Gov. Robert Bentley resigns after reaching plea deal, but will Alabama citizens ever see information that the governor and his aides kept out of public view?

Gov. Robert Bentley's mugshot
(From wkrg.com)

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley resigned from office this afternoon in a possible climax to a scandal that began with our reports at Legal Schnauzer about his extramarital affair with senior adviser Rebekah Caldwell Mason and its financial implications. (See here and here and here.) We use the term "possible climax" because evidence strongly suggests justice has not been done in this case.

Is Bentley's plea deal a good deal for Alabama citizens? The answer is absolutely not, and that's because it essentially says, "Cover up your crimes, and it's likely to benefit you." We will explain in a moment.

All three of the posts with links above -- the last one showing that Mason and her husband, Jon, had made almost $1 million during the Bentley Administration -- were published before any other news outlet (mainstream or otherwise) wrote about the Bentley/Mason scandal.

One could argue that a one-man blog -- one written by a journalist with more than 35 years of professional experience -- took down a state's most powerful politician. That point is important for a couple of reasons: (1) It's unclear if today's news ever would have happened without our reports from Aug. 31, and Sept. 1-2, 2015; (2) While al.com has wrongfully received credit for breaking the story at multiple national outlets (yes, you, Rachel Maddow and The Washington Post), the story actually has been an embarrassment for mainstream media (MSM); in fact, it's shown MSM reporters in Alabama too often are ethically compromised, reluctant to report aggressively and accurately on their conservative favorites.

Al.com reporters John Archibald and Chuck Dean spilled serious amounts of ink trashing me, claiming my posts offered only "smoke" and no "proof" -- and my blog had "dubious" credibility. Deep in the bowels of the House Judiciary Committee's Special Counsel Report are e-mails that suggest Dean more or less was working as a public-relations agent for Mason and the Bentley administration. (See p. 38, Exhibit 5-CC, bentleyinvestigation.com.)

Does that mean I'm a smarter, better journalist than the MSMers on the Alabama horizon? I will leave that question for others to answer. But this much is clear: I had better sources than they did, and I didn't have to answer to politically sensitive editors in a Deep Red state who might want the story squelched. My sources on this story were impeccable -- and they knew I would listen when they talked. Their need to remain anonymous has only grown as the Bentley story picked up steam, but I dearly wish I could give their names, so they could take a bow. If there are heroes in this, they are the ones. They have taken personal risks to provide a public service to a state they care about deeply.

My sources weren't the only ones who took risks. Nine days after I broke the Bentley/Mason story, my wife, Carol, and I were subject to an unlawful eviction in Greene County, Missouri (on Sept. 9, 2015). I had an assault rifle pointed at my head, Carol's left arm was shattered, and she likely sustained a concussion from having her head banged against a wall multiple times, and being body slammed butt-first to the ground before a deputy yanked on her limbs so violently that the bone in her left arm was snapped in two above the elbow. We know Carol's arm never will be the same, and we've seen signs of jumbled thinking that suggests her brain might never be the same either. And get this: Bogus criminal charges -- for trespass and assault on a law-enforcement officer -- were filed against her.

Are Bentley and Mason evil enough to be involved in something like that? Well, multiple reports have indicated Bentley unlawfully sought use of state and federal criminal data bases to target me (and attorney/Facebook journalist Donald Watkins) in retaliation for our reporting. Does that sound a bit like the intimidation campaign we now know Bentley conducted against Heather Hannah, a former assistant to First Lady Dianne Bentley? It sure as heck does.

From a journalism standpoint, this much is clear: Legal Schnauzer and Donald Watkins were way ahead of the pack on the Bentley/Mason story, during a seven-month time frame when the MSM did it's best to stamp out the fire. Numerous news outlets have reported that the scandal started in March 2016, when a tape of sexy talk between Bentley and Mason found its way to the press. But that is wrong. The scandal started with my initial reports in late August and early September of 2015 and took fire with two key series from Watkins -- "Forbidden Love" and "Executive Betrayal."

It's possible the sexy tape never appears if the mainstream press succeeds in trying to shush and discredit Watkins and me. It's also possible Bentley serves out his term as governor, without the work of two reporters who are not tied to the MSM and its usual accoutrements -- layers of editors, big-box advertisers, and political suck-ups.

As for the Bentley resignation plea deal, we still are trying to digest what it means. But a report at al.com includes this tweet from Chris England, a member of the House Judiciary Committee:

Due to Governor Bentley's resignation, the work of the impeachment committee is no longer needed. We are adjourned.

What? Who says your work no longer is needed? The Special Counsel's report makes clear that Bentley, his staffers, and associates failed to provide (or heavily redacted) key documents that were requested and subpoenaed. Dozens, likely hundreds, of e-mails, texts, phone records, and financial statements were not provided. And the Special Counsel made clear this, alone, was grounds for impeachment.

Team Bentley engaged in blatant stonewalling and cover-up, but England's words suggest they are going to get away with it. Is evidence of criminal acts included in all that material that was withheld from investigators. The answer likely is yes. But we know this absolutely: That material, produced on public time, with public resources, belongs to the public. It should be revealed to the public, and no deal should be finalized until all that information is turned over. If that information is not made public -- with under-oath interviews from subjects who skipped them the first time around -- Alabamians should pitch a collective fit.

Gov. Bentley's administration has failed, but his cover-up (so far) has succeeded. We will have more on this subject in a post tomorrow.

When Dianne Bentley set up recording device and announced she was going for a walk, it took "Luv Guv" 59 seconds to get on phone with Rebekah Mason

Heather Hannah
(From linkedin.com)

How crazy in lust was Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley at the height of his affair with senior adviser Rebekah Caldwell Mason? When Dianne Bentley -- then the state's first lady and the governor's wife of 50 years -- had set up a recording device and said she was going for a long walk on the beach, it took the "Luv Guv" 59 seconds to get on the phone with Mason. Fifty-nine seconds! His wife probably wasn't even off the property yet. That was in March 2014, and the rapid response time must be some sort of record for a 71-year-old (at the time) horn dog.

How crazy with fury was Gov. Bentley when he became convinced that one of the first lady's assistants, Heather Hannah, had helped generate a tape recording of the "Luv Guv" gushing about the joys of fondling Mason's breasts and groping her nether regions? He sought to have Hannah arrested, apparently never considering that Hannah was only an accomplice, in the broadest sense of the word. The one who came up with the idea for the taping, and actually pushed the "record" button, was . . . Dianne Bentley. That means: (a) No crime likely was involved; (b) If a crime was involved, it would mean arresting not only Hannah, but Bentley's own wife, the state's beloved and much-admired first lady.

