Mason Addresses Allegations of Affair with Gov. Robert Bentley

Rebekah Caldwell Mason, a senior adviser to Gov. Robert Bentley, has issued a statement regarding allegations that she and the governor had an affair. Bentley has apologized to the people of Alabama for saying inappropriate things to Mason, but says there was never any sexual activity between the two.

Allegations of a relationship were made by Spencer Collier, the former secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, who held a news conference earlier today after being fired by the governor yesterday.

Mason said, “There is no way that man would have said what he did today about another man. He only said what he said about my professional abilities because I am a woman. His comments were clear, demonstrated gender bias.”

Mason also said in her statement, “Unfortunately, there are still some people who are set on hindering the ability of women to work in the political arena.”

Bentley called Mason one of the closest aides on his leadership team. He didn’t reveal specifics of what he had said to Mason that he is apologizing for. Bentley said it had been a difficult year for him, his ex-wife Dianne Bentley, who he separated from and later divorced in 2015, his family and Mason’s family.

In making the allegations, Collier said that he had loved Bentley “like a father” but that he wouldn’t lie to a grand jury. Collier said he warned Bentley that it would be a crime if state resources or campaign funds were used to facilitate a relationship with Mason. In today’s news conference, Bentley said he had never done anything illegal and had never asked anyone to lie.