Spencer Collier, former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency secretary, accused Gov. Robert Bentley of having an affair after Bentley fired him.
Bentley announced he had fired Collier on March 22 in a news release issued by the governor's office.
"After an internal review, the ALEA Integrity Unit found a number of issues, including possible misuse of state funds," Bentley said in the release. "I am disappointed to learn these facts, and today, I relieved Spencer Collier of his duties as ALEA Secretary.”
Collier had been on medical leave to recover from back surgery, according to the release.
"I was on a surgeon's table when the governor and Stan Stabler were plotting this together," Collier said at a press conference in Montgomery on March 23 streamed online by several state media outlets.
Stabler, who was acting secretary of ALEA, will remain in that position. He denied Collier's allegations, at a joint press conference with Bentley on march 23, saying the accusations were "completely false and without merit."
Collier denied he ever misused funds and said he found out about his termination via social media.
Collier said Bentley had an affair with Rebekah Caldwell Mason, his top adviser, and she had so much influence over him she was the "de facto governor."
"From August 2014 to the present, it has become apparent to me that Rebekah Mason has wielded a level of influence over both the governor and state government that I have never seen in all my years of public service," Collier said. "I have received complaints about her actions from law enforcement, government officials, other cabinet members and members of the Bentley family."
Collier said Mason was involved in budget-cutting talks, and was "deeply involved" in the decision to close some driver's license offices.
Collier said the first evidence of the affair came up in August 2014 when Stabler, then one of Bentley's security officers, saw a text message from Mason to Bentley.
"On the cellphone there was a text that was sexual in nature," Collier said.
Stabler told his then-supervisor, Ray Lewis, according to Collier.
Three days after Stabler saw the text, Lewis played Collier a tape of conversations between Mason and Bentley, where they were having an "inappropriate sexual conversation."
That day, while he was accompanying Bentley to Greenville, Collier confronted him.
"I told Gov. Bentley that I loved him like a father, and there's nothing I wouldn't do for him, except lie to a grand jury," Collier said. "I made Gov. Bentley aware of the recording that I heard ... it was very obvious that it was sexual in nature. Gov. Bentley simply hung his head, and asked for advice of how to get out of it."
Collier told Bentley it is a crime to use state resources or campaign funds to carry out the relationship, which Bentley denied.
"At that point, Gov. Bentley gave me his word that he would terminate the relationship immediately," Collier said.
However, Collier said Bentley called him the next morning and said he couldn't end the relationship.
"Less than a month ago, the governor told me that he was still madly in love with Rebekah Mason, but he was a man of honor and wouldn't ask her to divorce her husband," Collier said.
Mason's husband is Jon Mason, director of Serve Alabama, the governor's office of faith-based volunteer service.
Collier said the affair was known in the governor's office and legislature, and he apologized to Bentley's ex-wife, Dianne Bentley, and their family.
"(Dianne) is the victim in this, and his sons are the victim in this," Collier said.
Collier said he was also fired for disobeying an order from Bentley forbidding him from getting involved in the ongoing Mike Hubbard case, where the Alabama speaker and Auburn representative was charged with using his office for personal gain. Collier signed an affidavit in that case stating ALEA had concluded an investigation into the attorney general's office and found no wrongdoing, which he said angered Mason and Bentley.
"To say (Mason) was furious would be an understatement," Collier said. "She had a level of anger I had rarely seen as a law enforcement officer."
Bentley apologized to his family, Mason and her family and the people of Alabama in a press conference.
"Two years ago, I made a mistake," Bentley said. "I have rectified that, I have dealt with that and I have moved on."
Bentley said Mason was his closest aide and they had an inappropriate relationship, but never a physical one. He also said Mason never asked him to stop making suggestive comments.
"I have never had a physical affair with Mrs. Mason," Bentley said.
Bentley said he felt affection toward his staff.
"I love many members of my staff, in fact, all of the members of my staff. ... Some more than others? Absolutely."
Bentley also denied doing anything illegal.
Collier said he was willing to testify about the situation in court.
"I'll be happy to sit in front of a grand jury and raise my hand," Collier said.
Collier said four other people in his office were fired because of the affidavit, however Stabler said their positions were eliminated in a cost-saving effort.
"These men and women did not deserve this, and the people of Alabama do not deserve this," Collier said.
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