Alaska Rep. Andrew Gray of East Anchorage has hired Anchorage Assembly member Anna Brawley to join his staff, a decision sure to prompt debate over ethical boundaries, public accountability, and potential conflicts of interest between state and municipal governance.
Brawley, who represents District 3 Seat E on the Anchorage Assembly, will now simultaneously serve as a legislative aide to Gray, who represents House District 20 in the Alaska State Legislature — a district that includes much of the UMED area of Anchorage. The dual appointment creates an unusual convergence of municipal and state responsibilities, and with that, a host of ethical questions.
Brawley makes $50,000 or more off the Anchorage taxpayers and the average salary for legislative staff is $82,000.
As a sitting Assembly member since April 2023, Brawley helps shape Anchorage’s municipal budget, votes on city laws, and oversees policies related to housing, public safety, and economic development. In her new role as a staffer to Rep. Gray, she will advise on statewide policy. That includes legislation that could directly impact Anchorage, the very city she helps rule.
This overlap creates an environment ripe for conflicts of interest. For instance, Gray has championed housing and homelessness initiatives like Senate Bill 119, and proposals to incentivize housing for indigents. These same issues fall squarely within Brawley’s purview on the Assembly, where she votes on matters that affect zoning, funding for shelters, homelessness services, and municipal housing strategy.
If she is simultaneously advising on state policy and voting on city policy, often within the same issue areas, it raises the question: Which hat is she wearing when decisions are made? The one that pays the highest salary?
Even in the absence of a direct conflict, public perception matters. The arrangement may undermine public confidence, especially in light of previous scrutiny Brawley faced over her employment with Agnew::Beck Consulting. The firm received a $194,000 municipal contract in 2023, prompting concerns over her impartiality as an Assembly member, despite her promise to recuse herself from related votes.
Brawley has previously spoken about the importance of avoiding conflicts. During her 2023 campaign, she criticized her opponent, Brian Flynn, because his wife worked in the mayor’s administration.
Both Anchorage’s municipal ethics code and Alaska’s state ethics statutes place emphasis on avoiding situations where personal or financial interests might interfere with official duties. The Alaska Legislative Ethics Act (AS 24.60) specifically requires legislative staff to avoid conflicts of interest. The Anchorage Assembly mandates disclosure and recusal for members with potential conflicts.
In practice, however, enforcing ethical compliance in cases of overlapping roles is complicated. For example, if Rep. Gray sponsors legislation affecting municipal housing funding and Brawley contributes to that legislation while also voting on the city budget that would receive the funds, even full disclosure may not prevent the public from being alarmed.
Former Assembly member Amy Demboski frequently disclosed conflicts stemming from her husband’s employment with the fire department. Brawley’s situation may result in similar burdens, requiring frequent recusals that dilute her legislative and municipal contributions, in the same way that Rep. Meg Zaletel declared recusals due to her role as the head of the Anchorage homeless industrial complex.
Another concern centers around influence and access. As a legislative staffer, Brawley now has advance access to state-level strategy discussions, budget forecasts, and constituent casework, all privileged information that other Assembly members do not have. That access to privileged material could advantage her in city policymaking.
The concentration of political influence, especially in overlapping policy areas like homelessness and public safety, raises red flags, since Brawley can now shape Gray’s legislative agenda to reflect her own municipal priorities, thereby consolidating decision-making power.
Practical considerations add further weight to the controversy. The Assembly position, while technically part-time, demands considerable attention through multiple weekly meetings, budget sessions, and community engagement. Legislative staff roles, especially during the January-to-May session, are similarly intensive. How Brawley intends to balance both jobs, each paid with public funds, remains an open question, particularly since both may be considered full time.
Combined, the arrangement invites questions about the appropriateness of drawing two taxpayer-funded salaries for overlapping government roles.
This is not the first time the Anchorage Assembly has found itself in murky ethical territory. Member Zaletel has repeatedly recused herself from votes involving the nonprofit she runs, the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness, which receives substantial city funding. That precedent indicates a pattern where elected officials serve while managing overlapping organizational interests—an issue that remains largely unresolved.
Leftist representative hires leftist assembly member to moonlight for him. Imagine if this were conservatives doing this sleight of hand? The outrage would be deafening. Yet, these kinds of ethically-challenged decisions occur without consequence. This does not pass the bulletin board test. It doesn’t even pass the sniff test. It stinks!
Anna Brawley is probably one of the most trustworthy persons that I have known in City Government but this move should not be allowed. The Municipality and the State of Alaska is too closely tied in their operations and financial processes to devise the two. Anna either needs to quit the new job or resign her position on the Anchorage Assembly.
once again we see how the left makes up the rules as they go. It must end somehow someway. Sadly it will no doubt end in a tragedy caused by the left.
