Alabama appoints its first female governor in 50 years after the Republican incumbent was forced to resign amid ‘luv guv’ sex and finance scandal
Robert Bentley resigned amid allegations of an affair and financial irregularities
The 74-year-old Republican accepted a plea deal offered by prosecutors
Kay Ivey, 72, is the first female governor of Alabama since Lurleen Wallace
Ivey has promissed her administration would be ‘open, transparant and honest’
By DARREN BOYLE
DailyMail.com
12 April 2017
Alabama has appointed its first female governor after its incumbent Robert Bentley was forced to resign amid the ‘luv guv’ sex and finance scandal.
Bentley, 74, was facing criminal investigation when he quit to be replaced by the state’s former Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey.
The shamed Republican politician was forced to resign when allegations emerged he had an affair with his former political advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason, 45.
Bentley, who was also a church deacon, was divorced by his wife of 50 years, Dianne, amid claims of infidelity.
Announcing his resignation, Bentley also pleaded guilty in a plea bargain with prosecutors to two misdemeanor campaign violations and is barred from seeking public office again.
He said: ‘I have spent the last year in deep and earnest prayer over our state and our people. I pray every morning for wisdom and guidance and forgiveness for the sins I have committed.’
Bentley acknowledged wrongly using campaign money to pay almost $9,000 of his Caldwell Mason’s legal bills and failing to properly report a $50,000 loan he made to his campaign.
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