Two members of Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’ inner circle have come to his defense as speculation swirls in Anchorage about Berkowitz and a reporter.
Your Alaska Link news anchor Maria Athens, who remains in custody on Sunday afternoon, blew up the mayor’s life on Friday when she posted a photo of a man’s naked backside on Facebook, implying it was the mayor. The physique and the head of hair resemble Berkowitz, but in this era, photos can be faked.
What is unclear is how Athens got the photo of the man’s backside and what her motivation is for posting it. Did she have a special hatred of the mayor and his wife?
Berkowitz’ friends were quick to condemn the woman.
“Ethan Berkowitz shouldn’t have to go through this. There is no basis for any of it. Stay strong my friend,” wrote Eric Croft, a close friend of the mayor. Croft is running for mayor, as Berkowitz is term-limited out next April. Many on Croft’s Facebook page agreed in varying degrees of expressed solidarity and vitriol.
Assembly member Forrest Dunbar, also running for mayor, also came to the defense of his fellow Democrat Berkowitz, who is the highest ranked Democrat elected official in Alaska.
“Yesterday, a woman made wild and unsubstantiated charges against the Mayor. Her behavior in the past months, in which she has shown up at Assembly Meetings while refusing to wear a mask, produced bizarre and slanted pieces of pseudo-journalism, and become ever more enmeshed in conspiratorial thinking of the far-right, indicate that she may be mentally unwell,” Dunbar wrote.
“What’s perhaps more disturbing is that hundreds of people on this website credulous shared her accusations, so consumed are they with hatred towards Ethan that they would apparently believe any lie told about him. This piece had exactly as much evidence as the debunked notion that he used his emergency powers to close restaurants because of his own business interests. Both stories are vivid examples that old saying: ‘A lie gets twice around the world before the truth gets its shoes on.'”
Without knowing whether the Athens’ allegations about the mayor, his genitals, and an underage girl are true, both mayoral candidates say they are lies.
Dunbar, in his scolding essay on Facebook, says the charges are unfounded and fraudulent. He says he has known Berkowitz and his wife Mara Kimmel for years and they are ‘decent, honest, public-minded people.”
More than 50 hours after the first posting on Facebook by Athens, the mayor of Anchorage has been nowhere to be found. A police detail was at his house overnight on Friday but has been scaled back, Must Read Alaska has learned.
Berkowitz has made no public statement about whether the photo posted on Facebook of the naked man is him. He’s made no public statement at all, in fact, other than a vague press release on Saturday, which denied all the allegations as slanderous.
The response from the Left — not believing a woman in this #believeallwomen era — and the silence from Alaska’s largest newspaper is now the topic of discussion in many circles in Anchorage.
No story has yet appeared in the Anchorage Daily News, more than 50 hours after the incident first blew up with the bizarre video posting and the nude pictures on Facebook regarding the mayor. The newspaper ran a story about the mayor’s proposed budget on Sunday afternoon.
KTUU ran a brief story that discredited Athens on Saturday, mainly relying on the official police statement that an investigation turned up no credible evidence that Berkowitz was involved in illegal sexual activities.
It’s in stark contrast to how the media treated former Attorney General Kevin Clarkson, when he was let go from his job after a series of uncomfortable and flirtatious text exchanges between him and an employee in the Governor’s Office.
The media was also quick to report unsubstantiated allegations against now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. But today, it’s keeping mum about Democrat Mayor Ethan Berkowitz.
This story was put down real quick like something is being hidden from the public and the people of Anchorage have the right to know if our already shady Mayor is indeed a pedophile or not
There is absolutely zero evidence. It would be highly irresponsible to run a story that has no credible evidence. Obviously there was more evidence on Kevin Clarkson.
LOL. We will soon see. Won’t we. LOL
I didn’t think evidence was a requirement for reporters! Look at what the Democrat Party (ie Berkowitz’s party) has been doing to the Republicans since Hillary lost the 2016 election!
So, the Left has been yelling in our faces for months we are all racists and bigots and homophobes.
I am not justifying or endorse Ms. Athens story, yet.
However, I find it ironic how the Left acts so offended and shocked when they are accused of something, but have no thought to speak to and accuse the citizenry as if we are all stupid and racists.
I think we all would benefit from the realization that accusations against those to which we have some connection or agreement get met with doubt and trepidation. This is not unique to liberals or conservatives. This is human nature. Being conscious and aware of that tendency gives us all the power to be more objective in the perception of the world around us.
Well said, good reminder.
I would agree with you!
If watching her unhinged report and the flimsy evidence she presented wasn’t enough, the profanity laced recording of the threats to kill him and his wife and her arrest for assault and disorderly conduct along with being banned from her place of work should give you a clue.
I hope after she bailed out, the Baker Act was used to get her the help she needs.
One question for the mayor. Is that you in those photos? Simple.