More power to steer Anchorage deeper in debt sprawling with homeless clients.
Rules and laws are for serfs. Not the ruling Politburo
Wait! What? Is that even legal? It surely isn’t ethical. Will she submit a time card?
This is not the first time the Anchorage Assembly has found itself in murky ethical territory. And it won’t be the last cause nothing will happen Alaska Politicians Lie Cheat Steal and get away with it
This is DEFINITELY a conflict interest, she needs decide one or othe other, but it will be a problem of deciding whose side she is on..just like Zaletel..
A quiet rule change by the Assembly to accommodate the employment of a member of their super-majority seems to be okay with these leftists. Business as usual. No need to be concerned about any stinkin conflict of interest, right? Only when the pain gets to be too great for people of Anchorage will they stop voting for leftist mayors and assembly members. It may be too late then.
Why is this raising eyebrows when Meg Zalatel sitting on the board of the Let’s Fleece Anchorage Taxpayers by Pretending to Help the Homeless…. errr…. I mean The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness while elected to the Assembly?
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I am absolutely sure… SURE, this will be looked into by the Assembly and Mayor and they will find nothing wrong with it. Convinced.
You say some crazy stuff on MRAK. This time you’re speaking absolute truth.
The cook always raves about how the soup turned out, the Anchorage Assembly and Mayor will find themselves righteous every time, and their short term personal advantage causes long term suffering for Anchorage.
Personal accountability is key when personal gain is among the options.
Thanks Clam!
I am glad to see my work here get the recognition it deserves.
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And, you are correct. it is not just this assembly that has the short term personal gain problem, it is all leftists. They have no problem bending the rules for their own gain, or spending no end of other people’s money so they look benevolent.
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This is just one more example of it.
Andrew Gray, The Mayor and The A$$embly have succeeded in making Anchorage the Honey Bucket of Alaska.
“Honey” Two definitions- “Sweet fluid of the Gods produced by bees”, the other is the “Sweet fluid of the outdoor privy attendees. I agree, the attendees over the bees. Dang! almost poetic.
Anchorage turned into a septic tank a while ago when socialist/degenerates began getting selected to sit on the assembly and make it into their socialist utopia. It’s a damn shame.
Due to our side’s apathy, laziness and infighting, the Dems have locked up the Assembly and things like this will continue to happen. Why? Well, because of their overwhelming majority, libz like Zalatel don’t need to vote when 10 others will take care of everything that she needs. Brawley will do the same as will the rest of her buds. The only way these issues get resolved or, don’t see the light of day, is for repubs and conservatives to get out and vote.
Conflict!!!!
The Treasurer for Alaska Gold Communications serves on the Dept of Labor Workers Compensation Board for southcentral Alaska. Imagine a transgender or person of color getting a fair hearing with her ? Has she declared this on her conflict of interest disclosure ? You should do a FOIA !
What about Dave Donley serving as a Deputy Commissioner for the Dept of Administration whilst serving on the Anchorage School Board ?
The Lady does protest too much, me thinks.
Brawley = chaos
Another social worker trying to run things
(into the ground)
When one, or two, are relativists with no moral or ethical absolutes then what boundaries or rules are there?
And how is she going to attend meetings and cast her vote? Are Zoom voting next?
Nothing will come of this from the Assembly, Mayor or the Assembly’s attorney/legal counsel. No conflict here, I can represent my constituents that elected me to the Anchorage Assembly and as a legislator’s staff at the same time. Yeah, right. Time for a recall petition for a recall election of this trustworthy person that serves the Municipality and Juneau as a legislative staff person.
To recall an Anchorage Assembly member in Alaska, you must follow the requirements outlined in state law (specifically Alaska Statutes §29.26.240 – §29.26.360).
Here are the key requirements for an Anchorage Assembly member recall petition:
1. Grounds for Recall:
Misconduct in office.
Incompetence.
Failure to perform prescribed duties.
‘https://www.muni.org/Departments/Assembly/Clerk/Elections/pages/petitioninfo.aspx
No worries. She will just recuse herself if there is any obvious conflict of interest, as though her vote is really needed. Just like the double dipping Meg Zaletel. Leftists know no ethics.
These people continue to exemplify the basis of the federal and state RICO laws. At some point, the people paying the property taxes in Anchorage are goin to have to hire counsel to sue the city for racketeering violations this assembly has enjoined that defraud the taxpayers.
No one can serve two masters.
It’s important to remember that even though Meg Zaletel declared recusals due to her role as the head of the Anchorage homeless industrial complex, her friends in the assembly would vote to allow her to continue as if that conflict didn’t exist.
If it weren’t for dopuble standards, they would have no standards at all. Cheers –