Governor Kay Ivey called another State Board of Veterans Affairs (SBVA) meeting on Friday to immediately remove outgoing Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) commissioner Kent Davis.
The meeting will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Old Archives Room of the State Capitol in Montgomery.
Ivey and her staffers will have to flip multiple votes on the board because members of the SBVA unanimously voted at a meeting last week to ask Davis to consider rescinding his resignation in a show of support for the outgoing commissioner.
Brandon Miller, an ADVA spokesman, referred questions about the letter to Davis' attorney.
"The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) 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," Miller told 1819 News. "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. Kent Davis is referring all questions to his attorney, John Saxon. Mr. Saxon is currently attending a conference and may not be immediately available."
Saxon told 1819 News in a statement, “In early September, Commissioner Davis met with senior members of the Governor’s staff, and, briefly, with the Governor herself. 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, a 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,” Saxon said. “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 December 31.”
Ivey has maintained that ADVA mishandled American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Davis resigned on September 9, effective December 31, after previously declining to resign. An SBVA committee approved a report last week stating Davis and ADVA did nothing wrong with the funds.
Ivey originally asked for Davis' resignation effective September 30 and removed John Kilpatrick from the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs.
Davis filed an ethics complaint in August at the request of board members against Alabama Department of Mental Health commissioner Kim Boswell for allegedly preventing ADVA from obtaining $7 million in ARPA funds. The Alabama Ethics Commission later dismissed the complaint.
Since the board's vote in support of Davis last week, SBVA vice chair Scott Gedling said SBVA members were pressured and "manipulated" into unanimously passing a motion asking Davis to reconsider his plans to resign at the end of the year.
Ken Rollins, an SBVA board member who made the motion in question, denied the board was manipulated into voting a certain way.
Bryan Battaglia, a retired U.S. Marine whose term on the SBVA expired at the end of September, told 1819 News in a statement, “After reading Scott Gedling’s letter published to the State Board of Veterans Affairs, I was nauseated yet again with Gedlings toxicity and hypocrisy. Mr. Gedling uses the term manipulative in his letter, describing Commissioner Davis. Untrue about Davis. But, let me lay out how Gedling manipulated actions and events and you’ll see the toxicity and hypocrisy that’s commonplace in this guy’s leadership portfolio.”
“What was the final straw that caused the Commissioner to submit his resignation? On September 6th, Gov. Ivey sent her letter to Commissioner Davis to submit his resignation by 5pm on the 9th. As you may recall, he initially refused it, stating that he did nothing wrong. But did you also know that on or about Sept 8 th or 9th, Gedling, the Vice Chairman approached the Commissioner in person and personally demanded for him to submit his resignation?” Battaglia said. “Ready to see manipulation in action? To put some toxic icing on his own cake, during that conversation, Gedling blatantly lies to Commissioner Davis saying that he had the backing of all board members to vote to remove him. A COMPLETE BOLD FACE LIE! Our own Vice Chairman was using each of our VSO positions on the voting board without our knowledge or permission and manipulated a lie to reach a desired result. Further, that same day, Gedling even had fellow board member and VFW colleague to support this idea and call the Commissioner to ask for his resignation. So, our commissioner, taking Gedling at his word that all the voting board members were in favor of him resigning, walks across the street and submits his resignation. That’s how that played out. The Commissioner would have not walked across the street if he were not scammed by the Vice Chair. I have served almost 37 years of active duty in the armed forces and witnessed my fair share of toxic leadership. Gedling’s leadership in the handling of this is another classic example. He is part of the problem not the solution. It’s Gedling’s resignation that needs to be demanded, not Commissioner Davis.”
2024-10-18 GKI Letter to Kent Davis by Caleb Taylor on Scribd
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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