During a brief stop in Huntsville on Thursday for a ceremonial groundbreaking, Gov. Robert Bentley said he tells the truth, he's done nothing wrong and the people of Alabama don't care about the ongoing impeachment process.

The beleaguered governor spoke a day after the House Judiciary Committee considered articles of impeachment filed against Bentley by 23 lawmakers.

The committee established that a special counsel would be hired to lead the House investigation into possible wrongdoing by Bentley in connection with what he has described as an "inappropriate" relationship with former aide Rebekah Caldwell Mason.

"We're going to be very cooperative with the legislature," Bentley said. "We have nothing to hide. We have no charges against us at all. We have nothing to hide. The truth always has a sound. And I can tell you, we tell the truth and we've done nothing wrong. We'll work with them and it's really not a problem. They are trying to feel their way through this process so we'll let them do that."

Meanwhile, it's not something the people of Alabama want to see happen, according to Bentley. The governor also described the impeachment process as getting his work "bogged down" and hampering his ability to attract jobs to the state.

"Our emphasis is on the people of Alabama and doing the job we were sent here to do," he said. "When you get bogged down with things like that, we're not able to do the things we're able to do today.

"The people of Alabama -- and I know them better than anybody else because I've traveled this state so many times through difficult times and good times -- I know how they think. They're not interested in impeachment. They're interested in jobs and that's what we're talking about today."

Bentley was in Huntsville for the ceremonial groundbreaking of a new GE Aviation facility, which is expected to bring 300 jobs at the two new factories. GE Aviation has said it will invest $200 million in the factories to be built near Huntsville International Airport.

Asked what he based the conclusion on that the people are not interested in impeachment, Bentley said, "I get it when I talk to people. I'm out with people every day. I talk with people and I see the people of the state. The people of the state react to me today just like they did two years ago. It's really no different."

State Rep. Ed Henry, R-Hartselle, sponsored the resolution bringing the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee. He told AL.com earlier this month that the people of Alabama expect the House to take action against Bentley.

"The people of Alabama would expect us to do something," he said. "Right now, everybody can have an excuse (because the legislative session for 2016 has ended). As soon as we go back to Montgomery (for a special session or the 2017 session), the people of Alabama are going to be ready for us to do something with Gov. Bentley."