Alabama Governor Robert Bentley resigned Monday rather than face impeachment and pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor campaign violations that arose during an investigation of his alleged affair with a top aide.

In a remarkable fall, the mild-mannered 74-year-old Republican and one-time Baptist deacon stepped down as the sex-tinged scandal gathered force over the past few days. Legislators turned up the pressure by opening impeachment hearings Monday. Last week, the Alabama Ethics Commission cited evidence that Bentley broke state ethics and campaign laws and referred the matter to prosecutors.

“There have been times I have let you and our people down,” Bentley said Monday in the old House chamber of Alabama’s Capitol after he pleaded guilty to charges of failing to file a major contribution report and using campaign money for personal use.

The violations were discovered during the investigation of his affair but were not directly related to it.

“I’ve not always made the right choices or said the right things while I’ve sometimes failed, I’ve always lived up to the high expectations the people place of the person who holds this esteemed office,” he said.

“The consequences of my mistakes have been grievously unfair to you and my loyal staff, my Cabinet and all of our agencies who have continued your exemplary service to our people in the face of difficult circumstances,” Bentley continued.

“I can no longer allow my family, my dear friends, my dedicated staff and my Cabinet be subjected to the consequences my past actions have brought upon them,” he said. “The time has come for me to look at new ways to serve the people of our great state. I have decided that it’s time for me to step down as governor.”

The violations were discovered during the investigation of his affair but were not directly related to it.

Bentley’s successor is Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey, who became Alabama’s second female governor. The first was Lurleen Wallace, wife of segregationist and four-term Gov. George C. Wallace. She ran as a surrogate for her still-powerful husband in 1966 when he couldn’t seek re-election because of term limits. She won, but died in office in 1968.