Former Kentucky Gov. Bevin sentenced to 60 days in jail amid legal battle with estranged son

On Tuesday, a judge issued an arrest warrant for former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) after she found him in contempt of court for repeatedly failing to provide financial records.

Bevin’s estranged son Jonah intervened in the divorce case of his adoptive parents, claiming that they abandoned him and sent him to the Atlantis Leadership Academy, a youth facility in Jamaica, when he was 17. Jonah says he was repeatedly beaten by the staff before the facility was shut down by Jamaican authorities in 2024. The horrific conditions of the Academy were detailed in a July 2024 report published by the Sunday Times of London.

Bevins ordered to jail

Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson ordered Bevin to serve 60 days in the Jefferson County Jail. Bevin can avoid the sentence if he posts a $500 bond and provides financial records that show his receipt of income. Bevin, who was appearing in court via Zoom, claimed that he was attending a funeral in Oklahoma and that he needed time to produce the documents.

Johnson said Bevin has been told multiple times to produce the documents, which are commonly required in cases where child support is at stake. Bevin’s ex-wife Genna provided her financial documents.

“I have no choice but to hold you in contempt of court for violating the court’s order,” Johnson said last Friday. “You didn’t do what you were supposed to do when you were supposed to do it.”

Jonah, now 19, is seeking child support payments to help complete his education. He is currently living alone in Utah, and his lawyers are representing him for free.

Bevin served as Kentucky’s governor from 2015-19 before losing to current Gov. Andy Beshear (D) by 5,189 votes in 2019. Bevins’ 2014 financial disclosures estimated his net worth between $15 million-$60 million. While governor, Bevin called for improvements to the Kentucky adoption and foster care systems. He also took his nine children, including Jonah, to several campaign events. Last year, Jonah told the Kentucky Lantern he believes Bevin did this to “boost himself.”

“If I was in politics, in general, I would not expose my kids in front of live TV with thousands of people you don’t know,” Jonah said in February 2025. “It stressed me out. I had a bunch of trauma from orphanages. I wasn’t good with large groups of people.”