The Alabama House Judiciary Committee suspended their investigation into the possible impeachment of Gov. Robert Bentley on Thursday. But Bentley isn't out of hot water just yet.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Jones, R-Andalusia, said Thursday that the attorney general's office is conducting a separate investigation that could conflict with the House's investigation.
Jones' statement marks the first time that a government official has confirmed an active state law enforcement investigation, in this case by the attorney general's office, into Bentley's actions as governor.
"As I said at the first meeting on the Articles of Impeachment, this committee would work cooperatively with other investigating agencies and today's action testifies to that," Jones said. "We are temporarily suspending activity at the attorney general's request but we are not abdicating our responsibility. Everything the committee has done remains in effect."
In a letter sent to the House Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Luther Strange requested that the committee stop their active interviews and investigation until the attorney general's office can complete their work.
"At this time, I believe it would be prudent and beneficial to delay the work of the House Judiciary Committee," Strange said in his letter.
Though Strange doesn't directly say that there is an investigation into Bentley or his office, his letter implies that there is some type of investigation ongoing in relation to the governor that "might intersect with certain issues and witnesses."
Ross Garber, an attorney for the governor's office, said it was appropriate for the investigation to be suspended, but he was skeptical of any criminal investigation into the governor.
"While the Attorney General has indicated that he is conducting 'related work,' I am aware of no investigation by the Attorney General into the Governor or any personnel in the Office of the Governor," Garber said in a statement.
Bentley — who last week offered a private meeting with the House Judiciary Committee to have a "frank discussion" on the allegations— said he will respect the decision.
“I respect the position of the attorney general and the leadership of the House of Representatives," Bentley said. "My focus will continue to be on doing the work of the people of Alabama.”
The Committee previously requested that Bentley meet with the special counsel, Jack Sharman, to offer testimony in a deposition-like fashion. Sharman would have interviewed the governor in private too, without the press or the public.
In September, the committee issued several subpoenas to Bentley and other top aides including Rebekah Mason, his alleged mistress and former political aide. Bentley's office challenged the subpoenas, but still turned over thousands of pages of documents in relation to the investigation.
Despite the document dump, Jones said Bentley's cooperation with the committee's investigation had been "minimal at best." A committee press release also said Sharman and House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, agreed with Jones' decision to suspend the investigation.
McCutcheon said he wanted to allow the "criminal proceedings to run their course."
"I believe that moving forward with the impeachment hearings while there is an active criminal investigation would put a number of parties in a difficult position," McCutcheon said.
Jones said the committee would hold public hearings when the attorney general's investigation is complete and the committee's special counsel gathers their evidence.
Bentley's criminal investigation by the attorney general's office would be the second criminal investigation into one of the state's top-three government officials after June's conviction of former House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn.
Hubbard was indicted in October 2014 on 23 felony ethics charges. He was found guilty of 12 of those ethics charges in June after an investigation by the Attorney General's Special Prosecutions Division, the same division that would be investigating Bentley.
Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker sentenced the former speaker and Auburn Republican to four years in a state penitentiary. Hubbard filed for appeal in October.
Hubbard was also reelected as House speaker after his indictment, and House members refused to file articles of impeachment against the speaker at the time.
Request for comment has been sent to the governor's office.
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