Consider these headlines: "Alabama's horn dog governor has his faithful wife of 50 years arrested for gathering evidence about his affair with aide who has glorious breasts."

We're talking "cray, cray" here, and those are just two instances from the House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Impeachment Report that suggest the "Luv Guv" was operating in an "out there" state of mind. No wonder some family members thought he had dementia.

How was a recording device set up to catch Gov. Bentley in heated and lustful discussions with Mason about various parts of her apparently luscious anatomy. Here is background from the HJC report:

The recording came about through Ms. Bentley’s collaboration with her chief of staff Heather Hannah. Ms. Bentley had asked Hannah to help her make a recording that she could use to “catch” her husband and Mason in their affair. They had discussed various options, including ordering a miniature recording device over the Internet. That thought was dismissed, primarily due to concerns with having the device securely delivered to Ms. Bentley. Ultimately, Ms. Bentley came up with the idea to use her cell phone’s recording feature but asked Hannah to show her how to operate it.

Was "Operation Horn Dog" an immediate success? Not exactly. But when it worked, Mrs. Bentley hit a home run -- apparently with little or no help from Hannah:

Ms. Bentley made several efforts to capture Governor Bentley on the phone with Mason at the Mansion, but those efforts failed. The successful recordings were made during the Bentleys’ trip to their beach house in March 2014. Ms. Bentley captured the first of two recordings by turning on the phone’s recording device, placing it in her purse on the sofa, and then announcing to her husband that she was taking a long walk on the beach. Promptly upon her departure—within approximately 59 seconds—Governor Bentley was on the phone with Mason.

The conversation begins with discussions of the weather but quickly moves to capturing Governor Bentley agreeing to extended commentary by Mason. Of particular note, prior to the conversation becoming more intimate in nature, is an extensive discussion about moving Wanda Kelly’s desk and rearranging the office. About halfway through the conversation, Governor Bentley engages in the now infamous monologue about how much he enjoys feeling Mason’s breasts and their need to lock the door to his office when engaging in certain activities.

As for the notion of arresting Heather Hannah, Bentley absolutely was serious about that. From the report:

Shortly after the August 5 intervention, Governor Bentley told Secretary [Spencer] Collier that he believed Heather Hannah had been responsible for making the recordings. He ordered Collier to find out whether there were criminal statutes that applied to Hannah’s suspected activity. He told Collier to be prepared to arrest Hannah if the tapes were released publicly. Collier went to his ALEA counsel, Deputy Attorney General Jason Swann, gave him a factual hypothetical about covert recording, and asked him to research the law to determine the applicability of any criminal statutes to the hypothetical. Swann provided Collier with copies of the relevant eavesdropping statute and discussed the law with him. Sometime later, Collier confided to Swann that the research he had asked him to do related to Governor Bentley and said “we’re looking into it.”

Gov. Bentley and Collier had a conversation on the same topic with Scott Lee, an SBI special agent who had agreed to become an "on-call investigator" for Collier:

Governor Bentley and Secretary Collier told Lee that the person they suspected had planted the recording device was a young woman who had served as Dianne Bentley’s assistant. They suspected that the young woman, as well as members of Governor Bentley’s family, might be in possession of the tapes. They also mentioned that Collier had paid a visit to a woman about the tapes on the night of the election. Bentley and Collier wanted Lee’s opinions about opening an investigation into the matter. . . .

Dianne and Robert Bentley
(From wbrc.com)

Lee told Governor Bentley that possession of materials illegally obtained was a misdemeanor. Lee’s intent in the meeting, he says, was to communicate to Governor Bentley that Lee would not alter the investigation, once begun, if Lee determined that members of Governor Bentley’s family had committed crimes. . . .

After Lee told Bentley and Collier that he would insist on seeing any investigation through to its conclusions, he was not asked to proceed with the investigation.

Alabama's primary criminal eavesdropping statutes can be found at Code of Alabama 13A-11-31 and 13A-11-33. The following, from Sec. 33, might have been central to any investigation of Heather Hannah:

(a) A person commits the crime of installing an eavesdropping device if he intentionally installs or places a device in a private place with knowledge it is to be used for eavesdropping and without permission of the owner and any lessee or tenant or guest for hire of the private place.

We are not in a position at the moment to research case law on this subject. But the statutory language suggests that Dianne Bentley, as an owner of the "private place," had a lawful right to install an eavesdropping device on the premises. That suggests the recordings were captured lawfully, and Heather Hannah likely would not be subject to a charge of possessing illegally obtained materials.

Our assessment? The governor of a state should be smart enough to read the eavesdropping statute and realize there likely was no case against Heather Hannah. That Bentley was determined to seek an investigation anyway, should raise serious questions about his fitness for office.


Alabama House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Report, Including Exhibits

Impeachment report by Montgomery Advertiser on Scribd

Alabama's "Christian" governor, Robert Bentley, apparently never learned the Old Testament admonition about "bearing false witness"

Ray Lewis

Only the most naive Americans likely expect politicians to speak the truth. But for Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley to stand before his constituents last Friday morning and lie so brazenly . . . well, it takes a special kind of earthworm to do that.

At a hastily called news conference on the Capitol steps, Alabama's embattled governor faced the public and made his first statement since the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that he had violated ethics and campaign-finance law. From a report at al.com:

"I have done nothing illegal," the governor said. "If the people want to know if I misused state resources, the answer is simply no, I have not."

Question: If Bentley has done nothing illegal, why has he agreed to resign (apparently seeking to stay out of prison), according to a report this morning from Josh Moon and Bill Britt, of Alabama Political Reporter?

Back to Friday: Later that day, the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) released its Impeachment Report, showing that Bentley had, in fact, misused state resources on his extramarital affair with aide Rebekah Caldwell Mason.  The committee provided plenty of specifics, citing at least five examples where Bentley used state resources to facilitate or cover up the affair. Actually, the following five examples involve only the misuse of security chief Ray Lewis. The report includes at least six examples of Bentley's misuse of other law-enforcement personnel. (See pp. 82-90 in report, which is embedded at the end of this post.)

Here are the five examples involving Ray Lewis:

(1) Governor Bentley asks Ray Lewis to break up with Rebekah Mason for him.

