Bryan Taylor, the chief legal counsel for Gov. Kay Ivey, is stepping down soon, according to multiple sources close to the governor’s office.
Taylor has informed Ivey and others in the governor’s office that he is leaving his post the sources said. It’s unclear why Taylor is stepping down, but his wife, Jessica Taylor, is rumored to be considering a run for Congress and the seat Martha Roby is vacating.
Bryan Taylor’s time in Ivey’s office has been uncharacteristically quiet for him. And that was by design.
Ivey and her top advisors have made no secret that they want to avoid controversy and spectacle as much as possible. That includes steering clear of high-profile legal fights and lawsuits.
That’s a significant change from the last time Taylor worked in the governor’s office — under former Gov. Bob Riley.
It was Taylor who Riley credited — whether true or not — with developing the legal theory that led to the heated gambling wars between Riley and Victoryland owner Milton McGregor, who passed away last year.
Taylor eventually spun that debate into a mini anti-gambling crusade, later going after the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in a prolonged legal fight involving the Escambia County Commission.
But there have been none of those fights in Ivey’s office, and Taylor has received little media attention during his two years as her legal counsel.
