MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Gov. Kay Ivey will ask the Alabama Board of Veterans Affairs to immediately remove Kent Davis as commissioner of the state agency on Tuesday.
In a letter to Davis released by her office Friday, Ivey lays out her case for his removal. It’s the latest action in the months-long interagency saga involving Davis, Ivey, and the board.
Davis, through his attorney Friday afternoon, said he wants to finish out the year as leader of veterans affairs.
The veterans affairs commissioner is appointed by the board, not the governor, though Ivey is president of the board. She needs its support to remove him.
Among her cited reasons in the letter are “general lack of cooperation,” mishandling of American Rescue Plan Act grant programs, the filing of a “frivolous” ethics complaint, manipulation of the board, and breach of the original agreement between Ivey and Davis that the resignation he submitted last month would take effect at the end of the year.
That agreement, Ivey said, included Davis’ commitment to publicly and privately explain that all then-outstanding issues concerning the ARPA grant program had been resolved to the mutual benefit of all parties.
“You broke this promise, as evidenced (at a minimum) by your failure to say as much during an Oct. 9 meeting of the State Board of Veterans Affairs,” the letter reads.
“You further broke this promise by your failure to clearly put these matters behind us during the Oct. 10 regular meeting of the board.”
It was at that Oct. 10 board meeting, after Ivey left, that remaining members voted unanimously to ask Davis to reconsider his resignation.
This week, board vice-chair Scott Gedling in a letter to fellow board members said Davis had manipulated the body to get that vote of support.
“I stand by my word when I said that Commissioner Davis has done some really good things as commissioner, and I will always be grateful for these accomplishments,” the letter reads. “However, today, I believe that he has manipulated me and the board to keep his job and serve his own interests.”
The letter includes about 40 pages of documents, including correspondences outlining ARPA fund spending concerns.
READ: Ivey Letter to Kent Davis with attachments
Ivey also cited a “general loss of trust and confidence” in her letter to Davis.
“You have lost the general trust and confidence of the board vice chair and numerous leaders in the Legislature.,” she said. “In addition, you have lost my trust and confidence.”
Last month, Davis submitted his resignation – effective at the end of the year – at the behest of Gov. Kay Ivey, who alleged that the ADVA, under Davis’ leadership, had “mishandled” a federal grant program.
Ivey’s call for Davis to resign came shortly after leaked documents revealed Davis had filed an ethics complaint against Kim Boswell, head of the Alabama Department of Mental Health and member of Ivey’s cabinet.
He initially refused Ivey’s request, but Davis ultimately submitted his resignation, much to the shock of many in Alabama’s veteran community, including a sizable portion of the state board members, who last week voted unanimously to ask Davis to reconsider his decision to step down.
Davis’ attorney, John Saxon, told Alabama Daily News Friday that Davis remains committed to honoring the original agreement reached between the commissioner and Ivey, which would allow him to continue to lead the agency until Dec. 31.
“In early September, Commissioner Davis met with senior members of the governor’s staff, and, briefly, with the governor herself,” Saxon said in a written statement. “His attorney was on the phone. An agreement was reached by which the commissioner would resign effective at the end of the year.
“Since that time, the committee of the board gave the commissioner a clean bill of health regarding any ARPA funds mismanagement, and the board voted unanimously to ask him to consider rescinding his resignation.
“At that board meeting, the commissioner stated he would have nothing further to say about these matters. Notwithstanding the actions of the committee and the board, Commissioner Davis remains committed to honoring his word and his agreement with the governor and her staff, to resign effective Dec. 31.”
When asked for a comment, a spokesman from the Department of Veterans Affairs shared a general comment about the department’s work.
“The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs stands by its mission to ensure that all Veterans and their families understand and receive the full benefits, support, care, and recognition that they have earned and are entitled to. As has been the case for more than 75 years, ADVA holds itself to delivering on these promises through professionalism, integrity, compassion, commitment, and teamwork.”
Davis has served as commissioner since 2019.