Rear Admiral Kent Davis Speaks Out After Firing from Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs

In a recent episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, hosts Neeli Faulkner and Whitney Scapecchi sat down with Rear Admiral William “Kent” Davis, the former commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs whose removal from office by Governor Kay Ivey became one of the most controversial political stories involving Alabama veterans in recent years.

During the conversation, Davis addressed not only the challenges facing veterans across the state, but also the events that led to his dismissal, which he says came after he filed an ethics complaint related to state grant funding.

The discussion offers a rare inside look at how Alabama’s veteran services operate behind the scenes and raises broader questions about transparency, accountability, and political power in state government.

A Career Spent in Service: Kent Davis

Davis spent more than three decades in the U.S. military, serving in both the Army and Navy before retiring with the rank of Rear Admiral. His career included deployments to multiple combat zones, including Afghanistan. Following his military service, Davis continued working in national security and public service roles, including a position with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

In 2019, after a competitive selection process involving more than 60 applicants, Davis was chosen by the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs to serve as commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA). The role placed him in charge of overseeing programs designed to support Alabama's hundreds of thousands of military veterans.

The Challenges Facing Alabama Veterans

According to Davis, one of the first problems he encountered when taking office was the state's lack of infrastructure for long-term veteran care. At the time, Alabama had the longest waiting list in the country for admission into state veterans' homes, facilities designed to provide long-term care for aging veterans. But the most urgent challenge, Davis said, was the mental health crisis affecting veterans.

Nationally, an estimated 200,000 veterans have died by suicide since the September 11 attacks, a number that exceeds U.S. combat deaths from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. In Alabama, Davis said the situation is particularly severe.

Veterans in the state are estimated to be two to three times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, a statistic he described as a "national tragedy. During his tenure, Davis launched initiatives aimed at reducing suicide rates and expanding mental health support programs for veterans and their families.

The Ethics Complaint That Sparked Controversy

Davis’s tenure as commissioner came to an abrupt end in October 2024 when Governor Kay Ivey removed him from office.

According to Davis, the conflict began after he filed an ethics complaint related to the handling of state grant funding for veteran support programs. Davis said the complaint was filed after concerns were raised about how certain grant funds were being managed and whether state officials had interfered with agreements involving the Alabama Department of Mental Health.

Under Alabama law, Davis said he believed he was legally required to report the concerns tot he Alabama Ethics Commission once they were brought to his attention. Soon after the complaint was filed, Davis says he began receiving pressure from the governor's office to resign.

The governor’s office later accused Davis of mismanaging federal grant funds within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Davis strongly disputes that claim.

He told the Make It Make Sense, Alabama hosts that an independent review later found no discrepancies in the department’s finances during his tenure. According to Davis, a four-year audit of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs found zero financial irregularities related to the programs he oversaw.

Despite those findings, the governor ultimately used her executive authority to remove him from office.

Changes to the Veterans Affairs Board

Following Davis’s removal, state lawmakers also passed legislation restructuring the authority of the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs. Previously, the board had the power to hire and fire the commissioner independently.

Under the new law, the commissioner position became a political appointment that serves at the pleasure of the governor, significantly reducing the board’s authority.

Davis argues that the change effectively politicized a position that was originally designed to operate independently in order to serve veterans.

Speaking Out About Alabama Government Accountability

During the interview, the conversation expanded beyond veterans’ issues into broader concerns about government transparency and accountability in Alabama. Davis criticized what he described as a culture of political retaliation, bureaucratic barriers, and lack of oversight, particularly when it comes to how public funds are distributed.

He also pointed to the elimination of certain anti-corruption watchdog roles within state government as an example of declining oversight.

“We have nobody to blame but ourselves,” Davis said during the interview, emphasizing that voter participation and civic engagement are critical to improving government accountability.

What Comes Next

Davis says he is currently involved in ongoing legal proceedings related to his removal from office and intends to continue advocating for veterans through nonprofit work and public policy discussions.

He also encouraged citizens to stay informed and engaged in the political process.

For the hosts of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, the conversation highlighted a broader theme that runs through many of their interviews: understanding how policy decisions and political conflicts in Montgomery can directly impact people across the state.

And for Alabama’s veterans, the stakes remain high.

Listen to the Full Interview Now

Listen to the full interview on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Links to listen on other platforms including Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and more can be found here.

Episode Resources

About the Guest

Rear Admiral W. Kent Davis, USN Ret. (AUSN): https://ausn.org/team/rear-admiral-w-kent-davis-usn-retired/

Kent Davis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/w-kent-davis-rear-admiral-u-s-navy-retired-jd-433b996/

News Articles

Gov. Kay Ivey fires Veterans Affairs Commissioner Kent Davis (Alabama Reflector): https://alabamareflector.com/2024/10/22/gov-kay-ivey-fires-veterans-affairs-commissioner-kent-davis/

Fired Alabama veterans affairs commissioner files federal lawsuit against Gov. Kay Ivey (AL.com): https://www.al.com/politics/2025/06/fired-alabama-veterans-affairs-commissioner-files-federal-lawsuit-against-gov-kay-ivey.html

Governor Ivey strikes back, moves to dismiss lawsuit by former ADVA Commissioner Kent Davis (Yellowhammer News): https://yellowhammernews.com/governor-ivey-strikes-back-moves-to-dismiss-lawsuit-by-former-adva-commissioner-kent-davis/

Veteran Suicide Statistics

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Veteran Suicide Prevention Report: https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/data.asp

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention report,

Alabama Mental Health System Rankings

Mental Health America: https://mhanational.org/the-state-of-mental-health-in-america/

National analyses from Mental Health America's state rankings consistently place Alabama near the bottom in access to mental health services.

Alabama Certificate of Needs Laws

Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA): http://shpda.alabama.gov/

Healthcare providers seeking to open new facilities must receive approval through the Alabama Certificate of Need Review Board, a regulatory process critics say can make it difficult to expand mental health services.