Former Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, who resigned Monday as the Legislature began impeachment proceedings, made several mistakes during his alleged affair with a top adviser, including having his text messages synced to his wife's iPad, Talking Points Memo reported.
Bentley was booked Monday after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor campaign violations. He later tendered his resignation, and Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey was sworn in as Alabama's second female governor.
The investigation of Bentley arose after his wife of 50 years, Dianne, divorced him in 2015, and a recording of him talking to a woman reported to be his top aide Rebekah Mason was released to the press.
A subsequent investigation led the 74-year-old Bentley's fellow Republicans to call for him to step down amid allegations he used state resources to carry on a relationship with Mason, who is almost 40 years his junior and married with three children.
Included in 131-page state House Judiciary Committee report on the alleged relationship were text messages captured on Dianne Bentley's iPad.
In one exchange, Bentley wrote to Mason, "I'm so in love with you. We are pitiful."
"Poor Robert. Poor Rebekah," he said.
"Yes . . . Bless our hearts . . . And other parts," Mason replied.
"Magnetic," Bentley, a former Baptist deacon wrote back.
But Dianne Bentley did not need to have copies of such text messages to know what was happening. In one instance, the governor accidentally texted, "I love you Rebekah," to his wife, along with a rose emoji.
Among other revelations from the report:
- Bentley once opened his hotel room door wearing his boxers when he thought Mason was at the door. Instead, it was hotel staff.
- The governor's security staff once had to use a state helicopter to look for him when he left the governor's mansion in his pickup truck after a fight with his wife over Mason.
- Dianne Bentley's chief of staff, Heather Hannah, was threatened by the governor at the Governor's mansion for helping Mrs. Bentley record phone calls between the governor and Mason.
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