While a few haggard-looking protesters were outside the Alaska Capitol protesting President Trump, the real fireworks were inside on Wednesday.
On the fourth floor of the Capitol, five burly men descended on the office of Rep. Jamie Allard to try to convince her it would be wise of her to support the planned Eklutna casino that Las Vegas developers are trying to build on a small parcel of Native land adjacent to her district, Eagle River.
The five thuggish men, led by Anthony Marnell III, were not immediately persuasive and so soon started yelling at Allard, loudly dropping F-bombs on her. She dished it right back at them, and the shouting could be heard in the hallway of the Capitol, until she finally threw them out of her office after about a 20-minute exchange of unpleasantries.
The intimidation of an elected official clearly did not work. Allard has said publicly that half of her community supports a casino, and the other half does not. She is not the type of lawmaker who will be bullied by anyone.
Marnell is an imposing figure and talks a tough game. He traveled Juneau on his Lear jet for the occasion of using his Las Vegas tactics against Alaska lawmakers.
At one point during the meeting, Marnell flew into a rage and shouted that Attorney General Treg Taylor is a “f—ing idiot.” Taylor has filed a lawsuit in D.C. District Court over the National Indian Gaming Commission’s approval of the casino.
This ramrod approach is the same kind of tactic that Marnell used last month in Anchorage, when over a three-day weekend, when the courts were closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, his crew pushed together some trailers onto the muddy Eklutna property the tribe has been clearing, and set up a few gaming machines inside. He and the tribe got a little bit of gaming going that weekend in the mudhole casino before any court action could be taken. They hoped this would grandfather in the casino.
It was an in-your-face tactic not unlike the one he used at the Capitol on Wednesday.
Allard said that while they were in her office, Marnell disclosed to her that Eklutna Tribe CEO Aaron Leggett had been essentially paying off the Chugiak Fire Department.
Marnell called it a donation but made it clear it was quid pro quo for the services that his casino expected to get from the fire hall, which does not actually serve the land where the casino is planned.
As Marnell and his entourage, including lobbyist Kris Knauss of Juneau, strode away from Allard’s office toward the stairs, Marnell could be heard throughout the halls loudly cursing her to his posse of bullies.
It was about as close to a mafia-like encounter as has been seen in Alaska’s capitol since perhaps the pipeline days. When the squad of men didn’t get their way with the representative from Eagle River, they upped the intensity until the foul language punctuated their every sentence.
So intense and so loud were the intimidation tactics they used, that word quickly spread throughout the building. Capitol security sought Allard out, stood near her office, and for her safety walked her to her car as she was leaving the building.
Read about how Marnell and the Eklutna Tribe rushed to open the casino as a makeshift operation, without so much as a permit or fire safety plan on file, at this link:
Boot the thugs out of Alaska…or better yet, introduce them to a polar bear.
I like your idea better than mine below. ?Any kind of bear. As long as it’s hungry.
They bury what they don’t eat 🙂 Lesson I learned from my dad as a kid. Need to wait for spring and tie them to a tree with manilla rope, throw a pound of bacon in their lap, problem gone.
God, i miss Binky!
Well, I no longer feel sorry for those poor Eklutna natives in their so-called Indian Country, whom we are always compelled to ‘gratefully acknowledge as the original stewards of these lands, etc, etc.’ Nope, that’s over!
My heartiest congratulations go to representative Allard and Alaska’s attorney general. Stand fast! Casino gambling is a corruption and a curse wherever it is conducted, and that residential neighborhood is opposed to it. Injunction!
Didn’t you know? Casinos have been the ways of their people for thousands of years.
They picked the wrong person to try and intimidate. Rookies! One would think that the lobbyist would’ve given them the heads up.
Where’s the video evidence? If it lasted 20 minutes someone would be filming.
Not everyone has the Karen mentality and immediately whips out their phone and sticks it into the face of the person they disagree with. Manners and politeness are still key to doing things in Juneau. At least while people are watching…
There is probably a ban on doing this within the Legislative building, or we would see more!
Not that she can’t handle herslf just fine, but they’re lucky her husband wasn’t there. It’s time for someone to have a talk with those goons in the only language they understand. This simply cannot be allowed to go unaddressed. At a minimum they should have a no tresspass order put on them. At the other end of the scale, well I already said it above.
Dan would have would have shown them through the door.
If they act like this now as they try to get a casino going just think how they will act after they get one.
