Updated with governor’s comments: Attorney General Kevin Clarkson has resigned. His letter to the governor was submitted this morning.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a statement:

“This administration has and always will expect the highest level of professional conduct in the workplace. There is nothing more important than the protection of our state employees, and that includes feeling safe when an employee is at work.

“Kevin Clarkson has admitted to conduct in the workplace that did not live up to our high expectations, and this is deeply disappointing. This morning he took responsibility for the unintentional consequences of his actions and tendered his resignation to me. I have accepted it.

“State law provides guidelines and protections for all state employees including confidentiality on personnel matters. The Governor’s office is bound by and conforms to those laws. My administration will continue to insist upon professional conduct from all our employees, regardless of their position in state government.”

In its entirety, the resignation letter of Kevin Clarkson:

Dear Governor Dunleavy:

It has been my great honor to serve the State of Alaska, you, and this Administration as Attorney General. I was and remain deeply moved by the confidence you placed in me by appointing me to this position.

I regret that my actions and errors in judgment in interacting with a state employee have become a distraction to the good work and good people working in the state’s and your service.
As you now know, I engaged in a conversation by way of a series of text messages with a state employee over approximately one month. This person was not in the department of law, and is not someone I supervised. The topics of these texts ranged from food, to movies, to books, to family, to my wife’s and my lengthy ordeal trying to obtain a Visa for her young son, and all were conversational and positive, were reciprocal, and were, I believed, mutual. We exchanged pictures of children and grandchildren and I sent her pictures of food that I cooked from time to time. These texts included invitations for this person and her children to come to my home to share a meal, which she politely declined. All of these texts were “G” rated. There is nothing remotely salacious about the texts. In our texts we exchanged innocent mutual endearments between us in words and emojis. On several occasions, this person initiated a friendly hug when I came to her work place, and I reflexively gave her a tiny peck of a kiss on top of her head.

In short, I believed we had a positive friendship borne of mutual respect and interests. What I failed to recognize is the impact that these interactions had on this person, due to the disparity in our workplace rank. Of course, I should have recognized this from the start, and should have maintained a more distanced and professional relationship. I am deeply sorry for the discomfort I caused this person, and only wish her well.

When this person eventually expressed her discomfort to me, I immediately respected her wishes and ceased communicating with her by text. Two months passed uneventfully. But thereafter, after a representative of political opposition had learned of the texts and contacted your office, she appropriately reported this situation to her supervisor. I immediately and fully cooperated in the ensuing process, and have accepted the finding by Human Resources that my actions, however unintentionally, created an uncomfortable workplace environment for this employee. As you know, I have accepted and am completing a period of unpaid leave as a consequence for my error in judgment, which I recognize was wholly and only mine.

The affected employee has not taken the matter further, and has not sought to publicize or exploit it. Unfortunately, however, someone familiar with this situation broke her confidence and has made it known to certain political operatives and a member of the press. These actors are now threatening to publicize and sensationalize it for their own purposes, while at the same time also threatening to twist and distort some of my personal divorce-related matters from 25-35 years ago.

I wish to create no unnecessary distractions for you or your administration. I respect and admire you and regard you as a friend. I sincerely apologize to you for my lapse of judgment. I am carefully considering my next steps. I hereby tender my resignation to you in order to alleviate this situation and allow you to continue your good work for the state undistracted.
It has been my privilege to serve the people of Alaska and you.”

The moral of the story is that in politics, you cannot trust anyone.

A leak from inside the Office of the Governor to the leading attorney for the Recall Dunleavy Committee was then funneled to the Anchorage Daily News.

The series of text message exchanges between Attorney General Kevin Clarkson and a female employee in the Office of the Governor will, at the very least, embarrass the Administration when the story comes out tomorrow.

The numerous texts occurred between the woman and Clarkson, and were friendly and warm in nature. There were emojis and affectionate terms. She sent him a picture of herself. He wished her a good night and called her terms of endearment, but nothing salacious occurred in the texts.

The woman eventually got uncomfortable and put a halt to the back and forth, which were not sexual in any way, but were personal comments on personal cell phones.

When she confided about the exchange to a colleague, that information made its way to Scott Kendall, the former chief of staff for Gov. Bill Walker. Kendall heads up the effort to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy and is the prime mover behind Ballot Measure 2, an effort to upend the Republican Primary.

Kendall was the same person who covered up the tracks of former Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott, after Mallott put the move on a young girl during the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention in 2018. Mallott resigned, but the Walker Administration never said exactly what happened, and it’s Scott Kendall, former Communications Director Grace Jang, and former Press Secretary Austin Baird who have kept the Walker-Mallott secret all these years.

Kendall started calling the Governor’s Office for information. He called his sources inside the Administration and an inquiry was set up through state human resources officers.

Before all was said and done, Kendall had gotten ahold of the texts and sent them to the Anchorage Daily News, which got right on the trail.

The Dunleavy Administration has been plagued by leaks to liberal political blogs. Must Read Alaska has learned about this from sources close to the situation, not from the Administration itself.

