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 Bentley, a two-term Republican governor, has apologized for making
inappropriate remarks to the married ex-staffer, while denying
allegations of a physical affair. Since he acknowledged the
accusations two weeks ago, he has been dogged by questions about
their relationship and potentially inappropriate use of state
resources.
State representative Ed Henry, also a Republican, held a news
conference on Tuesday to discuss impeachment proceedings,
acknowledging uncertainty about exactly how they would unfold.
"We are looking at this governor that has essentially betrayed the
trust of the people of Alabama," he said, calling on Bentley to step
down.
"We’ve never done this before. We’ve never tried to impeach a
governor," added Henry, who spoke alongside several state
representatives who support impeachment.
 He drafted articles of impeachment that accuse Bentley of
corruption, incompetence, immoral behavior, and neglecting his
duties as governor.
In response, Bentley issued a statement calling the effort a
distraction from pending issues before the state legislature.
"There are no grounds for impeachment, and I will vigorously defend
myself and my administration from this political attack," said
Bentley, a medical doctor who easily won re-election to a second
term in November 2014. The senior advisor in question, Rebekah
Mason, resigned last week. She said she intended to focus on her
husband and children and did not address the alleged affair. Funding
for her salary was among the issues questioned in the impeachment
documents.
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Discussions about their relationship have dominated Alabama politics
since March 23 when Bentley was publicly accused of having an affair
by Spencer Collier, the former head of the Alabama Law Enforcement
Agency, just after he was fired by the governor.
Audio recordings have emerged that depict Bentley making suggestive
comments to Mason, according to state media reports.
Bentley's wife filed for divorce in August 2015 after 50 years of
marriage, citing unspecified problems.
(Reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Fla. and Karen Brooks in Fort
Worth, Texas; Editing by Andrew Hay)
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