Admiral Kent Davis is still "strongly considering" running for state office after being fired from his position as commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veteran Affairs for what he believes was retaliation by Gov. Kay Ivey.
Davis was removed from the ADVA last October by Ivey, who, after the board voted twice to keep Davis and not accept his forced resignation, exercised her "supreme executive power" to remove him from office for allegedly mishandling American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Davis sat down with "1819 News: The Podcast" last week to explain his side of the story and how it inspired him to "strongly consider" running for public office.
Davis said he never mishandled any funds, and a committee with the State Board of Veterans Affairs also found no wrongdoing. However, Davis believes the governor targeted him in retaliation for filing an ethics complaint against Alabama Department of Mental Health commissioner Kim Boswell for allegedly preventing the ADVA from receiving $7 million in ARPA funds.
Though the complaint was dismissed, Davis claims it was the driving force behind Ivey's campaign to remove him from office against the board's will and Davis' many supporters.
"I think my situation, if I can talk selfishly, it does bring up that fundamental issue of what are the limits of government," Davis said on the podcast. "I'm a firm believer that the best government is the one closest to the people and limited in scope. But we also have fundamental issues in this country of separation of powers. My case illustrates that. There's a legislative scheme for appointment and removal of a commissioner of Veterans Affairs. Well, OK, why aren't you following that in this case instead of exerting something called supreme executive power?"
David said he may still run for state office as a "dark horse candidate" after receiving an outpouring of encouragement. As a political outsider, he said he would bring a fresh perspective and strong leadership to the state based on "competence, ethics and humility."
"Unfortunately, in this country, we've come to the point where we treat politicians and elected officials like celebrities… When was the last time you saw that combination of competence, ethics and humility in a leader?"
He continued, "I honestly believe we can return to those ideals. We've gotten away from them, but it takes people a lot of people just saying I've had enough. It's time we have some fundamental changes in how we operate."
To connect with the story's author or comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com or find him on X and Facebook.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
