state house mug by julie.JPG

(Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

The committee investigating impeachment of Gov. Robert Bentley has scheduled its first meeting since hiring a special counsel to investigate the allegations.

The House Judiciary Committee will meet on Sept. 27 at the Alabama State House. It has not released an agenda.

In April, 23 members of the 105-seat Alabama House signed a resolution to impeach Bentley for willful neglect of duty and corruption in office. The three-page resolution does not offer any evidence or mention specific actions.

Bentley says he's broken no laws and has done nothing to merit impeachment.

The governor's lawyers have said the resolution is invalid because it is so vague that it does not allow the governor due process in defending himself.

They asked the committee to suspend the proceedings until a resolution with specifics is passed by a full vote of the House.

Rep. Mike Jones, R-Andalusia, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, denied that request in August, saying the governor is not entitled to those specifics during the investigative phase of the process.

The special counsel hired by the committee has requested a lengthy list of documents from the governor's office, including some about the activities of Bentley's former political adviser, Rebekah Mason.

In March, Bentley apologized for making inappropriate comments to Mason after the release of audiotapes on which he is heard talking about kissing and fondling.

Bentley's wife of 50 years had divorced him last year.

Bentley and Mason have denied having an affair, and Mason resigned.

Bentley has also been in a dispute with former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Spencer Collier, who went public with allegations of a Bentley affair with Mason after the governor fired him.

Collier has filed a lawsuit against the governor, Mason and others.

In February, Bentley placed Collier on medical leave. Collier was dealing with a back problem. At the time, Bentley also said he was displeased that Collier had given an affidavit to prosecutors in the Mike Hubbard case against his orders.

According to Collier's lawsuit, Collier ordered an investigation into an allegation that a prosecutor in the Hubbard case had leaked grand jury information. The investigation found no wrongdoing. Collier told Bentley that the attorney's general's office wanted an affidavit saying so.

According to Collier's lawsuit, Bentley told him to tell the attorney general's office that the investigation was ongoing.

Bentley has denied telling Collier to lie to the attorney general's office.

Bentley said Collier was fired after an investigation found possible misuse of state dollars.

Collier has denied any wrongdoing.

An audit released in February by the state Examiners of Public Accounts found no issues with ALEA during a period that ended Sept. 30, 2015.

The Judiciary Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 200 of the State House.