LOL Allard has no problem confronting people normally on her side. Jerks from Vegas probably won’t get anywhere.
Good for Jamie for standing up to gross intimidation! And this move by the reprehensible and greedy Eklutna natives surprises me not at all — it is right in line with most of their other anti-community, bad-neighbor actions and proposals for quite a few years now.
But Jamie is very wrong in stating that “half of her community supports the casino”. I know of NO ONE in that area, which is also my immediate area, who supports that casino, aside from the Eklutna natives themselves. I do not know why she would even make such a claim.
I’m fine with the casino but threats are not cool especially to women legislators.
The Eklutna natives own a lot of land in between Ft. Rich and their village and from the inlet to the old Glenn Hwy. They had plenty of parcels that they could have built a casino that would given everyone plenty of breathing room. I really believe that this is a retaliatory move since their plan to remove the Eklutna dam was stopped. The natives must be getting promised a huge payout from the casino thugs if they are willing to destroy the friendships that they have built throughout the years of living in that community. Very sad.
You would be with a very small minority if you are “fine with the casino”.
This is a case that will be decided by the courts. Most likely a federal court! The Native land claims settlement act was designed to extinguish any sovereign claims by tribes in Alaska. The consideration for this was the many millions of acres and money distributed to the 13 regional native corporations.
Except for a small area in SE Alaska and a very small native community in the interior all the rest of Alaska is governed by the laws of the State or federal government. There is no other “Indian Country”. That should be dispositive because casinos are not allowed by the State of Alaska. Period!
Doug in the grand scheme of things this is much bigger than “the casino”. ANCSA specifically laid out jurisdiction of all property and extinguished aboriginal claims. Here you have the tribe and the feds basically stealing jurisdiction over state land, to set-up a gaming operation that would NOT be allowed under state law.
It is further interesting to ER/Chugiak residents that this outfit seems to think the Chugiak Fire Department will extend service to their “federal property”. They really want it both ways, flaunt the state rules, but use the services paid for by taxpayers.
He has a gulfstream 550 not a Lear jet. Gulfstream 550 is worth about $35 mill. Learjet is worth $5 mill.
High falutin goons.
It is a G-5 20 seats. N111AM is the identifier.
Guess what – Marnell is also heavily in a California to Vegas rail project that recently received a $3 billion federal grant. These guys are swamp creatures.
Yeah, a google search on the guy revealed him to be precisely the kind of guy to keep out of here.
If you’re on X, ask Elon to go look into it.
“….a $3 billion federal grant” who it went to, who is connected it it, who it benefits.
USAID… Maybe mention his name to see what else WE have paid for that HE is the recipient of.
I was kicked off Twitter years ago for “Targeting” — posting names of a bunch of pedo accounts (& Jack Dorsey is one), so I cannot do it.
Thanks!
Coupla jugs of Ultimate Bear Lure and a Super Cub ought to do it.
This should be a big warning.
They can threaten the state any time so they need to be stoped before this happens again and people are bullied. By thugs.
I don’t want some dirty casino in Eagle River. But legalization of online gambling would be nice.
So the gambling country regulars are already demonstrating what we residents of Peter Creek have feared. We do NOT want them here.
Wish there was a video of this. Allard can stand her ground against a grizzly bear. But … if this is how the casino operators function … this casino needs to be canned. This is revealing of the scum bags will be running this cesspool casino. We don’t need this low life sh*t in the Municipality of Anchorage.
More women are packing in the capitol than men. This is Alaska, just say’in. Seriously though, Alaska doesn’t need this. Thank you AG Taylor and Rep. Allard for stepping up and pushing back.
A sidewinder would kill off the casino thug’s dreams of gambling tables in Alaska.
A sparrow would do the job too.
Baby baby baby boys, don’t get your head all up in there, up in there.. c’mon now…you don’t get it both ways/ unless you like it like that / I ain’t judging or your jury- but I see you. Your judgy wudgy self righteous pudgy pinkish cheeky loud speeky quick to the freekie – never taking a self cringe-peekeee.
Old assed state employeeeee. Living your best life on top o’ my niece-eee.
Hop off, dry your d off, stand in line, after doing all the lines you buy. For my nieces…
Wipe you nose, siphoning off my cultures hose, to make believe your chose, you living off our land- bros? But let’s break it up to this, cuz.
Cuz, cuz, we all know that blood is thicker than water, but when it comes down to it Bros before hoes – So-what-the fuck the other?
