FORTY YEARS OF BYRON MALLOTT’S WAYS
It all comes down to corruption — or the perception of corruption.
A lieutenant governor — in charge of elections and much of the day-to-day operations of the state — and a law enforcement officer who has a reporting relationship to the Department of Public Safety, were having an intimate relationship. That relationship put each of them in compromising positions.
Then, a teenage girl was advanced on by the lieutenant governor, a man about 58 years her senior.
In Alaska, the age of consent is 16. A person who has sexual intercourse with a person who is under 16 who is at least three years younger than the offender is committing rape. The age of consent doesn’t apply if the person is in a position of authority.
But in this case, the young woman in question is thought to be either 16 or 17. Alaskans don’t know exactly what happened. It may have been just words or suggestions. Or it may have been grooming her for something more.
What Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott did earlier this month was so bad, it cannot be talked about.
It cannot be investigated.
The press evidently just won’t go there.
[Governor’s Office asks press to take one for the team]
You’ll just have to trust Gov. Bill Walker about what happened. Or rather, you’ll have to trust his functionaries, because he’s not talking. His “most transparent administration” has gone dark and he’s left the state for a vacation in Hawaii.
The names of the victim or victims can remain private, but Alaskans deserve to know what it was that Mallott did.
The Walker-Mallott ticket was Alaska’s House of Cards, formed in backroom deals in 2014, and collapsing when Mallott compromised his own leadership by making himself vulnerable to blackmail.
The consenting law enforcement officer also compromised her professional standing.
These two individuals had each other at an ethical standoff.
But this isn’t the first time for Mallott.
The entire Democrat political class has ignored Mallott’s extracurricular activities for years. The press has been ignoring it.
Must Read Alaska has mentioned Mallott’s volatile and tempestuous behavior in passing, but finding an actual victim proves elusive. Besides, what consenting adults do in their private lives is not our business.
But the stories of Mallott’s modus operandi with young ladies is well known in Native circles. A lot of it has been relayed between women in Alaska over the years — quid pro quo arrangements that result in jobs — all kinds of jobs. Jobs for him. Jobs for her. Everyone gets a job.
Alaska Federation of Natives leaders have known about it for decades and have allowed Mallott and other elders to keep using their power to get treats from young women.
In the recent case, it appears that Mallott had a relationship with a grown woman in her 40s, who then got promoted into a high position of responsibility in law enforcement. She also now serves on two important commissions, appointments that came from the Governor’s Office.
She has power over people through her badge.
When Mallott made some type of overture to the woman’s teenage daughter, it came crashing down on him. The woman decided to burn him down. She took the entire Walker-Mallott administration down.
Yet, it cannot be talked about. It cannot be investigated. The media has moved on. It was a one-day story.
In 2016, things were different. Rep. Cathy Munoz of Juneau simply wrote a letter asking for judicial review of a sentence, and the press hounded her day after day, until she lost her re-election to Justin Parish. The news reporters were relentless even though she had done nothing wrong. The leftists wrote letters to the editor saying that she was soft on crime, helping a sex offender.
Juneauites remember how that ended. Parish lasted one term, and then it was impossible for him to run for re-election due to his unwelcome advances, reported by a woman in Juneau.
WHEN DID WALKER KNOW?
Gov. Walker gave over the running of much of the day-to-day operations of government over to Mallott, while Walker worked on the gasline project, which is his lifelong dream.
Walker was warned about this pattern of behavior in 2014. Back then, he was just trying to win. Mallott was his ticket to getting to be governor. The two formed a partnership to bump off Gov. Sean Parnell.
Walker was also told about this specific inappropriate relationship in 2016 through his then-chief of staff Jim Whitaker, who was told by a “concerned someone” in the Administration.
Byron Mallott’s rapid departure and the Administration’s silence is starting to look like a cover-up. We still don’t know what happened. We just know that the governor is saying what Mallott did was not illegal.
The media has stopped its inquiries as if nothing ever happened and there’s no word coming from the administration about further investigation or interviews.
