MONTGOMERY, Ala. — “I had to buy something to eat.”
Governor Robert Bentley on Thursday responded to “WalletCopter,” the latest scandal engulfing his administration: revelations that he had his wallet delivered to him via state helicopter.
“You have to have your wallet for security reasons,” Bentley explained to reporters. “I’m the governor. And I had to have money. I had to buy something to eat. You have to have identification.”
Yellowhammer News broke the story Tuesday that the Governor forgot his wallet after storming out of an argument he had with his then-wife Dianne.
According to Yellowhammer’s original sources, the Bentleys had an argument at the couple’s private residence in Tuscaloosa over Gov. Bentley’s refusal to sever ties with Rebekah Mason, his top political advisor-turned-mistress.
As a result of the argument, Gov. Bentley left the residence in his pickup truck and drove toward the couple’s beach house in Ft. Morgan, Alabama.
The sources each said that current Alabama Secretary of Law Enforcement Stan Stabler — who at that time the head of Bentley’s security detail — was involved in facilitating the delivery.
Stabler confirmed the story yesterday, but insisted it was all done in accordance with Alabama law.
The governor echoed Stabler’s statement on Thursday.
“It sounds bad, it looks bad, but I did not authorize that and that was not my request and they just got it to me as quickly as they could, and so that’s what happened,” Bentley said.
Stabler claimed that he used the appropriate chain of command and received clearance to use a helicopter from then-head of ALEA Spencer Collier, but Collier insists he was never informed about the wallet.
Collier went on to say that he “was notified on multiple occasions that Governor Bentley hurriedly left his residence in Tuscaloosa without security. On one occasion, Governor Bentley’s whereabouts were unknown for several hours. On another occasion, Protective Services Chief Stan Stabler contacted me and stated that “We have lost the Governor.” Later I was informed that Troopers or Special Agents with the Protective Services Unit located the Governor and escorted him to his private beach house on Ft. Morgan Road.”