When Lewis arrived at the Capitol, Governor Bentley met him at the door to his office and seemed to Lewis to have been crying. Lewis went into the office with Governor Bentley to see Rebekah Mason, who also seemed to have been crying. Governor Bentley told Lewis that Ms. Bentley thought he and Mason were having an affair and that someone had made an audio recording of him and Mason talking on the phone. Governor Bentley thought his son, Paul, had the recording. Governor Bentley asked Lewis to go to Tuscaloosa to meet with Paul and to try to get Paul to hand it over.

Lewis recalls that he responded to Governor Bentley: “[A]re you telling me this is true, the affair is true?” Governor Bentley admitted the affair to Lewis and told him there were things on the recording he would not want anyone to hear.

Governor Bentley then sent Mason out of the room and asked her to wait in the Lieutenant Governor’s conference room on the second floor of the Capitol. With Mason out of the room, Governor Bentley and Lewis discussed the situation. Lewis says he expressed to Governor Bentley that the affair was wrong and had to end. Lewis says he told Governor Bentley that the affair would be an embarrassment to him, his family, and the State of Alabama. Governor Bentley agreed with Lewis. Lewis was disappointed and “shocked” by the realization that Governor Bentley had had an affair with Mason. Governor Bentley was embarrassed and asked Lewis to go upstairs to meet with Mason and end the relationship.

(2) Ray Lewis attempts to retrieve the tapes.

Lewis left the Lieutenant Governor’s conference room and immediately drove to Tuscaloosa, on Governor Bentley’s orders, in his state vehicle, to try to retrieve the tapes from Governor Bentley’s son, Paul Bentley. Lewis called ahead, and Paul invited him to his office. When Lewis arrived, he asked Paul if he had the tapes. Paul replied: “Yes, and you ain’t getting it.” Paul told Lewis that he could not bring himself to listen to the full recording, but that his wife Melissa had a copy.

Lewis reported the results of his Tuscaloosa mission to Governor Bentley over the phone and told him that the tapes existed.

(3) Governor Bentley directs Ray Lewis to visit Mason in Gulf Shores.

In that same phone conversation, Governor Bentley told Lewis that Rebekah Mason was just not getting it and directed Lewis to drive to Gulf Shores in the morning to break up with her again. He instructed Lewis to leave early so that he could reach Mason before her husband arrived. Lewis prepared to depart on the mission in his state vehicle the next morning, but Governor Bentley called him and told him not to go. Lewis cannot remember for certain whether he had already departed on the mission when Governor Bentley called him off.

(4) Requests for surveillance sweeps of Mason’s vehicle.

Corporal Nance Bishop of ALEA recalls that relatively early in the re-election campaign of 2014, he was asked to perform a sweep of Rebekah Mason’s personal vehicle for bugs or listening devices. Bishop could not recall specifically who made the request, except that it came from a group of Governor Bentley’s officers that included Collier and Stabler. Bishop refused the request because it was campaign-related and not related to government work.

Ray Lewis says that Bishop told him about this request soon after it was made. Lewis said he discussed this request with Bishop because, at the time, “everybody was concerned about what was going on” with Rebekah Mason.

(5) Governor Bentley demands that Rebekah Mason travel on state transports.

Rebekah Mason ceased to be an employee of the Office of the Governor in July 2013 when she began working for Governor Bentley’s re-election campaign. She did not surrender her security credentials for access to the Capitol, however, as other staff members were required to do upon transitioning to the campaign. Ray Lewis testified that he is not aware of any other staff member who was permitted to retain security access in this way.

Furthermore, it was Lewis’s understanding that Mason, after leaving the employ of the State, could not accompany Governor Bentley on official transportation, including flights on State planes or movements in State vehicles. Lewis frequently found himself in the awkward position of addressing this with Governor Bentley.

Lewis says he told Governor Bentley several times of the need to keep Mason’s movements separate from Governor Bentley’s official movements, and that he could not provide security services to non-state personnel. Lewis testified that Governor Bentley indicated that he knew and understood this. In fact, Lewis testified, this rule was consistently applied to others, like Zach Lee, who had left the Office of the Governor for the campaign. . . .

Nonetheless, on multiple occasions, and with a frequency that increased as the relationship between Governor Bentley and Mason grew, Lewis found himself overruled by Governor Bentley. Lewis recalls one occasion when he instructed Governor Bentley’s Director of Scheduling Linda Adams, while planning for a trip, not to put Mason on the State plane. Later that day, Governor Bentley called Lewis and ordered him to put Mason on the flight. Lewis recalls telling Governor Bentley: “Sir, I disagree with that, but you’re the governor and I will respect your wishes.” Lewis believes this conversation was the beginning of the deterioration of his relationship with Governor Bentley.

How adamant was Bentley that Mason fly with him? He decided to lease a private plane, in order to get around reporting requirements connected to state aircraft.

In 2014, Bentley for Governor, Inc. leased a plane from a company based near Atlanta. Lewis testified that Governor Bentley told him that he had leased the plane so that Mason could travel on it. The company used private pilots, and Lewis was limited in his ability to vet them. For State recordkeeping purposes, Linda Adams attempted to find out and document basic information about flights that Governor Bentley took on the leased campaign plane. Governor Bentley has not made any of these records available.

On August 4, 2014, the day before Lewis and Collier confronted Governor Bentley about the tapes (described in detail below), Governor Bentley told Lewis and other staff members that he wanted Mason on the leased plane with him. Lewis recalls Governor Bentley telling him: “She’s needs to be able to do her job, so she will be on the airplane.”

Lewis was becoming increasingly worried during this period that he would lose his job because of Rebekah Mason. He looked back with the benefit of hindsight on the occasion when Governor Bentley had asked him to confront the female staff in Governor Bentley’s office for gossiping about an affair that (Lewis now knew) had actually been happening. Lewis realized that Governor Bentley had used him as a tool and that he could not trust Governor Bentley. Lewis said: “[A]fter seeing how the governor was dealing with his family situation and he really didn’t care what Ms. Bentley thought or anybody else thought, I knew that if I were putting people on the plane like Ms. Mason, that I felt like he wouldn’t take responsibility for it. He would simply say I didn’t do that, Ray Lewis did it." Lewis testified that it was for this reason that he began making a record of daily events in his personal calendar.

