Son of former KY Gov. Matt Bevin says recent statements are examples of ‘ongoing abuse’
Lawyers for Jonah Bevin, the adopted son of former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin who has intervened in his parents’ divorce proceedings and is seeking retroactive child support, said recent claims from his parents about his childhood health and behavior is part of “ongoing abuse.”
Glenna Bevin, the ex-wife of the former governor, spoke out earlier this week for the first time publicly since court proceedings began, telling FOX56 Jonah Bevin was sent to a school for troubled youth in Jamaica because the family had concerns about his behavior as a child.
Jonah Bevin filed to intervene in the Bevin’s divorce case last year, requesting financial support after he said his parents abandoned him at an abusive youth facility in Jamaica when he was 16, and are no longer financially supporting him.
Glenna Bevin told FOX56 she believes Jonah Bevin’s intervention in the court case is “about publicly humiliating the former governor,” and prolonging the case.
But Jonah Bevin’s lawyers said the case had repeatedly been delayed by appeals filed by Matt and Glenna Bevin, and delayed further by Matt Bevin failing to turn over financial documents.
“Any inference that Jonah has an agenda other than a fair day in court is a smoke screen to distract your viewers from Mr. Bevin’s contempt and impending jail sentence,” the statement said, later adding that, “this attempt to put Jonah on trial for his behavior or health as a minor to imply that he somehow deserved the treatment he received in these facilities or to be abandoned in another country is ongoing abuse.”
Glenna Bevin’s lawyer did not respond to a request for an interview or comment to the Herald-Leader. Jonah’s lawyers referred to a statement issued to FOX56 about the Glenna Bevin interview when asked for further comment.
The interview, which aired Tuesday night, included Glenna Bevin and four of the Bevin children. It marks the latest installment in a legal case that has lasted more than a year. It began with divorce proceedings before Kentucky’s former Republican governor and his wife, and evolved into a child support fight that’s left Matt Bevin facing jail time for contempt of court.
Matt Bevin now faces 60 days of jail time and a $500 fine for failing to submit his financial records to the court by the deadline. As of Friday morning, Matt Bevin was not listed as an inmate on the Jefferson County Detention Center’s website.
In a statement made through his lawyer last week, following the issue of the arrest warrant, Matt Bevin again accused Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson of bias and abusing her position as a judge, and said the family has tried to work through things privately. Glenna Bevin also told FOX56 a settlement has been offered to Jonah Bevin, including paying his legal fees.
Jonah Bevin is one of four children the Bevins adopted from Ethiopia. They also have five biological children. Glenna Bevin filed for divorce in May 2023 from the former governor, which was finalized last year.
Matt Bevin also told Johnson that the couple has continued to pay Jonah Bevin’s medical bills in recent years, and part of their divorce settlement includes paying for postsecondary education for each of their children.
“Many have wondered why, as Jonah’s parents, we have never publicly responded to the false allegations that have been made against us,” Matt Bevin’s said in the June 5 statement. “The reasons, despite our effort to have them handled privately, have now been forced by this judge and Jonah’s attorneys to be publicly discussed in detail in her courtroom next month. We have tried repeatedly to have this case discussed in private for Jonah’s sake. The judge has refused. So now, the truth of his behavioral health, substance abuse and criminal history will be played out for the self-serving purposes of those exploiting his vulnerabilities. This will not be good for Jonah, who we have always tried to protect.”
A hearing is set for 9 a.m. Monday, according to online court records, with another set for July.
It’s not clear if Matt Bevin has returned to Kentucky since his arrest warrant was issued. He has been ordered by the court to appear in person for proceedings.
Matt Bevin held in contempt of court
The former governor was first held in contempt of court in March for failing to produce financial documents requested by the court to determine potential child support. Bevin had also been ordered to appear in person for the hearing, but he appeared via Zoom, saying he was traveling with his children for the funeral of his former father-in-law.
Then in May, Jonah Bevin’s lawyers argued that Matt Bevin had still not turned in sufficient financial documentation. Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson said after reviewing the documents submitted, there were “holes in some of the evidence.”
Bevin again had been ordered to appear in person, but instead joined the courtroom via Zoom, saying he was in Maine because a boulder had fallen on a home he owns.
Johnson said she was holding Matt Bevin to the same standards she would any other person who failed to provide such documents and failed to appear in person when ordered. She then issued a warrant for his arrest, in which he was ordered to either spend 14 days in jail or pay a $250 fine.
Bevin paid the fine instead of serving jail time, according to court records.
As part of that hearing, Bevin was also ordered to turn over financial documents by June 5. That day, Bevin filed an emergency motion requesting an extension until June 15, which Johnson denied.
Johnson then issued a warrant for Bevin’s arrest. The former governor will spend 60 days in jail and must pay a $500 fine.
Johnson wrote in her order that Bevin had already been granted “more than reasonable time” to produce the documents. She added that Bevin’s motion for an extension was untimely because it was “filed minutes before the deadline,” noting that Bevin was aware of the deadline a week earlier and still waited until the last moment to “inform the Court he did not intend to comply in a timely manner.”
Glenna Bevin had been excluded from the most recent court proceedings because she has already submitted financial information to the court.