Rep. Andrew Gray confessed in a Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday that he had once encouraged an applicant to the U.S. Army to lie on his application about his marijuana use. That would be a felony.
“As a current member of military if I smoked marijuana I would be, um, kicked out, like, because it is not allowed,” Gray said, starting his story.
Gray, who is a physician’s assistant and longtime member of the National Guard, said that a “doctor came to me and said his son wanted to join the military but ‘my son is a pot smoker.'”
Gray, who had the rank of captain in 2021, then told the committee how he advised the doctor that his son could not be honest on his application or he would not be admitted to the Army.
“I had to give him the advice that he cannot be honest on his application or he will not be accepted into the military,” Gray said.
In other words, Gray, a member of the Alaska Army National Guard, advised an applicant to commit fraud to get into the Army.
Lying to get into the Army is considered a felony of fraudulent enlistment, punishable by a $10,000 fine and up to three years in prison.
Gray was the legislator who led a House censure of Rep. David Eastman for comments that Eastman made in committee last month regarding abortion and disabled children.
The committee was hearing testimony about House Bill 28, which would expunge the criminal convictions of those who had been caught with marijuana before it was legal in Alaska. Judiciary Chair Rep. Sarah Vance advised Gray that the military has its own rules and would not be affected by this bill.
Anyone wonder why we got our hat handed to us in Afghanistan? Does quality of officers matter?
Don’t blame the men in the field. Blame the politicians (including ones in uniforms wearing stars).
Our people can only do so much when lead by a senile fool and a man more concerned about “white rage” than how to kill the enemy.
Honestly, it’s amazing how well they did, considering.
If he is still an Active NG Soldier, he should be immediately removed from the military service.
Like anybody ELSE would have given different advice? “I didn’t INHALE?”
I don’t like democrats either, but this is hardly newsworthy.
He is a Democrat, so laws do not apply because his cause is pure and righteous.
Gray and Dunbar are two of a kind. Dunbar stood up in front of the assembly and portrayed the US Constitution as a racist document. Denigrating the constitution while receiving a check from the guard should be grounds for dismissal but nary a peep. Nothing will come of Gray’s idiocy either.
Well where is the DOJ ? Sitting on their leftist hands. Like I have said politicians lie. Why would any normal person vote to have a liar put into a position of power?
Felonies are kidnapping, raping, putting one in fear of death, stealing over a certain large proportionate amount and committed while in the view of witnesses. For these items one might lose liberty. Other bad behaviors have other remedy including civil restitution and immediate payment of fines. It’s a ashame American people don’t know this. No one has authority to make everything under the sun a felony in this nation no matter how much pollyannas desire this authority. If you don’t have the subject matter jurisdiction to begin with you can’t give it away to someone else. Legislative authority may not be delegated to The judicial branch in this republic or to foreign agencies formed in 1871 including muncypalities in this nation. Google Earth no longer points to the District of Columbia. Why is that? Did it go away? Why are there three fences around “everything” in “District of Columbia”? What is defacto? Legislative bodies have subject matter jurisdiction over corporations per events of 1871 not personal jurisdiction over living breathing lawful inhabitants of this nation no personal jurisdiction to dictate over inhabitants. It is not lawful to superimpose a foreign form of government over our republic form of government by violence for that is fraud and inauthentic and defacto according to the Law of Nations.
Very well stated AG. It is true that most do not realize that we are ruled over by a foreign entity but people are starting to wake up.
Felony’s are any crime that when convicted, the sentence is a year and a day or more. It’s the sentence, not the crime.
This guy is the gift that will keep on giving. And giving. And giving.
He should be facing an investigation into his time as a member of the Guard.
What goes on with the AK guard we get people like him and Dunbar?
Um….like…uh,. this guy Gray is a basket case. Sounds like Gray and George Santos have things in common. Neither of them belong in office.
Santos lies for fun and to promote a stir. Gray lies because he has no alternative.
What an oxymoronic statement which clearly impugns Mr. Gray’s honesty and integrity . Gray states that we do not want people of questionable moral character in our armed forces, yet he is okay with people lying on their application and even counsels them to do so. If I did not know any better, I would expect the national guard would separate him immediately, but after what Forest has pulled for years, I am not holding my breath.