Let's return briefly to Bentley's press statement of last Friday morning. From al.com:

Bentley said he had struggled in recent years, admitted he had made mistakes and apologized. He did not go into specifics.

"Once again, let me say to the people of this state how sorry I am to all of our people," Bentley said. "To all of you. There's no doubt that I have let you down. But all I ask is that you continue to pray for me and I will continue to pray for you."

Bentley repeated what he has said before, that he believes he is doing a job God called him to do.

"My motivation is to do what I truly believe God called me to do," Bentley said. "That's to work hard and to serve our state and to serve and love the people of this great state of Alabama. God bless them and may God bless this great state as I continue to try to serve in the way that God has placed me in this position."

Gee, imagine how much the "Luv Guv" would have lied to us if he weren't such a "fine, Christian man."


Alabama House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Report, Including Exhibits

Impeachment report by Montgomery Advertiser on Scribd

Heather Hannah, former aide to First Lady Dianne Bentley, received death threats and other intimidation because of her suspected role in Bentley/Mason tapes

Heather Hannah
(From linkedin.com)

An aide to Alabama's former first lady, suspected by administration officials of helping record intimate conversations between Gov. Robert Bentley and adviser Rebekah Caldwell Mason, received death threats after the tapes became public in March 2016.

That is among the key findings from a House Judiciary Committee impeachment report released late this afternoon.

Heather Hannah, who had been an assistant to Dianne Bentley prior to the first lady's divorce from Gov. Bentley after 50 years of marriage, became the target of an intimidation campaign from the governor's office. It included at least two confrontations with Gov. Bentley himself.

The 131-page report broadly found that Gov. Bentley used law-enforcement personnel to help cover up the affair with Mason. From the report:

Governor Bentley directed law enforcement to advance his personal interests and, in a process characterized by increasing obsession and paranoia, subjected career law enforcement officers to tasks intended to protect his reputation.

The most stunning example of the administration's "obsession and paranoia" involved Heather Hannah. From the report:

The first evidence of this obsession occurred in the Spring of 2014 and involved Heather Hannah. At the time the recordings were made, Hannah was just a few months shy of her departure from Ms. Bentley’s staff, which occurred after the Republican Primary in June. As Hannah describes it, Governor Bentley blamed Hannah for the existence of the tapes because he believed there was no possible way Ms. Bentley could have made them without her help. As the existence of the recordings became known, Hannah began to hear through other staff members and officials that Governor Bentley perceived her as problematic due to the existence of the recordings.

That led to two encounters with Gov. Bentley, labeled "The Kitchen Confrontation" and "The Parking Lot Confrontation." From the report, about the first encounter:

Hannah testified that Governor Bentley’s suspicion of her was so great that he personally confronted her on two occasions at the Governor’s Mansion. One confrontation took place in front of a wall of refrigerators in the kitchen of the Mansion. Governor Bentley pointed his finger in Hannah’s face and threatened, “You will never work in the State of Alabama again if you tell anyone about this (the affair).” Hannah relates that she was not intimidated by this encounter but believes intimidation was Governor Bentley’s intent. She described his demeanor as angry and that he was speaking to her in a loud tone of voice.

Gov. Bentley's intimidation efforts did not stop there. From the report:

The second Bentley confrontation of Hannah occurred shortly thereafter when she came face-to-face with Governor Bentley in the parking lot of the Mansion. Then, Governor Bentley confronted her about his suspicion that she had bugged his office to listen to conversations between him and Mason. Hannah relates that Governor Bentley warned her to “watch herself,” that she “did not know what she was getting into,” and that because he was the governor, people “bow to his throne.”

Hannah was set to testify in a deposition before the Alabama Ethics Commission in June 2016, and she soon had reason to fear for her safety:

In June 2016, Heather Hannah provided deposition testimony to the Alabama Ethics Commission regarding her knowledge of the Bentley-Mason relationship. In that same month, she was the victim of two separate incidents of vandalism at her residence. She related that the first incident occurred before her testimony to the ethics commission and the second occurred shortly thereafter. Both incidents were reported to law enforcement after the second incident . . . 

The two acts of vandalism are described in the report as "The Vehicle Incident" and "The House Incident." The first came just before Hannah's deposition, and the second came afterward:

Within a few days of Hannah’s deposition, she believes on or about June 6, 2016, Hannah was outside of her new home watering plants when she heard what sounded like her bushes rustling. Unsure of the source of the noise, she walked to the front of her house where she noticed “scribbles” on the windows of her vehicle. She stated that at the time she could tell the scribbles were some sort of writing, but she had difficulty reading it. She took photographs of the writing on her windows, and it showed up much clearer in the pictures. Hannah provided the two pictures to Special Counsel, which are attached to this report and contained in Exhibit 9A at 217-218. The first photograph is of writing on what appears to be the driver side windows of her vehicle, and it appears to read, “Bitch Die.” The second photograph is of writing on the windshield, and it appears to read, “You will fucking die.”

From the report, about the second incident:

On June 15, 2016, Hannah was at her home preparing for bed. She turned off the light in her kitchen and was walking to the back of her house when she heard the sound of breaking glass. She walked back to her kitchen where she believed the sound originated and saw a rock lying on the floor. She also observed a broken panel in a large window on the front of her house. Hannah immediately called the police, who came to her home and took a police report at twenty minutes after midnight. At that time, Hannah also advised the officers of the vandalism of her vehicle. The police report reflects that Hannah told the officers at the time that she believed both incidents were related to her recent deposition.

Hannah testified during her deposition by Special Counsel that she believed both incidents were related to her testimony before the Alabama Ethics Commission. She based that belief on two facts. First, she could recall no personal or business conflicts outside of her service in the Office of the Governor. Second, her residence was located in a Birmingham suburb with an exceptionally low crime rate. It is also important to note that she had recently moved to the residence, and to her knowledge, her address had not been officially changed. However, she had sent a text message to a number of friends, updating her address. She stated that the distribution list of her text would have included friends with “pretty strong connections to the capital.”

The full investigative report is embedded below:

Impeachment report by Montgomery Advertiser on Scribd

"Luv Guv" Bentley scandal reaches new chapter as Alabama Ethics Commission refers him for indictment that could bring an 80-year prison sentence

Robert Bentley: "Slimy guy," in what should be
Alabama's Image of the Year.
(From Mickey Welsh, Montgomery Advertiser)

On Aug. 31, 2015, Legal Schnauzer broke the story of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's extramarital affair with senior adviser Rebekah Caldwell Mason. The next day, Sept. 1, we were the first news outlet to report about possible financial irregularities connected to the Bentley-Mason relationship. The day after that, Sept. 2, we were first to show the scope of the flickering scandal, reporting that Rebekah Mason and her husband, Jon, had made almost $1 million off their connections to the Bentley administration.

