Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs Vice Chairman Scott Gedling called on Commissioner Kent Davis to step down in a letter to fellow board members, saying he has “manipulated” the board and irreversibly damaged its relationship with state lawmakers.
The letter, dated Tuesday, comes after the board’s unanimous vote last week to ask Davis to reconsider his resignation, which is effective December 31, 2024. Gedling, who had expressed support for Davis during the board meeting, now says that Davis acted in his own interest and undermined the board’s mission.
“In truth Commissioner Davis along with a few others in the Veteran community orchestrated the outcome of votes by placing extreme pressure on some of you to do and say things that went against your beliefs and the very principles on which this board should stand. Regardless of whether we all still agree with how these votes came out, we can all agree that Commissioner Davis’s actions leading up to them went against his public statement last month that his resignation would resolve this matter to the mutual benefit of all parties. I gave him a clear opportunity during the board meeting to reaffirm his resignation and put this all behind us, but he failed to do so,” Gedling wrote.
“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. However, today, I believe that he has manipulated me and the Board to keep his job and serve his own interests. I also now believe that his actions have brought the Board itself into disfavor with the Governor and Legislature — elected officials we must always have on our side if we are going to serve our mission. For this reason, I am convinced that Commissioner Davis must step aside. I hope you will join me in urging him to do so. Resolving this distraction is the only way we can get back to serving Alabama veterans.”
Davis has led the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs since 2019. He announced his resignation last month after Governor Ivey accused the department of mishandling American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and disintegrating relationships with fellow agency heads.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270
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