Here’s what we think we know:
There was a lieutenant governor, a law enforcement officer, and her teenage daughter. Because of the teenager and a press that is unwilling to achieve the balance, the actual events may never be known to history.
The media (ADN, KTUU, KTVA) stopped coverage because they don’t do journalism. They just regurgitate press releases. No press release, no news. That’s why it’s good to have a real journalist like Suzanne Downing in Alaska.
Seems like sweeping sexual abuse issues under the rug is a trademark of the Walker regime. The Dimond football team sexual abuse issue, where a group of Samoan students allegedly violated a white member of the team, got sent to the state and disappeared. No word on if any kids were disciplined. If any were of adult age. What the punishment was. No information at all. The victim’s family apparently received death threats regarding talking about the incident. And Samoan kids that were initially suspended were quickly back in school. But Bishop says everything was taken care of. But she, or anyone else, can’t talk about it. Just like with Mallot. Geez, you’d think the Catholic Church was running the sexual abuse investigations for the state. “Nothing to see here … trust us!”
Native villages and Las Vegas have a lot in common. What is said and done there, stays there.
The enforcement mechanisms in villages are not pretty. Think in terms of the Mafia. But this too is a topic off limits and never explored by the bankrupt press in Alaska, Downing and a few others excepted
Seems like a good candidate question: In 90 days, if you are sworn in as Governor, would you ensure this incident receives a fair and balanced investigation?
This is BS. A law enforcement officer has a duty to report this. Why does this guy get a pass? So if he does this again all these people are guilty not just him. I guess all the talk about sexual crimes at AFN does not apply to natives. Every one involved in this is a racist. Plain and simple. I knew Walker would do anything to get elected but this is just too much.
I don’t know about a racist, but certainly a hypocrite.
Keep this story alive. Please.
I keep being amazed by this blog. I don’t listen to local talk radio because the intricacies of hunting and fishing regulations and policies don’t interest me, and that’s all they seem to talk about. But I learn so much I never knew about Alaska politics here. Thanks, Suzanne.
The Walker administration fully endorses Mark Begich. The Walker administration hired a campaign advisor who enabled at least 4 sexual predators and helped put them into powers of position in state government. The Walker administration should not be trusted in any endorsments and should be held accountable for their shady dealings.
The fact that the media is allowing this to slide shows they are complicit all for their political views, for shame.
Mike Dunleavy will do what is right for Alaska. He has promised to repay the correct amounts of our dividends. He has promised to protect the fund from future vultures. He is endorsed by President Trump and holds an A rating with the NRA. The RINO, Big Bad Boy Billy Walker knew he didn’t stand a chance. The people are mad at him for what he did to them and the economy. Because of his stupidity, a lot of money was not spent by the people, to support local businesses. Now let’s move on and forget their little scheme to vacate the election in favor of Mark the Shark. %The Late Ted Stevens should have not been cheated out of his Senator’s seat by Mark the Shark.
Isn’t this the same two guys that wrote a scathing letter against the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh beingbbconfirmed? Didn’t Lisa Murkowski come out publically condemning judge Kavanaugh for the actions he was being accused of? So I guess my question is this; if Murkowski is so against sexual abuse shouldn’t this be addressed by her office and also who should hold the GOVERNOR accountable for covering this up and condoning these actions by his running mate and Lt Governor? Where is the accountability? Where are all the voices that spoke so strongly against Kavanaugh all the way across the country? Shouldn’t they be here speaking up for the state that voted for them and that paid them? I mean why be in public office if you’re not even going to support the mere population that got you to the positions in the first place? Just a thought and my opinion.
Good point. How come the ADN opinion piece writers that lashed out against Kavanaugh are so quiet now? Wohlforth, Moore, Loeffler, Brooks? I guess sexual misconduct is okay if you are on the liberal side of the political spectrum. Hypocrites, all of them.
You hit the nail on the head with that statement. The Liberals are huge hypocrites. Whatever works for their side.
Hahaha, not near as much as the other side!!
