https://www.facebook.com/donald.v.watkins/posts/10212597437673054
By Donald V. Watkins
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on April 16, 2017
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on April 16, 2017
The first time I ever heard of Rep. Ed Henry was when he introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives last year to impeach former governor Robert Bentley. The little-known, two-term Republican lawmaker from Hartselle, Alabama, stepped up to lead the impeachment effort after Yellowhammer News released Bentley's salacious sex tape in March of 2016. The audiotape confirmed the illicit love affair between Bentley and Rebekah Mason that we first reported on August 28, 2015.
The governor's adulterous relationship was reported in greater detail in our September and October of 2015 exclusive series of Facebook investigative articles titled, "Forbidden Love – Robert Bentley's Secret Love Affair" and "Executive Betrayal – Robert Bentley's Fleecing of Taxpayers and Donors". [The full library of these eight historic articles is archived on the website of fellow Alabama journalist David "The Meck" Meckley at: www.themeck.blogspot.com. The articles are conveniently listed in sequential order in the left column of the blog's home page. David Meckley was brave enough to co-publish these articles in real time. The House Judiciary Committee's Impeachment Report, dated April 8, 2017, mirrors these articles.]
Mainstream media organizations in Alabama learned about the Bentley-Mason love affair from our exclusive reports, but they were afraid to publish stories on Bentley "sex for power" scandal until the sex tape was publicly released. The state's largest media organization, AL.com, assigned reporter Charles Dean to cover the governor's office during this period. Dean was a personal friend of Rebekah Mason and a listed "customer" of Ashley Madison, the popular marital cheating website. As we were breaking the story of the governor's love affair, Dean was writing flattering "powder puff" articles about Bentley and Mason.
Against this backdrop, Rep. Henry rose in the Legislature to lead Alabama out of a nightmare that paralyzed the leadership ranks in the State House and undermined the dignity of the governor's office. When the Bentley-Mason "sex for power" scandal reached a boiling point, Ed Henry openly questioned Robert Bentley's morally fitness and competence to serve as governor.
Against all odds, Rep. Henry mobilized an effort to impeach Governor Bentley. Many House members mocked Ed Henry behind his back. Others desperately tried to block Henry's impeachment initiative. The House Judiciary Committee even changed its rules to make Bentley's impeachment more difficult. Throughout it all, Rep. Henry persevered in his courageous effort to remove Bentley from office.
Rep. Henry never wavered in his commitment to make state government more transparent, accountable, and ethical. Simply put, Ed Henry practiced what he preached. He emerged as a genuine agent for high ethical standards in state government.
Through dedication, determination, and hard work, Rep. Henry secured more than the minimum 21 signatures he needed to introduce the impeachment resolution. Those bipartisan lawmakers who joined Ed Henry in signing the resolution were: Reps. David Sessions, R-Grand Bay; Isaac Whorton, R-Valley; Mike Ball, R-Madison; Jim Patterson, R-Meridianville; Tommy Hanes, R-Scottsboro; Ritchie Whorton, R-Scottsboro; Mike Holmes, R-Wetumpka; David Standridge, R-Hayden; Barry Moore, R-Enterprise; Danny Crawford, R-Limestone County; Allen Farley, R-McCalla; Jack W. Williams, R-Wilmer; Will Ainsworth, R-Guntersville; Craig Ford, D-Gadsden; Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham; Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City; Becky Nordgren, R-Gadsden; Phil Williams, R-Huntsville; Johnny Mack Morrow, D-Red Bay; and Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road.
To my amazement, not one black House member signed the impeachment resolution even though Robert Bentley did everything within his executive power to deny their political constituents fair and honesty government services for six consecutive years. For reasons I do not understand, they all abandoned the political interests of their constituents to engage in a political orgy with Bentley and Rebekah Mason.
Robert Bentley pled guilty to two no-jail time misdemeanors and resigned last Monday. Our lingering memory of Bentley is his Montgomery County jail mugshot photo with a big smile on his face.
Rebekah Mason and her husband Jonathan are also gone. Prosecutors caved in to Bentley's demand that Rebekah not be prosecuted for crimes she committed with him. Governor Kay Ivey fired Jonathan as one of her first official acts in office.
The House impeachment proceedings are now moot. Rep. Ed Henry announced several months ago that he was not running for re-election.
When we look back on everything that has happened on Goat Hill in the two years since we broke the story of Bentley's "sex for power" scandal, we realize that all Alabamians owe Rep. Ed Henry a sincere debt of gratitude for standing up for the people of this state when so many men and women in positions of power refused to do so. Rep. Henry is a proven leader with integrity, high ethical character, clear goals, and a backbone of steel. He was our Biblical "David" in the fight against an arrogant, corrupt, and mean-spirited "Goliath" named Robert Bentley.
In the end, God was on the side of our "David". Rep. Ed Henry, more than anyone else, ended Bentley's reign of terror as Alabama's governor.
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