Alabama pays Bentley legal fees in Spencer Collier lawsuit (al.com)
Updated on August 8, 2017 at 6:20 PM Posted on August 8, 2017 at 6:05 PM
By Mike Cason mcason@al.com
Taxpayers have paid some legal fees to defend former Gov. Robert Bentley in a lawsuit filed by former Alabama Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier even after Bentley left office.
The state's General Liability Trust Fund has paid $1,911 to Bentley's lawyers in the case since Bentley resigned on April 10, the state Finance Department said.
Overall, the General Liability Trust Fund has paid $3,503 to Bentley's lawyers in the ongoing case, including while Bentley was still governor.
Daryl Masters, an assistant attorney general in Risk Management at the state Finance Department, said that under state law, former state employees, including former elected officials, are eligible to be covered by the trust fund when they are sued for actions taken as part of their official duties.
Collier filed the lawsuit in April 2016, alleging, among other claims, that Bentley fired him for refusing to lie to the attorney general's office about an investigation related to the Mike Hubbard ethics case.
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more: http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/08/state_has_paid_some_legal_fees.html