This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama Governor Robert Bentley Wednesday denied allegations of a physical affair with a staff member but admitted to saying “inappropriate things” to her.

“Two years ago, I made a mistake,” Bentley said. “I want everyone to know, though, that I have never had a physical affair with Mrs. Mason.”

Bentley is referring to Rebekah Caldwell Mason, a member of his leadership team he described as his closest aide and confidant.

When asked what specifically he was apologizing for, Bentley said, “For whatever has been reported.”

Allegations of inappropriate relationship

“I have not had a physical relationship with Mrs. Mason,” Bentley said. “It was a period of time in my life that I made inappropriate comments.” It started earlier Wednesday when fired Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) head Spencer Collier held a news conference at his attorney’s office to address his firing and level serious accusations against Governor Bentley’s office.

Collier says the man Bentley would later put in charge of ALEA, Stan Stabler, first saw an inappropriate text between Governor Bentley and his chief advisor, Mason. However, he says it was Bentley’s family that recorded conversations that confirmed the affair.

Collier says he told the governor it would be a crime to use state resources to facilitate the affair. Collier claims that he has no knowledge of Bentley committing crimes of that nature, though he did say he’s had complaints from state troopers suggesting that.

Bentley denied asking people to lie to cover up the alleged affair and using state resources to facilitate the alleged affair.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

According to Collier, Mason wielded a level of influence over the governor and the state that he has never seen. He adds that the governor made it clear he would fire anyone who questioned Mason’s influence.

Bentley didn't address Mason's level of influence, but when asked if he had a romantic relationship with Mason, Bentley asked, "What do you mean 'romantic relationship?'"

"I have not had a physical relationship with Mrs. Mason," Bentley said. "It was a period of time in my life that I made inappropriate comments."

The governor wouldn't comment on if the inappropriate comments were a factor in his wife's decision to file for divorce last year.

Mason's comment

Rebekah Mason had a prepared statement ready for the media shortly after Governor Bentley made his address. It read:

"There is no way that man would have said what he did today about another man. He only said what he said about my professional abilities because I am a Woman. His comments were clear, demonstrated gender bias. Since 2010, I have proudly served as Governor Robert Bentley's Campaign Press Secretary, Communications Director, Advisor, Campaign Communications Director and now Senior Political Advisor. It is an honor to serve our Governor and the people of this state. As a wife and working mother, I commute four hours a day to serve on a team alongside some of the most dedicated and talented people in the state, who are committed to helping our people. Unfortunately there are still some people who are set on hindering the ability of women to work in the political arena. I am proud of what I have accomplished in my professional career. And I'm grateful for the opportunity God has given me to serve our state."

When reporters asked Bentley if Mason asked him to stop the inappropriate remarks, Bentley replied only, “No.”

Collier fired

The governor announced he had fired Collier on Tuesday night, hours after the acting head of ALEA, Stan Stabler, said in a statement that an internal report found possible misuse of state funds.

ALEA says it turned that report over to the Attorney General’s office. The AG’s office told us they didn’t have a comment, and ALEA told us they didn’t have a digital copy of the report and that they wouldn’t release it.

WHNT News 19 asked the governor’s office for a copy of the report that he used to justify Collier’s filing. We haven’t heard back.

Recording excerpt

Wednesday evening, our news partners at AL.com obtained the recording of Governor Bentley making sexually suggestive comments to someone on the phone.

You can view the recording here. As a disclaimer, there are some sexually suggestive comments on the video.