Alabama governor's former aide Rebekah Mason asks to stay civil lawsuit amid probes

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's former political adviser has asked a judge to pause a defamation lawsuit filed by the governor's one-time body guard because of what her attorneys described as ongoing criminal and ethics probes.

In a Wednesday court filing, lawyers for Rebekah Mason asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit -- arguing the claims were meritless -- or at least stay proceedings because of the ongoing investigations.

"First and most importantly, Mrs. Mason denies each and every allegation of the complaint and contends that she has done nothing wrong, either civilly or criminally," her attorneys wrote.

The court filling cited news stories about complaints filed to the Alabama Ethics Commission and potential investigations by state and federal prosecutors. Her attorneys said Mason does not know the status or scope of the investigations, but the subjects are thought to overlap with the civil case and she would risk potential self-incrimination.

Read more: http://www.al.com/news/montgomery/index.ssf/2016/12/alabama_governors_former_aide.html