Twenty-three members of Alabama House of Representatives signed Articles of Impeachment against Gov. Robert Bentley Thursday.

Rep. Ed Henry, R-Hartselle, had previously launched an impeachment effort, but new rules approved on Tuesday required 21 signatures for the issue to be considered by the House Judiciary Committee. Henry’s new impeachment resolution accuses Bentley of “willful neglect of duty” and “corruption in office,” and is related to an alleged relationship with a former political advisor.

Those new rules – and Henry’s success in gaining the signatures he needed – mean Andalusia’s Rep. Mike Jones will preside over the initial hearing as chair of the House Judiciary Committee. If the committee votes for the impeachment, the matter would then go before the full House, where it would need approval of three-fifths of the members to advance to the Senate.

Jones said he would like the professional investigators who are looing into allegations that state resources might have been inappropriately used to cover up a relationship to finish their work before his committee takes up the issue.

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