It was a story where a one-man blog beat Alabama's corporate, mainstream media (MSM) at every turn. In fact, MSM reporters joined with Bentley in trying to trash my reputation. Multiple reports even had Bentley unlawfully using state and federal law-enforcement resources in an effort to target -- and find damaging information about -- me. That operation apparently did not work so well. But when you consider my wife, Carol, and I were the victims of an unlawful eviction in Greene County, Missouri, just nine days after I broke the Bentley story, one wonders if Alabama fingerprints were on that filthy operation.

Given that Missouri deputies brutalized Carol and shattered her left arm during the eviction -- then concocted bogus criminal charges against her, which she's still fighting -- a reasonable person might wonder just how low Alabama's creepy governor and his sassy siren might go.

The Bentley-Mason scandal reached a crescendo yesterday when the Alabama Ethics Commission heard testimony and engaged in deliberations for more than nine hours before finding "probable cause" that Bentley violated the state's ethics and campaign finance laws.

According to a report at the Montgomery Advertiser, the commission referred the charges to Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey. If indicted and convicted, Bentley could face up to 20 years in prison for each violation and a fine of up to $20,000 on each charge. With four charges on the table, mostly related to misuse of public resources and campaign funds, the governor could be looking at a maximum of 80 years behind bars. And that doesn't count other legal issues he faces, as reported by the Montgomery Advertiser:

The decision adds to Bentley's legal ordeal over allegations about his personal and professional relationship with former staffer Rebekah Caldwell Mason, charges that could lead to his removal from office. The House Judiciary Committee could begin impeachment hearings against Bentley next week, and the committee's special counsel should file an investigative report on the governor by Friday. The Alabama attorney general's office is also investigating Bentley, though it's not clear if that probe relates to the Mason charges or another matter.

Has anyone investigated possible efforts by Bentley and Mason (or their surrogates) to bully and intimidate Carol and me? I don't know, but we have not been interviewed. It's possible, however, that yesterday's nine-hour hearing touched on a relatively small portion of criminality that might be tied to Bentley and his paramour.

Do I feel vindicated by yesterday's events? The answer is, "Hell, yes." In the roughly 18 months since I broke the story, I've watched major news outlets -- The Rachel Maddow Show, The Washington Post -- credit al.com with breaking the story (cough . . . hack!). I've seen lawyer and Facebook reporter Donald Watkins twice take credit for breaking the story, when he knows that isn't true. I corrected him on it once, and he seemed to acknowledge that Legal Schnauzer was first on the story, but then he repeated his canard just a few days ago.

Heck, I wasn't even in Alabama when I broke the story. Carol and I were living in Springfield, Missouri, trying to keep a roof over our heads. That came on the heels of my unlawful arrest and incarceration in Shelby County, Alabama, and the loss of our home of 25 years in the Birmingham area to a wrongful foreclosure. We have pending federal litigation on both of those issues, plus an upcoming civil-rights and police-brutality case over the actions of Missouri cops, which might have been driven by Bentley/Mason or other conservative political thugs in Alabama.

How does a reporter break one of the biggest stories in modern Alabama history while living in the Midwest? Well, it all goes back to sources, and no one can touch the quality of sources I've had on this story. I wish I could name them, to provide the public thank you they deserve. But they know who they are, and they know that these kinds of stories can generate major blow back -- making it critical that they remain anonymous.

You can't get better sources in Alabama than the ones we've had on the Bentley story, so I've known we were on target from the outset. But has our blog been showered with "atta boys" from the MSM and public officials, who now are on the train to oust Bentley from office? Not exactly. In fact, we've been attacked from multiple angles. Some examples:

(1) John Archibald gets "smoked"

In an article published Aug. 31, 2015, the venerable John Archibald wrote the following at al.com:

Several media outlets--bloggers and radio talkers--this morning cited "sources" as they reported that Gov. Robert Bentley has without question had an affair with a female staff member, a torrid love cuddle that caused the governor's wife of a half century, Dianne Bentley, to file for divorce and ask for everything the guy ever made.

All they offered was "sources." Not proof or fact or anything more than smoke.

Turns out Bentley did, without question, have an affair, and he now faces possible prison time for issues related to it. There was way more than smoke, John, but you didn't want to see the fire.

(2) Chuck Dean and his "unsubstantial rumor"

In an article published Sept. 4, 2015, al.com's Chuck Dean wrote:

Despite no claim of infidelity in the divorce papers, the rumor traveled across platforms such as talk radio, Facebook, Twitter and in some blogs of dubious credibility purporting the unsubstantial rumor as fact.

The "blogs of dubious credibility" turned out to be not so dubious, after all. And the "rumor" proved to be both substantial and substantiated.

(3) Chuck Dean proves to be "dubious" again

In an article published Dec. 27, 2015, al.com's Chuck Dean came up with this:

In her filing Dianne Bentley never alleged infidelity on the part of her husband. But once the filing became public on August 28, online blogs -- some discredited in courts of law and others with dubious histories - were almost instantly filled with unsubstantiated rumors of an extramarital affair between Bentley and a senior advisor. . . .

If Bentley, most Alabamians and even Montgomery insiders were shocked by the news, a handful of bloggers didn't seem to be surprised. Within hours of the painful news, blogs rolled out posts featuring far-fetched stories with highly implausible details about the alleged affair.

What they did not roll out was any proof.

"Implausible" and lack of "proof." You were wrong then, Chuckster, and your journalism career is pretty much toast now. The public does have proof that you are a lazy-ass reporter, with no useful sources and no credibility -- and the story was blowing up under your nose the whole time.

(4) The "Luv Guv" lies his ass off

In the Dec. 27 article, Dean quotes Gov. Bentley as follows:

"The rumors were not true," said Bentley.

The governor then seemed to let out months of pent up frustrations.

"There were people on blogs and people in the press who crossed the line. They truly crossed the line. People on talk radio crossed the line," said Bentley.

Bentley was lying, and Chuck Dean bought every lie. Who really crossed the line here, Governor?