Watch what happens to Gray after this admission. Nothing.
Anyone that has served more than a few months in the Alaska Guard system knows that officers and certain full timers will NEVER be punished. It’s all built into the system.
On the other hand, maybe the house will censure him? Lol, right . . . .
So even though he is on record (is he also under oath there?) advocating a felony, two legal bodies will refuse to punish him. The guard, as it always does, will launch an investigation that will go on for about a year and disappear. When questioned, they’ll assure us that punishment was handed out but that can’t discuss that on a public record (i.e., they didn’t do ANYTHING). Then the house will deliberate and find that encouraging felony conduct isn’t REALLY a big thing, so they’ll let it all drop.
The Guard side is more disgusting but only because I’ve had to witness it up close.
I hope that Representative Gray, being in a leadership position, officer, gets ousted via the UCMJ for the bad advice he is telegraphing out there.
What he advocated was not just ‘bad advice’, it was an illegal act. A crime to follow his ‘advice’ and a crime to push someone to do as he said.
The comment may be true, but he violated the oath he took. That is what we enlisted call unbecoming of an officer. He is in no position to cast stones…
Since the pot industry contributes so heavy to his party, he probably has become complacent to the fact that it is still an illegal substance in the eyes of the federal government, and the military. To encourage falsification on a sworn document by anyone who is swearing an oath to protect our country is nothing to be proud of. I am sure that the military would not have disqualified him for being honest. They may have informed him that his pot smoking would not be tolerated while in the military. And with it so common and legal so many places, well it wasn’t even a disqualification in the 1970’s when I joined. But lying sure was. And should still be. A man who can’t be trusted for his word isn’t worth nothing in battle.
Yeah, sounds like this law could use some work.
Palin did that as Mayor and Governor. Probably why she was so rattled when she resigned. Now she’s a nervous wreck. As she should be.
If we are actually serious about legalization of pot, somewhere along the line we’re gonna have to have a discussion about legalizing pot use in Alaska. Businesses, local and state governments all test for use from time to time. THC can be found after 3-4 weeks of use.
Precisely what are we testing for and why? Inebriation? How much pot used within what time period constitutes inebriation? The flying world has the 12 hour bottle to throttle rule which seems to work pretty well. We need a similar rule for pot use, followed by a rewrite of pot use rules for businesses, local and state government entities. Leave the feds for our idiot congressional delegation.
If we’re serious, time to have that conversation. Cheers –
It’s a fair question.
Not only was his advice egregious, but he admitted that the applicant in question already lacked the moral standard. This standard apparently means no more to Gray that it did to the applicant, or the “Physician” to whom he was speaking. I remember receiving a briefing as an enlisted recruit during in processing in Basic Training; “Marijuana use or possession in the Army is illegal and anyone caught using or possessing it will be reclassified to combat arms.” I never understood why it was acceptable for Combat Arms soldiers to be of low moral character. If it was a factor determined to be a character flaw, why not classify them as unfit for service and give them the heave ho! Marijuana is a depressant and in known to slow muscular and cognitive reactions, thus making it a crime to drive under its influence. But, we have become a nation dependent on “drugs,” legal or otherwise. It is apparently difficult to consider a better life without chemicals. Inhibitions are the first victim; the rest will fall into place.
Just had to chime in on this one Suzanne. Do you know how many people “lied” to the government about their pot usage to join ? What Mr. Gray has said is VERY common and not news worthy. Do you know how many people LIE to buy a firearm everyday in Alaska ? ….I think this is non news. I do think the military needs to be more concerned with drunks, pedophiles and murderers. Got enough of those in the military. What about the Officers at Missile Defense at Ft Greely who allowed Native Corporation fraud even though they knew about it ? Someone smoking some weed before they joined the army is NOT a career killer !
Heres a story for you….What about a Captain Company commander who worked for BP who LIED and commited fraud to his employer so they would keep paying him his full BP Pay while he was deployed to Kuwait in 2006-2007 ? Then he was openly bragging about it to troops !! The same company commander who wouldnt promote me to Staff Sargeant even though I was eligible because in his words,”Your just a stop loss soldier. Why do I want to waste a promotion on you?”
We know the same people Sherman.
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