So here is how a red state Gov. can pay his mistress without ( hardly) anyone noticing.

[dixiegrrrrl]

Rebekah Caldwell Mason, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's former communications director and current Senior Political Advisor, is not employed by the state of Alabama. Instead, Mason, the married mother of three, works for a non-profit political group set up to support Gov. Bentley's political agenda.

Mason's name has been linked to Gov. Bentley's since Dianne, his wife of 50 years, filed for divorce in August 2015.
Yesterday, Bentley confirmed he had sexually inappropriate conversations with Mason but denied having a physical affair.
The denial came after Spencer Collier, former director of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, said he was fired after questioning the governor's relationship with Mason.

Here's how that non-profit trick works:

In 2013,she left her job as the governor's communications director to become a spokesperson for the Bentley reelection campaign.
and she formed RCM Communications, a political consulting and advising service registered to her home address in Tuscaloosa.
Mason is listed as RCM's only officer and the company has no listed phone number, website or Facebook page.

RCM did not do work for any other candidates in the 2014 election, according to financial disclosure forms filed with the Secretary of State.
The committee to reelect Bentley paid Mason's firm $426,978 for consulting and polling work during the 2014 election cycle.

After Bentley's victory in 2014, Mason moved into the role of Senior Political Advisor, where she spends time in the Legislature and traveling with the governor.
LOTS of traveling.
Mason's salary is paid by the Alabama Council for Excellent Government, a non-profit group formed to promote Bentley's political agenda.
Because of regulations involving 501 (c)(4)s, the group – a so called "dark money" organization - is not required to report its donors but can accept money from PACs, individuals or from leftover campaign funds.

Mason's name is not listed on the group's website and it's not known if she is a contractor or employee of the group.

All of the above can be found at: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/rebekah_caldwell_mason_gov_rob.html#incart_m-rpt-2

So, evidently they have been an item since 2013.
His wife of 50 years divorced him "suddenly" he says, in late summer of 2015.
Divorce papers have been sealed.

[LisaM]

1. If you need a PI, I recommend Dianne Bentley!

I can't believe she just left her phone on record and went for a walk - and that it worked!

[rurallib]

2. Mason must have taken plenty of polls in 2014 to earn that big check

[Dr. Xavier]

4. Quick!!!

[Jerry442]

6. According to her, some of the biggest polls she's ever done. NT

[Sanity Claws]

9. I'm sure she took a lot of poles

I'm not so sure she took any polls.

[Dr. Xavier]

3. Now, now I'm sure that there is

a perfectly innocent explanation to all of this...


More Republican Family values Horse Manure...

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. One of the problem is she is seen as blocking access to the Governor.

Sorta makes ya wonder if he is actually the Governor.

Tis an old story............

[d_r]

7. Her husband

Is the governor's director of the office of faith based initiatives. Apparently he was a Sunday school teacher at Bentley's church.

You can't make up Alabama politics, people would faint it was too cheesy if you had written it as a novel.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. You know, people down here are the most interesting I have ever met.

I know people like to stereotype Southerners, but actually they are so incredibly different, in a wacky sort of way.
I write letters to out of state family about the goings on here, and they keep saying I should write a book.

Mr. dixie and I are constantly amused, that's for sure.

[d_r]

8. I wonder if it was tough

For reporter Charles Dean to write this

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/gov_bentley_admits_he_made_sex.html


After he had already written this

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/09/rebekah_caldwell_mason_the_guy.html

[TheOther95Percent]

11. Sounds Like Tax Fraud

A 501(c)(3) requires a charitable purpose so while fucking an old man could be construed as a kind of charity, I don't think it means the statutory definition.