State's top cop placed on leave following failure to follow governor's order - issue related
By Charles J. Dean | cdean@al.com
Gov. Robert J. Bentley has placed Secretary of Law Enforcement Spencer Collier on a medical leave of absence from his job as the state's top cop.
Bentley notified Collier today he had made the decision to place him on leave. Collier told his staff and employees of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency this afternoon.
The leave of absence, which is for three months, comes as Collier is dealing with back problems and pain and is scheduled to soon undergo surgery.
But Bentley's decision also comes after news that Collier had failed to follow Bentley's orders not to submit a sworn statement in a court filing in the on-going battle between state prosecutors and lawyers for indicted House Speaker Mike Hubbard.
Assistant Attorney General Matt Hart, who is leading the state's prosecution of Hubbard on charges he used his office for financial gain, recently sought from Collier a sworn statement clearing him of allegations he may have shared secret grand jury information in the Hubbard case, according to sources familiar with the attempt.
Bentley in an interview Wednesday morning confirmed those sources' information. Bentley said he met with Collier and others Tuesday in an attempt to get to the bottom of why his orders were not followed and hear Collier's explanation of why he had done what he did. Bentley said he did not find Collier's explanation acceptable.
"No. I don't find his (explanation) acceptable," said Bentley. "I don't accept the fact they did what I asked them not to do. So I will be dealing with that."
Bentley has appointed Stan Stabler as acting secretary of law enforcement. Stabler is currently the chief of the dignitary protection unit at ALEA and the former head of Bentley's protection detail.
Bentley and Collier's relationship goes back to the years when both were members of the Alabama House of Representatives. Collier, a former state trooper, was appointed by Bentley to the then job of public safety director when Bentley took office in 2011.