"Luv Guv" Robert Bentley and Rebekah Caldwell Mason
An insider from the administration of Alabama "Luv Guv" Robert Bentley recently leaked a false document, designed to smear one of Bentley's most vocal critics, according to a post published over the weekend at Alabama Political Reporter (APR). Multiple sources tell APR that the leak, to Associated Press (AP) likely originated with Rebekah Caldwell Mason, who reportedly remains a Bentley confidante despite her supposed resignation several months ago.The leak, according to APR publisher Bill Britt, was designed to smear Spencer Collier, who was head of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) until Bentley terminated him. Collier has a pending lawsuit against Bentley, Mason, and others allegedly connected to the loss of his job.
AP reporter Kim Chandler received the false information and reportedly has not published anything about it yet. She apparently received the material last week, during a particularly treacherous time for the Bentley administration. Reports APR:
The documents alleging wrongdoing by Collier were given to Chandler in a week when Bentley’s private attorney Joe Espy resigned, and subpoenas were issued for the Governor, his former Special Advisor and alleged love interest Rebekah Caldwell Mason and her husband, Jon.
“The timing on this one is too clever by half,” said a former Bentley advisor. “This has Rebekah’s written all over it. She is the only one dumb enough to think this kind of stunt would work.”
Britt's post dovetails with earlier reports that Bentley (and perhaps Mason) unlawfully targeted attorney Donald Watkins and me because we broke stories about the Bentley/Mason extramarital affair that ended the governor's 50-year marriage and threatens to implode his administration. Is Mason, who already appears to reside in a dangerous hole, digging an even deeper hole for herself? Is she borrowing from the playbook of convicted House Speaker Mike Hubbard? Has Mason long made it a habit to leak false information to Chuck Dean, an Ashley Madison devotee and journalist who apparently no longer works for al.com? Writes Britt:
Others believe Mason, who continues to serve as Bentley’s closest confidante and a regular guest at the Governor’s various living quarters, was the force behind Collier’s termination.
A senior staffer who left the administration during the turmoil following Collier’s firing points the finger at Mason for several leaks, including leaks given to former al.com scribe, Chuck Dean. Within minutes of Bentley placing Collier on “medical” leave, Dean allegedly received a tip from Mason which led to a story about Collier being punished for disobeying Bentley’s order not to cooperate with the Attorney General’s Office.
Insider’s in the Administration say the atmosphere is toxic, as the Attorney General’s Special Prosecution Division closes in on Bentley and his cohorts.
“Leaking to Kim is just another attempt to divert attention away from themselves,” said the former advisor. “If they learned anything from Hubbard it was to blame someone else, and shine the spotlight on them.”
Sounds like the "Luv Guv's" affair with Mason rages on. Does that mean the two of them are delusional, or perhaps they hold deep-seated beliefs that they truly are above the law?