Cuzzy wuzzy wax a bitch. She didn’t know anything anyway. She wasn’t there for UZZ. Cuz.
Up the totem pole ascends another hoe, down the pipe an assimilated bro.
AWWW——HO!
The social studies class in middle school assignment was to create a rap.
Obviously this assignment was not going to make a mark on my permanent record – so with that – pay my rent if you think you get an opinion on my way of life. Otherwise, F off.
Everyone should embrace Batman fun! Politics suck.
What happened?
Must have been a public school assignment. No homeschool or private school would allow this trash. You think you’re the next Taylor Mali? Do some actual research, educate your mind… this is not a real political poem.
It is not polite to post online immediately after taking a hit of fentanyl, Trudy.
That was my sarcastic way of saying that your post above is a headache-inducing mass of gibberish.
Sniffing glue might have seemed like a worthwhile pursuit to you back in the day, Trudy, but it clearly leads to terrible decision making processes resulting in sad messes like this post of yours.
Please clean yourself up and try to fly right, girlfriend.
Capitol offense? Was this an insurrection? Life in Gitmo for terrorists? Thank you Ms. Allard for your courage.
Just ALWAYS say “no” to bullies.
Yes, ditto Ms. Allard, & may your angels watch over you!
Plus maybe a floor accessed ‘call HELP button’ w/ 2 or 3 video cameras, & a loaded pivotal leg holstered hand gun would be a great security investment…. & make sure you practice using it … get your family men to help you learn to use it … practice, practice, practice!
If they fly a $35m jet, they aren’t low level thugs & may not stop w/1 visit….
Classy element Eklutna is trying to bring in. As Anchorage (since Eklutna seems to run it lately) slips further into the gutter.
For those of you who remember what Anchorage was like in the 80s- did you think it could fall this far?
Masked Avenger: No, I’ve been here 60 plus years… so sad to see what has happened to Anchorage and our close neighbors!
Wow! I’d not seen or heard of such goonish behavior since Jesse Carr and his Teamsters during the pipeline construction days. Blatant corruption. Would that our venerated Alaska State Troopers or the FBI would investigate this.
The lobbyist has done a disservice to his “client” if he neglected to tell them we’re all armed up here, even in Juneau (maybe especially in Juneau). If there is a next time Rep Allard should shoot one of them between the eyes at the outset so that the meeting will be much more constructive. Shame on the House Speaker if he doesn’t straighten this out so that there won’t be a next time.
And this is exactly why Alaskans have resisted casinos in Alaska.
See what trashy gangster drama this lowlife BS brings to the heart of Alaska?
Stop. It.
I like a good card game as much as the next guy. But it seems pretty clear that bringing casinos to Alaska will bring a bad element along with it.
Do we or do we not have recognition of freedom of economic association anywhere in Alaska? Evidently not except that public employees may refuse to associate with Alaskan natives in the workplace if it offends their Wasillian sensitivities with complete impunity. For evidence Seattle regional equal opportunity office please see the records you make the state provide regarding numbers ration and ratios of native retirees to Caucasian retirees and number of decades and fine them for destroying evidence.
What has any of that gibberish have to do with the Casino or the thugs?
Economic association which is currently denied to the literal people of the land of Alaska is of course denied again denied again – not recognized. Again a chronic digression from the US Constitution. such absence is permanently embraced as a concept in Juneau as a state right of refusal which is mistaken in additional ways. Living men have God given rights. Mythological creations don’t. If any “rights” are involved they belong to individuals. If one accepts an emolument his her rights are suspended and given a stipend from the public trust funds instead until they return to the private sector.
Sounds like this Marnell Character needs some serious time in the Big House, seriously
how has this clown got away with these things in the past , so I’d say now that he’s been totally exsposed he maybe should consider a new line of work. Or take his on the take operation elsewhere, it kinda appears to me that a cub Bear and his siblings got their asses kicked by a wolverine or a honey badger!
If this is indicative of the type of management at the Eklutna casino, big winners can expect to be beaten and robbed when they try to leave.
Can we get pictures of these BOY’S that pick on women I would love to meet them
Treat fire with fire maybe it is time that we surround the casino and show them we will not be intimidated by their threats to our Representative. The only thing a casino does is make those less fortunate more less fortunate and more dependent on the government. What also needs to be done is investigate who on the Anchorage Assembly or in the administration green lighted this so quickly.