(5) Bentley takes the "slimy" road

In August 2016, a tape surfaced of a conversation between Bentley and State Rep. Allen Farley (R-Bessemer). In it, Bentley can be heard referring to me as a "slimy guy."

Let's allow that thought to simmer for a moment. During the ethics commission's marathon executive session yesterday, the major news story involved efforts by Montgomery and state law-enforcement officers to block reporters from an exit where witnesses appeared to be leaving the building. The officers, in a show of absurd cluelessness, tried removing journalists from a public sidewalk. At one point, three vehicles (which appeared to be black, state SUVs) were parked in an apparent effort to block reporters from even seeing witnesses, much less asking them questions.

Finally, Mickey Welsh, of the Montgomery Advertiser, captured probably the Image of the Year in Alabama. From a perfect angle above the fray, Welsh caught Bentley scurrying into an SUV, looking very much like a cockroach searching for cover after the lights have been turned on.

That is a great piece of photojournalism by Mickey Welsh, and I can only imagine the amount of thought and effort that went into it.

And it raises this question, as the Bentley administration rests perilously on the edge of implosion: Who's the "slimy guy" now, Governor?

Gay-porn photograph No. 3 shows true artistic growth as U.S. Circuit Judge Bill Pryor introduces a gourd to his oeuvre of nudie images from the 1980s

Bill Pryor and his gourd

As each nude photograph of U.S. Circuit Judge Bill Pryor surfaces, you can see Pryor grow as a gay-porn artiste. We're not kidding.

Photo No. 1 was nothing more than Pryor and his erection. Not much going on there, but it was a start.

Photo No. 2 was Pryor sitting on a block of wood. ("He's got wood, get it?") That's an artistic statement on the Beavis and Butt-Head level, but it shows the beginnings of some depth in the Pryor oeuvre.

Photo No. 3, to which we introduce you now (right), shows signs of real growth. It features Pryor, with his ever-present schlong (of which he seems quite proud), holding what appears to be a gourd. (A full-blown, NSFW version of the photo can be viewed by clicking on a link at the end of this post.)

But wait, it's not just any old gourd. Someone appears to have drawn a face on the gourd -- two eyes, a nose, hair, maybe lips. The hair is styled a bit like Pryor's, so maybe we have a self portrait -- Pryor's face on a gourd, with his schlong co-starring in all of its glory.

This is the artistic equivalent of playing a Beatles record backward in the late '60s so you could hear "I buried Paul." (Yes, I tried that; no, I never heard anything but static.) Nobody seems to know what it means, but it sure is weird so . . . hey, that's cool.

What kind of intellect does it take to be considered for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court? Bill Pryor seems to provide the answer: You have to be able to draw a face on a gourd and hold it up for the camera, while your schlong is on full display.

That sets the bar pretty darned low doesn't it? Just what we need in an era of Donald Trump, "alternative facts," and complete lack of respect for the rule of law.

Our crack Legal Schnauzer researchers are scouring Europe-based porn sites to find the remaining images in the Pryor gallery; they reportedly total eight to 12. We hope to have a full set within the next two or three months.


Bill Pryor NSFW No. 3

Ashley Madison customers revealed: Dr. Keron Vickers, of Back on Track Chiropractic, is married to a Briarwood teacher, but he appears at affairs Web site

Dr. Keron Vickers; his wife, Tracey; and their children
(From facebook.com)

A Birmingham-area chiropractor, who is married to a kindergarten teacher at Briarwood Christian School, appears as a paying customer at the Ashley Madison extramarital-affairs Web site.

Dr. Keron Vickers operates Back on Track Chiropractic on Grants Mill Road, near I-459. His wife, Tracey, teaches at Briarwood, and they have two children -- Audrey, 14, and Alan, 11. They attend Asbury United Methodist Church in north Shelby County.

Vickers obtained his B.S. degree in biology at Troy State University and earned a doctorate at Life University in Marietta, Georgia. He focuses professionally on family practice and care of the athlete. From his Web site:

Dr. Vickers has been practicing in Birmingham for 17 years, where he is very active in the community. He has served on the Irondale Chamber as a member and past Vice President. Dr. Vickers is currently one of the official chiropractors for the Alabama Ballet and one of the founding members of Team Chiropractic, which is group of local chiropractors in the Birmingham/Gadsden area who are dedicated to help educate and adjust as many families as possible as well as achieve optimal health using natural chiropractic care. He and his family attend Asbury United Methodist Church located in Inverness. He is an active sponsor of the surrounding high schools treating many of the athletes. Dr. Vickers is an avid golfer and has completed the 2011 Rock n Roll Savannah Marathon.

The Vickers Web site features at least four photographs of him with his wife, his children, or both. He creates the image of a man who cares deeply about his family. But publicly available records indicate his care for them slipped a bit when he signed up for an account at Ashley Madison.

We sought Vickers' comment for this post, but he has not responded to our queries. Here is his Facebook page.


Previously:

Article with links to 1-20 in Ashley Madison series

(21) Craig Oliver, attorney, Springfield, MO (1/24/17)

(22) Craig Lowell, attorney, Wiggins Childs, Birmingham, AL (1/26/17)

(23) Thomas Mancuso, tax attorney, Montgomery, AL (2/16/17)

(24) Nicholas Arciniegas, attorney, Washington, D.C. (2/21/17)

(25) Griffin McGahey, vice president, High Cotton USA, Birmingham, AL (3/16/17)

(26) Matthew Couch, attorney, Cabaniss Johnston, Birmingham, AL (3/23/17)

Missouri deputy admits she did not witness my wife push anyone, so that means Carol was arrested on the word of a nameless "ghost," who was not under oath

Carol Shuler

My wife, Carol, holds the distinction of probably being the only person in U.S. history to be arrested and imprisoned based on the word of . . . a ghost.

I'm not making this up. Follow us on a three-step path that shows what we mean:

(1) Carol is charged, per a Misdemeanor Information (MI) from Greene County, Missouri, Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson, with trespass. The MI states that particulars about the trespass charge are in a Probable Cause (PC) Statement from Deputy Debi Wade. The PC Statement, however, says not one word about trespass. That means the charge is based on . . . nothing -- and it must be dismissed, as a matter of law.

(2) Wade claims in her PC Statement that Carol "barreled into [her] head first," apparently supporting a count of assault on a law enforcement officer. Wade's claim has a couple of problems: (a) It didn't happen, as Carol has shown in her Motion to Dismiss; (b) Even Patterson seems to acknowledge that it didn't happen because he filed no charge against Carol based on the alleged Debi Wade incident. That count, essentially, already has been dismissed as a matter of law.

