker who spearheaded the impeachment articles.

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.
The Alabama Ethics Commission finds there is probable cause that Governor Robert Bentley violated the state's ethics and campaign finance laws, and refers the case to Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey.