By Susan Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
On a day when the testimony in the Mike Hubbard corruption trial was expected to dominate the headlines, alleged gubernatorial mistress Rebekah Mason, grabbed a few headlines for herself with an afternoon legal filing in the civil lawsuit filed against her, Governor Bentley and others by former ALEA Secretary Spencer Collier.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mason, through her attorneys, filed what, at first glance, appears to be a standard legal document where she initially denies Collier’s allegations against her. Eight pages in, however, the standard Motion for a Stay morphed into what by one legal observer described as a “political nuclear bomb.”
Mason’s attorneys ask the court to delay the civil proceedings because of the possibility that Mason may be the “subject of ongoing criminal investigations.” The filing goes further by explaining that the allegations that are presented in Collier’s civil lawsuit are believed to “overlap and focus on the same alleged conduct” as the criminal investigation.
Although Mason’s request for a stay never directly admits guilt, it does claim that she risks “self-incrimination if she participates in the civil action.”
If Mason does not believe she has done anything wrong, how could she possibly have a fear of incriminating herself?
Although it has been widely reported that a federal investigation into possible criminal acts by Bentley, Mason and others was ongoing, this is the first time that any suspected target of those investigations has publicly confirmed their existence and subject matter. People close to the case note that the timing and content of Mason’s filing is both legally and politically intriguing.
“Not only does she file this on the day when her former boss and alleged love interest took the stand against Hubbard, she also filed it without a companion motion from Bentley,” someone close to the case pointed out. “You would expect that the two legal teams would be coordinating their efforts and that Bentley would have filed his motion on the same day as Rebekah did. The lack of a Bentley filing today may be a signal that Mason is only concerned with herself and is no longer worried about what is in the Governor’s best interests, legally or otherwise. If I was Bentley, I would be worried.”
Those who know Mason well say it is no surprise that that she would pull such a headline grabbing maneuver today of all days. She spent Memorial Day Weekend posting numerous Instagram pictures of a family vacation to the beach. In one picture she can be seen reading a book that is named, of all things, Unashamed. The irony is not lost on this reporter.