(3) The only remaining claim is that Carol "assaulted" Deputy Jeremy Lynn by pushing him after he had forced his way into our apartment during an unlawful eviction on Sept. 9, 2015. But Wade admits in her PC Statement that she did not witness this event. Specifically, Wade states: "I was not witness to that assault, however, I was advised that Carol first pushed the door from inside when Capt. Lynn attempted entry with the key, then got physical with him once inside the threshold and pushed him repeatedly.”

(Note: The PC Statement, MI, and Motion to Dismiss are embedded at the end of this post.)

If you believe that arresting and imprisoning someone is serious business -- and you agree with the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which holds that no seizure of a person shall happen without probable cause -- this should scare you death.

Consider what Wade is saying here: She did not witness Carol do anything wrong regarding Jeremy Lynn, but someone "advised" her that Carol pushed the officer. Well, who advised her on the subject? Was it another officer, a squirrel out on the lawn, a passing meter reader, a golden retriever taking a poop across the street?

You might think I'm being ridiculous, but get this -- the "adviser" has no name. We don't even know if he's human.

That's why I say Carol was arrested on the word of a ghost. Based on Wade's statement, the "adviser" might as well be from the spirit world. Whoever he is, and wherever he's from, he provides no probable cause to arrest my wife.

How many people -- with names and swearing under oath -- claim Carol Tovich Shuler did anything wrong regarding Officer Jeremy Lynn? Zero.

That means two things:

(1) All of the criminal charges against Carol are not based in probable cause and must be dismissed;

(2) Carol's arrest and imprisonment were based on zero probable cause, constituting a false arrest and false imprisonment -- and a Fourth Amendment violation -- that are about as blatant as they can come.

We are left with this glaring question: If someone on the scene witnessed Carol push Officer Lynn, and advised Debi Wade of such, why was that officer not chosen to submit the Probable Cause Statement? Why have Officer Wade make a statement under oath about events she admits she did not see?

With those questions hanging in the air, the credibility of the Greene County "justice apparatus" is emitting the smell of a rotting fish. In fact, it might not even smell that good.

New Alabama AG Steve Marshall hires Kathleen Green Robertson as chief counsel, despite her ties to Jeff Sessions and the evolving KrelimGate scandal

Kathleen Green Robertson
(From youtube.com)

Alabama just got rid of a wretched attorney general, and now it appears he's been replaced with another dunderhead. Wait until you wrap your mind around the new guy's latest appointment.

But first, let's recall one of the many "endearing" traits Luther Strange exhibited before Gov. Robert Bentley chose him to replace Trump AG Jeff Sessions in the U.S. Senate. Strange always seemed to think the public, the ones who for unknown reasons voted him into office, was stupid. We were too stupid to see that he reached a quid pro quo deal with Bentley, that Strange would not prosecute the governor in exchange for Sessions' Senate seat. Or he thought we were too stupid to see that he prosecuted Mike Hubbard because the House Speaker, while wildly corrupt, also stood in the path between Strange and higher office, such as governor or U.S. senator.

Now, it appears Steve Marshall, the guy Bentley chose to replace Strange, is just as tin-eared as his oversized predecessor. Last week, Marshall announced that Kathleen Green Robertson would be chief counsel in the AG's office. Now, consider Robertson's qualifications, as reported by Alabama Political Reporter (APR):

Robertson holds a B.S. in political science from Auburn University and a law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. She began her career at the US Department of Justice in the Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison where she assisted in fostering relationships between the Department and State and local Law Enforcement. She later worked for US Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) as legislative counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, handling matters related to crime, drugs and national security. Robertson said that that experience that instilled her passion for constitutional and criminal law. Robertson recently returned to Washington to serve Sessions throughout the process of his confirmation to become Attorney General of the United States.

Most of Robertson's experience consists of working for Jeff Sessions. That would be the same Sessions who now is the target of a criminal complaint, alleging that he violated federal statutes on perjury, making false statements, and obstruction of justice -- all related to lies he made during his confirmation hearings about meetings with a Russian ambassador.

Steve Marshall
(From alreporter.com)

Those would be the same confirmation hearings for which Robertson helped Sessions prepare. And they were before the same Senate Judiciary Committee for which Robertson worked as legislative counsel.

Sessions stands at the heart of "KremlinGate," which might soon bring down the Donald Trump White House and become known as the most grotesque political scandal in American history. But Steve Marshall thinks it was a good idea to promote one of Sessions' former aides to chief counsel? Is it far-fetched to think Sessions might have put in a call to Marshall on Robertson's behalf, and Marshall was clueless enough to go along with the perjurious AG's request/demand?

None of us knows how KremlinGate will unfold, but for now, we have daily drips of news that suggest a foreign adversary (Russia) colluded with Trump surrogates (and maybe Trump himself) to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Is Steve Marshall so naive that he does not comprehend the potential gravity of this? Does he not see the possibility of impeachment and/or prison time for those in Trump's inner circle, which definitely includes Jeff Sessions.

For Robertson's part, she's was not just any old aide to the senator. She helped him prepare for the very confirmation hearings where he lied. She used to work with the same committee before which he lied. At a bare minimum, one might think such an aide could keep her boss from committing crimes during and after his testimony. But Robertson apparently could not do that.

John Ehrlichman
(From historycommons.com)

Marshall might think the public will be so transfixed by Robertson's pert, blonde 'do that they won't care what she's done in the recent past. But consider this question: What did Robertson learn, if anything, about KremlinGate while preparing Sessions for his confirmation hearings? As a lawyer, does she have a duty to disclose professional misconduct to the proper tribunal? (Yes, she does.) If she is aware of misconduct, has she disclosed it to proper authorities. (It's not likely.) Could that put her at risk for future obstruction-of-justice and misprision-of-a felony charges. (Yes, it could.)

It's not far-fetched to think that Robertson could wind up painted with the KremlinGate brush, but Steve Marshall said, "By golly, we've just got to have her as chief counsel in the AG's office."