Let’s also not forget that one of the first things Mallot did when he came into office is fire state prosecutor June Stein because she dared to hold sex offenders accountable in rural Alaska. Kind of ironic given what’s transpired and what we now know about Mallot….
Suzanne is a hero for reporting what Alaska’s major dailies will not report. The major dailies are fearful of being called R A C I S T.
Mallott should really be looked at for child abuse, sexual harassment of a minor child, immoral conduct against a minor. Doesn’t all of this look like pedophilia? And, look at the timing of these events. Three weeks out of the election and the Walker Administration falls like a house of cards. What did Walker’s wife do when Mallott called her a f****** bit*h? She went straight to Bill. What did Bill do? He went straight to Mark Begich. “Make me your oil and gas head and I will drop out of the race.” The cover-up is by Governor Walker. Mark Begich is the benefactor. It begs the question: who in the Walker Administration/Democratic
Party told Mark Begich that Walker could be forced out due to a pedophile on the Third Floor?
It is ironic, isn’t it? Kavanaugh was accused of something without corroboration. Walker and Mallott came out against him. They didn’t have to do that, and it was actually a bit unusual for a Governor and Lt. Gov to do that. Why? Probably trying to pander for votes. Byron was probably secretly thinking “Oh God no, lets keep quiet and stay in the background like I’ve been doing on everything else”. But oh no, there they were. And faux Republican Lisa too. If someone asked them the question WHY aren’t they speaking out against this? Demanding answers to the people of Alaska? It will be interesting to hear Lisa’s crafted answer to this. How does she intend to package this?
I challenge the Native community to STOP BURYING THIS BEHAVIOR! As you cry over your dead children, raped and assaulted women, abused boys. As the largest gathering of indigenous people in the Nation spent days bridging the gap between the youth and elders, honoring culture and language and subsistence rights, and celebrating, Byron was creeping around, doing his thing. Convention members crafted 29 resolutions – 10 in the category of Health, Safety and Welfare. Three of those are directly related to sexual assault and violence, with one specifically stating the following:
A RESOLUTION URGING THE ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITY TO LEAD THE STATE OF ALASKA IN BREAKING THE BARRIER OF SILENCE AROUND CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ASSAULT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Well there you have it. BREAK THE BARRIER OF SILENCE ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITY. It starts with you Ms. ________. You know who you are. Most of us do too. You are a member of Law Enforcement. Take a leap of faith. You tore down St. Byron. Take this thing all the way. Be the example that every little girl in every village across this State needs. A powerful woman STANDS TALL FOR ALASKA and comes forward and says ENOUGH IS ENOUGH and puts a stop to this BS. But instead, the example they see is what the Governor shows, the media shows, you show, is Shhhhh….. poor Byron, his poor family…… Shhhhhh……. He resigned, that’s punishment enough….. Shhhh……… So, the cycle continues…….generation after generation after generation…….Keep writing those resolutions AFN.
This is THE major story in Alaska today. Maybe for all of 2018. If the second in charge is a pedophile, and the first in charge covers it up,
doesn’t that make the first in charge as criminally culpable as the second? YES. Where is the Daily News? Newsminer? Empire? State Troopers? Child Protective Services? Lisa Murkowski? History is being made right here in the 49th state.
You go, Suzanne! The only media person with any guts.
It would be only if there were an “R” in their party affiliation. Period the end.
Amazing how much Byron Mallott, Harvey Weinstein, and Bill Cosby, have in common. Don’t sugarcoat it. A sexual predator is a sexual predator.
Hey, here is a good idea: Let’s appoint former Attorney General and Juneau mayor Bruce Botelho to investigate! I am confident that he would get the job done. He must have plenty of time; I have not heard his name much recently.
