Listen: Scott Dawson acknowledges knowing possibility Kay Ivey sexuality rumors raised - Denies it was his intent

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Scott Dawson appeared on Birmingham’s Talk 99.5 “Matt & Aunie” radio show Friday to discuss the controversy tied to his efforts to highlight the potential misappropriation of Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) grant money to the LGBTQ activist group Free2Be.

Dawson initially raised the issue in two press conferences earlier this week, which led to State Rep. Patricia Todd (D-Birmingham) posting a tweet that acknowledged rumors about Gov. Kay Ivey’s sexuality.

In a sometimes-contentious exchange with co-host Matt Murphy, Dawson insisted it wasn’t his intent to play up those rumors when he first raised the ADECA issue. However, he acknowledged those rumors might be associated with his efforts.

Exchange as follows:

MURPHY: Do you understand why people see the timing of it and believe the reason you did it three weeks out was to bring up the rumor Kay Ivey was gay?

DAWSON: If they want to believe that – I can’t choose other people’s thoughts. I can’t determine other people’s actions like I realized this week. I told y’all at the very beginning I am a fallible person. But when I was looking at this, we knew we were going to get this out as transparency and being accountable in front of the people.

MURPHY: In the press conference before Patricia Todd’s tweet, before all of this blew up – before the press conference. You referenced the rumors. You said I’m not here to talk about rumors or spread rumors. What rumors were you talking about specifically?

DAWSON: I mean, OK. You said everyone in politics has heard the rumor that our governor is gay. She has come out and flatly denied that, and I understand that. But, during that time –

MURPHY: So, you knew that there would be a connection made at the time you held the press conference.

DAWSON: I tried my best to stay away from that and bring it toward the transparency of government. That’s what I was focusing on –

MURPHY: But you knew that someone was –

DAWSON: How do you avoid that? Do you just not talk about it?

(CROSSTALK)

MURPHY: If you knew the connection would be made, how do you avoid someone like me saying that it serves your purpose to get that rumor out there because it benefits you politically?

DAWSON: I don’t know how in the world you cannot discuss that community, and not go, ‘Hey, I’m not here to dispel that. I want you to look at this organization. I want you to look at where this money is going. That’s where we were focused on. If you go back and just – anyway, look at the video.

MURPHY: So, you knew at the time the press conference was held that someone would bring up the rumor Kay Ivey was gay publicly?

DAWSON: No.

MURPHY: Then why did you bring up the rumors?

DAWSON: I did not –

MURPHY: You brought up the rumors.

DAWSON: I was trying my best to focus us on transparency of government. I was trying my best to keep us away from that, and unfortunately, someone did something.

MURPHY: But when you say something like, “You know, I know that there are rumors going out there,” don’t you know members of the press are going to go, “What rumors is he referring to?”

DAWSON: OK, now you’re accusing me of not know, but you’re saying you do not know.

MURPHY: No, I’m saying you knew specifically what rumors you were talking about. You admitted that this morning.

DAWSON: I was trying to avoid that.

MURPHY: Then why did you bring it up?

DAWSON: I was trying my best to keep us toward this for the for-cause of what we wanted to do with ADECA. That is where we were.

(CROSSTALK)

MURPHY: Why did you bring up the rumors? You knew someone was going to associate with the rumor Kay Ivey was gay.

(CROSSTALK)

MURPHY: Did you, or did you not know that? That’s why you brought up the rumors.

DAWSON: Did I know what? You’re backing me into –

MURPHY: You said there are rumors out there, and I can pull up the quote. You know what you said in the press conference. This was before Patricia Todd before anybody brought up any of that. You said, “I knew there were rumors out there.” You were referring to the rumors Kay Ivey was gay.

DAWSON: Well, I guess in that situation I was.

MURPHY: So you knew at the time of the press conference that your press conference was going to bring this up?

DAWSON: It’s not about that.

MURPHY: But don’t you accomplish your goal? Don’t you accomplish a goal in that?

DAWSON: A goal? The goal for me is for-cause about what we need to do for that. We’re going to have a difference of opinion on that, I guess.

MURPHY: That’s fair.