What took the security so long to get there? Why didn’t Allard summon them sooner? How can a loud altercation not be heard and responded to? Were these guys required to pass through a metal detector?
This casino is being pushed way too hard to simply be a casino. This is a money laundering operation in the making because Alaska does not have adequate population to support a casino to the level that this type of advocacy would be expected. It is my opinion that the head of the Eklutna Natives should be looked at pretty hard to find out what he is getting out of this deal and how much money from the Municipality of Anchorage will be involved, as well as state money. If it walks like a duck…..
Robert, this is just the beginning. If Eklutna stands, then there are about 12 other native corporations with land that you can build a casino on. A boon for Marnell, fertile new ground so to speak. I (being of a suspicious nature and not liking coincidences) wonder if that person at BIA, who wrote the opinion regarding native allotments in Alaska, overturning established rulings and law, has connections (or had a visit from 5 burly guys). After this incident it may be worthwhile for law enforcement to look into that.
BINGO!
Well said, Robert. Indeed, there is far more to this putative “casino” in backwoods Birchwood than meets the eye. The entire thing stinks to high heaven.
You are correct who gets the money.
In Vegas the hotels we profiting 1 billion dollars a month.
Somebody is trying to get rich off of the common people.
Greg, cman, whiby? No comment? These are your people, speak up.
They are butt hurt.
It’s absolutely pathetic that this went on for 20 minutes without a flock of men coming running to defend a woman who is engaged in a 5 on 1 fight.
In fact it’s embarrassing for the men in Alaska that this was allowed to happen.
Well, 99.99% of Alaskan men were not in Juneau that day Tim, so it would be difficult for them to “stop it” Besides, the man-bun crowd in the Capital City that were within earshot probably figured it would be racist, misogynistic and patriarchal to assume a woman (If I can label her as such) can’t handle a few loud mouths. You get what you pay for liberals!
Surprised she did not shoot them all ! That’d been a better story . It’s funny the gangsters came to Fbks during the pipeline , they met their match with the local gangsters and got their butts killed . Back in forties a gangster from Vegas was running a bar and three guys came in and to rob it and beat up man’s wife and he killed all three . This happened in south Fbks .
I like the term “ MudHole Casino “ ! I think it is appropriately named , inadvertently .
Can’t make this sh&$@t up
What happened to the old fashioned method of persuasion? Bribery?
Robert Rubey. Thank you for great INSIGHT as to what is going on.
Jamie is not the representative for Birchwood. Dan Saddler is the representative. So the obvious question is why was the “ Mob “ in Jamie ‘s office?
Simple because they have Saddler in their back pocket.
Also Chugiak Fire Department Service Area does cover all of Birchwood. Not sure if this parcel of land is exempt as Ekultna village is exempt because they DO NOT pay fire service Tax. Their choice.
On a larger issue this concept of Indian land only exists on the only Indian Reservation in Alaska, Metlakatla period.
The rest of this smoke and mirrors BS by the Federal Department of the Interior will be over turned by the courts. That is exactly what the SOA is going to court over.
Having the “MOB” pushy shovey methods in Alaska only prove they are worried about losing their toe hold in Alaska.
Note that behind the curtain is Mayor LaFrance greasing the skids to circumvent any hindrance that may slow down the gambling joint in Birchwood, shameful.
This cracks me up. Jamie IS the only one representing us out here. Saddler has done zero. Jamie is who we call to get the stuff done. She may not be “the representative” but she represents us.
Rep Allard called in to the Mike Porcaro show yesterday afternoon to talk about this incident. It appears that the Marnell guys visited several lawmakers in the building. She also indicated that they had visited the individuals on the Birchwood community council. Seems like Marnell is throwing his weight around. Makes one wonder if our mayor and assembly also were graced with visitors from down south. You can listen to this segment on Mike’s podcast at 650 KENI.
Would folks have been more understanding if burly Vegas casino thugs had descended, for example, on The Giessel’s office?
.
Would it be rude to offer, politely of course, burly Vegas casino thugs a list of RINO offices plus maybe a couple of school-district offices that need descending on?
While the thought is worth a chuckle, the answer to your question however is a resounding “NO”!
We do not need burly outside entities descending on any official’s offices. A, of course polite, respectful but firm group of constituents on the other hand…..
Move The Capital!!!!
