Almone Privately Asked King To Resign

POG governor asked Scott King Jr. to step down as Monomi governor at the height of the scandal


TREETON--Before he was recalled by the voters of Monomi, former Governor Scott King Jr. was asked to step down by his colleague, POG Governor Donna Almone, Chairwoman of the Governors' Board, King told the GBC Wednesday.

On Thursday, Almone confirmed to the NPF that she did ask King to resign at the onset of the scandal.

"I flew to Treeton to meet with Scott, and I was very blunt with him. I told him it would be in his own interest and in the best interest of the people of Monomi if he stepped down," Almone said.

But King refused to accept Almone's recommendation, she said.

"He told me he appreciated my concern and he knew that there was a lot going on and it could be damaging, but he wanted to stay in office. He felt that he was being ushered out by Erica Kinsley and other Nationalists who were trying to get rid of the scandal quickly during an election year, and he believed, he truly believed he was innocent," Almone said.

"I think he really thought he could ride this out and survive," she said.

King, who is boycotting local media out of anger for their coverage of his scandal and ousting, would only speak to the GBC Thursday in response to Almone's comments. He corroborated Almone's version of events, telling the GBC he refused to step down "because I was innocent, am innocent, always will be innocent."

Sources close to King's successor in the Governor's mansion, Erica Kinsley, told the Mavocke Capitol newspaper that Lt. Gov. Tom Cozier (C-CEA), Chairman of the Lieutenant Governors' Board, also made a visit to Treeton to meet with then-lieutenant governor Kinsley. The sources, who asked not to be named because they're not permitted to speak publicly, allege Cozier asked Kinsley to resign also.

A spokesperson from Kinsley's office would not comment Thursday. Cozier's office also did not return a call from GNN.

Despite being recalled back in April, Scott King is still very much in the media spotlight. He has filed a lawsuit against the state of Monomi, seeking monetary damages of $2.7 million and an overturning of state law for what he calls a "wrongful removal from office."

King says he is only suing for the amount of money the recall process cost him, and will donate all the proceeds to charity if he wins.

The former governor is also writing a book about his fall from power, and is reportedly in talks with the GBC about a possible TV show.

The GBC declined to comment, saying that all deals with the network are private until "finalized."