MONTGOMERY, Ala. — On Tuesday, Governor Kay Ivey announced her decision to exercise her “supreme executive power” to dismiss the head of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, W. Kent Davis, after the agency’s board rejected her initial request for his removal.
Ivey conveyed her decision in a letter addressed to Davis, emphasizing her authority to act decisively in this matter after the State Board of Veterans Affairs voted 3-2 against her request. Although Davis had previously agreed to step down by the end of the year, Ivey felt immediate action was necessary.
The governor has accused Davis of a lack of cooperation with her office, citing issues in managing an American Rescue Plan grant program. Supporters of Davis disputed these claims, asserting that no funds were mishandled. Additionally, Davis’ attorney alleged that the governor’s actions were retaliation stemming from Davis filing an ethics complaint against the state’s mental health commissioner during the funding dispute, a complaint that was subsequently dismissed.
In her letter, Ivey referred to the Alabama Constitution, which grants the governor the authority to enforce laws when subordinates fail to act appropriately. “For weeks now, I have laid out the case publicly for why new leadership at the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs is necessary,” she stated. Ivey expressed regret that the situation had escalated to the point of needing to forcibly remove Davis, citing a “total failure of leadership” and lack of collaboration within the agency.
John Saxon, the attorney representing Davis, raised questions about the legitimacy of Ivey’s authority to remove him from his position and indicated that they would consider their legal options moving forward. “Secondly, we will examine the possibility of filing a lawsuit under the anti-retaliation provision of the state ethics act. If we proceed, I look forward to deposing the governor and seeing how she responds under oath when unprepared,” Saxon remarked.
He further suggested that the governor’s anger over the ethics complaint and the board’s decision to keep Davis in his role contributed to the escalation of the situation. “When the governor gets mad, she gets even,” he stated.
In a prior letter to Davis dated October 18, Ivey dismissed the ethics complaint as “frivolous” and accused him of leveraging the dispute process for his benefit. The conflict between Ivey and Davis dates back to earlier this year, and while it seemed to have reached a resolution when Davis agreed to resign in 2024, tensions resurfaced when Ivey claimed he was manipulating board members. This led to her calling a special meeting to discuss his immediate removal.
During the board’s meeting, after a lengthy discussion lasting 90 minutes, Davis managed to withstand the governor’s push for his removal, with two members abstaining from the final vote. Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to address the allegations against him, Davis remarked, “It hurt deeply to be accused of things. So, I’m very grateful today we got to clear the air about some things.”