That thought takes us back to around 1975. Imagine a state attorney general -- let's say in California -- making the following announcement:

Today, I welcome John Ehrlichman as my new chief counsel. Mr. Ehrlichman comes to us after serving in the administration of President Richard Nixon. Mr. Ehrlichman has enjoyed a distinguished career, especially if you don't count the fact he created "The Plumbers" and played a key role in the Watergate cover up. Mr. Ehrlichman won't be able to join our office immediately. First, he will have to serve one to four years in federal prison. But once he's out of the slammer, I'm sure he will do a splendid job as chief counsel. After all, he's associated with Richard Nixon, who has been one of our finest presidents -- if you don't count his various pathologies, plus the paranoia and dishonesty that were central to the Watergate scandal. Richard Nixon . . . what a swell guy! And I can say the same thing about John Ehrlichman!  

Sounds like a crazy announcement doesn't it? Steve Marshall's announcement of Kathleen Green Robertson's appointment might not be as far from that as he would like to believe.

Missouri deputy creates fairy tale about my wife barreling into her during eviction, but even prosecutor doesn't buy it because he did not charge Carol with it

Deputy Debi Wade
(From facebook.com)

A Missouri deputy claims in a Probable Cause (PC) Statement that my wife, Carol, "barreled into [her] head first" in the moments before another officer broke Carol's arm during an unlawful eviction in September 2015. The claim, from deputy Debi Wade, is preposterous -- and it apparently was designed to buttress a bogus "assault on a law enforcement officer" charge against Carol, which led to her arrest in January.

I use the term "preposterous" to describe Wade's claim for two reasons: (1) She places the "barreling" event near the front door of our duplex apartment, and I saw everything that happened in that area, from the front seat of our car, parked about 15 feet away in the driveway. Carol never initiated contact with Wade, and I never saw Wade make contact with Carol, unless it was to help her off the ground after another officer had body slammed Carol and broken her left arm by yanking on both arms in an upward and back motion; (2) Greene County Prosecuting Attorney (PA) Dan Patterson apparently does not believe Wade's account because, in his Misdemeanor Information (MI) filed with the court, he charged Carol with only one count of assault on an officer -- and that allegedly was against a male officer named Jeremy Lynn, and it was inside our apartment, just as officers had thrust open the door.

Carol is not charged with assaulting Wade, so one has to wonder why Wade included false information that even the PA does not believe -- or at least, he does not believe it amounted to a criminal offense. It also raises questions about Wade's credibility, especially when you consider all the other hokum in her PC Statement. (More on that in upcoming posts.)

What really happened? Carol spells that out in a Motion to Dismiss Charges filed on March 14. (The Motion to Dismiss, PC Statement and MI are embedded at the end of this post.)

Note: Wade admits in the first paragraph of her PC Statement that she did not witness Carol push Officer Lynn, but an unknown person "advised" her that it happened. That, of course, is blatant hearsay, which is inadmissible in court and means, as a procedural matter, there is nothing to support probable cause that Carol committed any offense involving assault. As a factual matter, Wade's account is pure fantasy and should put her at risk of criminal sanctions for filing a false PC statement.

Carol's account starts with Jeremy Lynn and other officers bursting through our door, even though we had filed a Notice of Appeal the day before that placed an automatic stay on eviction. Given that we were in lawful possession of the apartment on Sept. 9, 2015, every action by the cops amounts to "forcible entry and detainer," a charge they will face (among others) in our upcoming police brutality/civil rights lawsuit. Here are Carol's words from the Motion to Dismiss:

I heard noise outside our apartment and looked out the peephole to see what was going on. We had filed a notice of appeal the day before, with appropriate fees, and we knew that put an automatic stay on the eviction. I knew there was no way, under the law, that anyone could be attempting an eviction. When I heard noise outside, I thought we had a possible prowler or someone attempting a home invasion. That’s why I looked out the peephole, and I had my cell phone in my hand, thinking I might need to call 911 any moment. Next thing I knew, the door was thrown open, and I was slammed up against the wall, behind the open door, hard enough to possibly cause a concussion. My glasses were knocked off, the cell phone was knocked out of my hand, and I was disoriented. But I never caused physical contact with Officer Lynn or anyone else on 9/9/15. While I was facing the wall, someone (I assume it was Officer Lynn) grabbed both of my arms, pulled them behind my back and placed them in handcuffs. As Lynn was applying the handcuffs, he caused my head to bang against the wall another 2 or 3 times. Also, someone put his hand on top of my head, as handcuffs were being applied, forcing my head violently into the wall several more times. Once in handcuffs, I wasn’t capable of pushing anyone, and I did not do so. I did not push anyone before being placed in handcuffs, either. I would be glad to file an affidavit if the court deems it necessary. If Jeremy Lynn is the officer I think he was, he’s a large fellow – maybe 6-4 or 6-5 and 270 pounds or more. The notion that I would push him is absurd.

So, Jeremy Lynn caused Carol's head to bang against the wall ("2 or 3 times"), and as Lynn was handcuffing her, someone put his hand on top of her head and violently pushed it into the wall several more times. And the cops are claiming Carol assaulted them? Is it any wonder I've seen signs that Carol is suffering from post-concussion symptoms, especially when you consider she also was slammed butt-first to the ground that day, outside the apartment? Carol has one of the sharpest minds I've encountered -- she made straight A's in school through K-12 and college -- but I now regularly see signs of jumbled thinking, an inability to express thoughts in a concise, direct manner. Is this the result of her brain being battered about inside her skull during an eviction that never should have happened?

In the days immediately after the eviction, our No. 1 concern was about trying to get Carol's arm pieced back together via trauma surgery. I'm not aware of medical personnel conducting any concussion tests on her, but there is no doubt her brain took a beating at the beginning and the end of our eviction.

As for Wade's claim that Carol "barreled" into her, it's pure nonsense -- and it should earn Wade time behind bars, depending on the penalties for filing a false PC Statement . Here are Carol's words on the subject:

I did not take off on a dead run for the door, and Officer Wade did not help me put items in our car. I did that on my own. Officer Wade already was at the front of the residence, so she did not jog up behind me, and I did not pivot and barrel into her head first. I wear glasses, I have scoliosis, and I have never been in a physical encounter with anyone. The notion that I would “barrel into” Debi Wade, likely breaking my glasses and injuring my neck and back, is nonsensical. I did not initiate contact with Officer Wade, and I do not recall her making contact with me.

This fantasy about Carol barreling into her, tells me that Debi Wade was not even trying to get things accurate in her PC Statement; she apparently was assigned to concoct a document that would terrorize us -- causing Carol to be falsely arrested and imprisoned -- and that's what she did.


(To be continued)