YES …. MOVE THE CAPITAL! But the logical place is Anchorage … but do we want it there? How about Wasilla… since there seem to be more thoughtful parents there, maybe there are more thoughtful leaders there too?
This entire episode sounds strange to me.
Jamie Allard’s state senate district does not even include the location of the Eklutna casino. So why would this Marnell & company have approached HER, specifically, with threats to support the casino?
Moreover, I just spoke to an aide to State Representative Dan Saddler, who has publicly NOT been supportive of the casino, and who has in fact been supportive of the state’s lawsuit against the village of Eklutna over this casino, and I was told that the same group led by Marnell came to his office in Juneau as well, and they had an amicable discussion about it. So if Marnell would going to confront anyone regarding their opposition to the casino, I would have thought it would have been Saddler and not Allard.
It leaves me wondering what might have possibly happened with Senator Kelly Merrick, in whose senate district, unlike Allard’s, the casino is actually located. But I have been unable to reach anyone in her office regarding this casino matter, nor will they return my phone messages.
I am speculating here, but I wonder if the Marnell contingent is looking for support from the entire delegation of the area to bolster their case/potentially pass legislation in their favor. We also do not know whom else they visited (like Anchorage legislators).
PS Jamie Allard is in the state house not the state senate.
Merrick is a Rino and does nothing for us. Look into who pays her bills and you’ll see why. Sadly the unions are the last to realize this and continue “earning” her vote regardless of the truth because her husband told them to. Guess you all should have voted for Goecker.
She invited them to the meeting for a question and answer session.
She is a state official and has no decision making in the casino.
She fabricated this story.
The Vegas group met with many people and groups and zero people reported what Allard did.
Allard did make racist comments about natives.
Plus, there is a call between Allard and reporter. Report already spilled the beans. And this article was written by AI, since multiple “facts” in the article are wrong.
Allard and the reporter embarrassed Alaska. They are about to get sued too.
I don’t even care about a casino, but to lie and be racist to fellow Alaskans is worse than building one.
Hmmmm… I was sorta thinking a casino would be fun. But the thuggish behavior to a state representative has changed my mind. The Eklutna leaders should be ashamed. We don’t need a casino promoted by thugs. Too bad. Done right, I could have welcomed it. Now? No way.
Eklutna Tribe is simply deploying Elon Musk libertarian tactics
Oh Frank.
Actually, these thugs tactics are exactly like those of your adult diaper-soiling former usurper in the White House, trying to use force to coerce Americans into taking an untested and dangerous so-called “vaccine”. Libertarians, on the other hand (about whom you appear to know precisely zero), are against ALL uses of governmental force on principle, except in the defense of life, liberty and the nation.
Before embarrassing yourself for the 13,528th time, you might want to actually learn a little about the things you would try to claim to understand.
This isn’t what happened at all. And thuggish? You mean a few corporate VPs dressed in dress clothes?
Allard invited Marnell to a meeting, then turned him away with a definite “No” on the casino as soon as he arrived from Vegas. This is coming straight from someone in her staff too. It was a setup on her end.
Nobody believes that garb Eric. This isn’t CNN.
Jaime has no reason to set some Vegas construction thugs up. Jaime isn’t a “set up” kind of gal. They went to Jaime because she shows up to do the job when Saddler and everyone else do not.
Regarding her staff: If she has a rotting grape in her bunch, chances are she will eliminate that rot and get it out before it spoils the bunch.
Go back to Stirring the pot on the other side of the aisle.
I am not sure what your agenda here is, but I have known Jamie Allard as a straight forward person and had her represent me for many years. I will take her word over yours (or some potentially imaginary staffer) any day.
It appears from reports that the Marnell guys visited several lawmakers in the building. Jamie Allard is representing her constituents and has every right to tell these individuals that she does not support this project, especially since it seems that they are skirting permits and laws.
It is my contention that Marnell and his company did not do their homework and understand the different legal aspects regarding native lands, gambling etc here in this state. Bullying their way to see their investment come to fruition seems the wrong strategy.
This requires a criminal referral. Start with disorderly conduct, harassment and attempts to intimidate. They conducted them selves this way because they thought they would be safe from ramifications. This is a good reason to keep gambling out. Get on it FBI, Juneau DA, Alaska AG
I went there while escorting a Native elder. It was clean and comfortable, the staff including security were courteous and competent. Most of the patrons were elderly and non-threatening.
Make a great spinoff from ‘Tulsa King’ or ‘Ozarks”.
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