Chief justice's suspension adds to Alabama's political mess

In a state that trails the nation in many areas, three top elected officials are embroiled in scandal or facing removal from office while a former governor serves time in federal prison on a corruption conviction.

In its list of civil charges against Moore, the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission said the 69-year-old chief justice abused his office by issuing an administrative order to probate judges in January telling them an Alabama court order and law banning same-sex marriages remained in effect despite the U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming same-sex marriage six months earlier.

The same court removed Moore from office in 2003 for his refusal to follow a federal court order directing Moore to remove a washing machine-sized Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the state's judicial building.

In March, Bentley admitted to making inappropriate remarks to an aide, Rebekah Caldwell Mason, in a scandal that has included the public airing of secret recordings that captured Bentley professing love to someone and telling her how much he enjoyed kissing her and touching her breasts, and referencing a need to start locking his office door.

Hubbard is scheduled later this month on 23 felony ethics charges accusing him of using his position as speaker, and previous post as chairman of the Alabama GOP, to direct business to his companies, lobby the governor's office and to solicit investments and clients for his businesses.

Currently imprisoned in Texas, Siegelman was convicted in 2006 on federal charges of selling a seat on a state health regulatory board in exchange for $500,000 in donations to Siegelman's campaign to establish a state lottery in 1999.