That’s the one question a professional journalist should ask, but don’t hold your breath, they operate under “Clintonian guidelines” where their party officials are concerned. #dontaskdonttell
They could be pics taken by his doc and leaked by a MA that wasn’t a smart person. The question would need context… like where was it posted and by whom?
I’d bet a nickel Ms. Athens will be out tomorrow and if she’s on the right path this story will get much more interesting by dinnertime tomorrow night.
Forrest Dunbar… Decent men do not suggest Father Son Marriage,,, wrong universe
Agreed! How could people cast a vote for someone who would say it’s okay for a father to have sex with and “marry” his own son??? Disgusting!
It is really strange that Berky is so silent, I am not sure about you… but if someone reported something like this about me, or maybe you, pretty certain I would be not silent. And I am also sure that the accuser would not be tongue tied in jail.
He is probably busy getting his a– kicked by his wife.
And his wife has kind of a record.
All these politicians running out to tell you Ethan is great and a god like democrat who shouldn’t have to go through this are the same people who told you they would protect your PFD and did the exact opposite and still smile in your face while ignoring you!
It’s ok to question authority, folks, and now is a good time. APD and FBI did a joint investigation on the pictures not just allegation, then they should hold a joint press release and put this to bed! He is a mayor of the biggest city! Save face! The pictures speak volumes if they were sent out by his phone or computer/IP address. FBI has a huge photo forensics lab and computer forensics! This is a basic investigation! This is how they catch child predators.
It’s so strange that a car thief or other assault criminals get to free right away with little or no bail but she has to stay locked up?
Am I wrong? ?
She would have been out right away if she had stolen 3 cars in one day, eluded police and had a stolen firearm with her.
Mind bogglingly fast investigation by APD. Nothing to see.
.
Just like the investigation when little Ethan’s wife (Mara Kimmel) killed a pedestrian with her car. Nothing to see.
Curious.
Does anyone other than me think that an agency other that the Anchorage Police Department should be handling the investigation(s) here? Secondly, were the charges against Ms. Athens filed by the Municipal Prosecutor under local ordinance? (The Chief of APD and the Municipal Prosecutor both work at the pleasure of the Mayor.)
This is far too much like Putin’s Russia or like Red China operates; a journalist is in prison where she cannot speak. The mayor’s minions and flunkies say it never happened. Most of the media remain silent, underscoring their lack of independence (or much worse?). Any reasonable person would conclude there is more to the story. No one would now be surprised if the journalist has an accident in prison and becomes deceased. If not for the journalist suffering in prison and being in real danger this would be fun. I worry that all truly independent journalists could be in danger right now!
The Mayor doth protest too much! Jail for what he calls a false accusation? Something stinks here!
How soon we forget! Judge Karl Johnstone was accused of some wrong doings by Rep. Spohnholz during his conformation vote for the Board of fisheries Where as Rep. Spohnholz had no evidence to provide the joint legislature meeting except that she said ” i just received a phone call form an anonymous female, that Johnstone had sexually harassed her”. No investigation, no due process, and no evidences. Mr. Johnstone had no way or option to defend himself. He was later that day not confirmed to the BOF.
No credible evidence means “no credible evidence.”
Clarkson left an email trail. That’s evidence.
More innuendo, no evidence= rumor mongering.
Just the facts, ma’am.
LOL. Credible now? LMAO.
The inference that the FBI and APD had already accomplished an investigation as to the veracity of the allegations are what threw up the huge red flag for me. Those entities take longer than that to figure out who gets to drive which car. And to have Maria arrested on such minor charges and jailed for such a period, or jailed at all, after she threw that announcement up on facebook was pretty damn telling as well. Then, the mayor asks for police protection? For what? Is he worried about someone’s dad coming for him? This is all very smelly. And no huge surprise the morally corrupt on the assembly come to his defense.
This is 2020.
Guilt by accusation is the standard Godless liberal Democrats have brought us.
Need any more be said.
Different treatment when you are Berkowitz’s wife and a man dies:
Witness John Fox said at the time, and still believes that Kimmel got off because she was connected to a powerful politician. Fox believes he is one of the best witnesses because the accident occurred right next to his vehicle in the intersection and he saw it all unfold. To this day he feels there was a cover-up.
I think a few FISA warrants are needed,,, Just for credibility.
If this was about a conservative they would say where there is smoke there is fire. How does it feel when the shoe is on the “Left” foot? I’ve alway said when the worm turns the left will not like the same tactics they use on others to be used on them.
Berkowitz is only sorry he got caught. I think there is more to the story, but typical of a scumbag Democrat. Must be more women involved, must be related to Epstein. He should do the right thing and resign.
Ain’t it the norm. When a Democrat is said to have done something wrong, it never happened or it’s no big deal. But when it is a Republican, their guilty as charged without facts. Anyone that votes for a Democrat isn’t a true Christian, nor are they an American patriot.
I guess the posse must have mud on the face when he comes out and admits to improprieties just a day after the wagons were circled. All of these individuals need to be called out in the city square and made to admit they were wrong.
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