Earful has some “insider info,” no doubt. What about the true victim…..the 16-year old girl? Is she going to get some help from the State? These kind of abuse cases warrant emotional help to the victim. As for Walker, if he knew about Mallott’s tendencies (pedaphilia) while he was in office, then Walker should have also resigned. Dropping his candidacy is not enough. I smell a rat and this should be investigated by the Troopers or by the FBI. Walker and Mallott are way over the line. As for Lisa Murkowski, didn’t she ask for an FBI investigation of Kavanaugh? Well, Alaska is Lisa’s home state. She should be leading the charge and seeking law enforcement intervention. She hasn’t done anything. My impression is that Lisa will probably back Mark Begich in the election, and doesn’t want to stir up anti-Democrat sentiment. If Lisa doensn’t step in and seek help for the 16-year old girl, then Lisa should also resign her office.
Silence. Complete silence. Do all the Alaska newspapers act in concert when a big scandal like Mallott/Walker pedophilia emerge? Suzanne is the only one reporting. Alaskans want and deserve the facts……and the truth.
This is what newspapers are supposed to do. Report the facts. In 1998 when candidate John Lindauer ran for governor, the papers across the state ran front page headlines everyday in September/October investigating Lindauer for fibbing about campaign monies. In 2010, candidate Joe Miller beat Lisa Murkowski, but the newspapers only focused on Miller’s lone incident about using a local government computer during his lunch break. Neither Lindauer or Miller were criminally charged. But the Alaska papers were fixated and obsessed with these excusable pranks. Here, Mallott is alleged to be grooming an underaged girl for sex, and Walker is covering it up. That’s not news? Alaskans should be irate and demanding answers. But all we get is………
Silence….
Mallott and Walker weighed in on the Kavanaugh inquisition needlessly, foolishly, dishonestly, and hypocritically.They threw an innocent man under the bus while Mallott was being a perv the whole time. Harkens back to the days when George Jacko was running the ethics committee while trolling for teen age trim on the side…DC ain’t the only swamp that meeds draining! Disgusting non-accountable behavior by hypocritcal elitists!
I asked the question on this forum months ago, about the teenage girl Mallott allegedly got pregnant, maybe 20, 25 years ago when he was a big wig in Juneau. Got a pass that time. Baby was born, pushed under the rug. Ask his long-suffering wife.
Anyone that has been around the State long enough well knows the shenanigans of Byron Mallott. I for one was scratching my head, thinking: 1) why he was the chosen one on this ticket in the first place as Walker has been around long enough to have known as well, and 2) why his messes didn’t get “outed” much, much sooner. The broom keeps sweeping, and the beat goes on. Wait! Actually, I think it’s crickets I’m hearing……………..
The Alaska journalism award for 2018 must go to Suzanne for being the stand-alone investigative reporter who is keeping Alaskans informed about the Mallott pedophile story as well as the Walker cover-up. No wonder Gov Walker is hiding out in Hawaii until after the election is over. Mark Begich can’t afford to have a pedophile or the pedophile’s protector near his campaign.
And after one week of no reporting the facts in Alaska’s largest newspapers, one has to wonder about their own cover-up intentions. A wealthy family from up in Fairbanks purchased the Anchorage Daily News and we in Anchorage thought the reporting would be better balanced than in the past. Apparently, not so. Two dedicated investigative reporters could easily hop on a plane to Juneau and search out the truth in about two days. But the Daily News will not do it. So this has created a new story: What are the
Alaska newspapers afraid of? Non-reporting is cowardly. That’s not what Alaskans want. You go, Suzanne, and show the Daily News, Newsminer, and Empire what real investigative journalism is all about. Your reporting is not going unnoticed.
Ever feel like there is nowhere to turn? The division of elections is falling apart. The Lt. Governor oversees elections. The Lt. Governor resigns in disgrace. The Governor suspends his campaign. The Attorney General is hand-picked by the Governor. The Dept. of Law is doing nothing about any of it. The fox is guarding the hen house. Are we suppose to just sit here and let it happen? Don’t let this die Suzanne. What happened to the Binkleys? Did they go soft and lib? What happened to Fairbanks? Is anybody out there? Does anybody care? Do the feds care?
Thank you for pointing out the glaring inequity of the media against Cathy Munoz.
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