An investigation ensued and the employee who was texting with the attorney general did not want to pursue any action, but the leaks have now forced the matter out into the open. Clarkson was placed on 30-days leave, unpaid, which is close to completing.

It is unclear how the content of the text messages made their way to Kendall. But it’s clear the woman who is involved didn’t want to make her texts public and that Kendall knew he was passing along confidential information that was part of an internal investigation. The woman is not a victim in this case, but is collateral damage for Kendall, who just wants the governor recalled.

Clarkson issued a statement tonight taking full responsibility for his actions:

“I wish to take public responsibility for errors of judgment that led directly, but unintentionally, to my placing a State employee in an uncomfortable environment in her workplace. This employee was not in the department of law, I was not her supervisor, and I did not supervise her; nevertheless, I should never have placed her in this uncomfortable situation. For this, I am truly sorry.

“I engaged in a series of text messages with this employee over approximately one month. The topics of these texts ranged from food, to movies, to books, to family, and all were conversational and positive, were reciprocal, and were, I believed, mutual. I sent her pictures of food that I cooked from time to time. These texts included invitations for this person and her children to come to my home to share a meal, which she politely declined. All of these texts were “G” rated. In our texts we exchanged mutual endearments in words and emojis. On several occasions, this person initiated a friendly hug when I came to her work place, and I reflexively gave her a peck on top of her head.

“In short, I believed we had a positive friendship borne of mutual respect and interests. What I failed to recognize is the impact that these interactions had on this person, due to the disparity in our workplace rank. Of course, I should have recognized this from the start, and should have maintained a more distanced and professional relationship. I am deeply sorry for the discomfort I caused this person, and only wish her well.

“When this person eventually expressed her discomfort to me, I immediately respected her wishes and ceased communicating with her by text. She appropriately reported this situation to her supervisor, and I immediately and fully cooperated in the ensuing process, and have accepted the finding that my actions, however unintentionally, created an uncomfortable workplace environment for this employee. I have accepted and am completing a period of unpaid leave as a consequence for my error in judgment, which I recognize was wholly and only mine.

“This should have ended the matter. The affected employee has not taken the matter further, and has not sought to publicize or exploit it. I understand she expected and desired it to remain confidential, as the law requires. Her wishes should have been respected. Unfortunately, however, someone familiar with this situation broke her confidence (and the law), and has made it known to certain political operatives and a member of the press. These actors, unconcerned with this person’s reasonable expectation of privacy, are now publicizing it for their own political purposes.

“I wish to create no unnecessary distractions for the Governor, who I respect and admire, or for his Administration. I sincerely apologize to him for my lapse of judgment. I am carefully considering my next steps and will respect his wishes.”

By DAN FAGAN

There’s no state in the nation with fewer COVID-19 related deaths per capita than Alaska. Thus far, in 2020, 99.996% of Alaskans have escaped death from the coronavirus. 

And yet Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz refuses to remove his boot firmly pressed against the neck of small businesses. He has no cause to rule with such an iron fist. The man is clearly drunk with power. 

Lifelong Alaska resident Aren Martin is the mayor’s latest casualty. The 42-year- old announced on Facebook on Monday he was closing his restaurant, The Perfect Cup, for good. 

“We could not have survived on delivery and takeout. We need 400-500 people a day to break even,” wrote Martin. 

The Perfect Cup first opened in 1977 in the Northway Mall before moving to the Dimond center 20 years ago.

Its long history abruptly ended on Monday when the Dimond Center bolted the front doors of the place for nonpayment of rent. 

Martin, who has four kids, says his only option was to move to Seattle to live with relatives while he looks for work. 

“I’ve lived in Alaska my whole life, 42-years, and I am very sad that I needed to leave. I already miss home,” wrote Martin. 

Close to 1,000 well-wishers offered their sympathies to Martin and his family on the restaurant’s Facebook page. They also expressed anger with Berkowitz and his never-ending war on small businesses like The Perfect Cup. 

“People need to rise up! The numbers don’t support what is happening,” wrote Stephanie. 

“I’ve been going to The Perfect Cup since the seventies,” wrote Tracia. 

“You can thank that dictator Ethan Berkowitz for your situation. We will all be glad when he is gone,” wrote Rob.

“I have no words. I apologize for not being able to do more,” wrote Assembly Member Jamie Allard, who has opposed the mayor’s rigid lockdown of the city’s economy. “The Anchorage Assembly and Mayor Berkowitz have failed you.” 

Allard has criticized the mayor and fellow Assembly members for allocating such a small percent of the federal CARES Act money that was supposed to help small business owners like Martin who are suffering from the government shut down.  

Allard says of the $156 million the city received in CARES Act money, only $14 million has been used to help small business owners. Allard proposed the Assembly use $80 million for businesses hurting from the lockdown. She says some of her fellow Assembly members balked and even laughed at her proposal. 

The Assembly has allocated CARES Act money to the Anchorage Museum and to build trails even though so many small businesses are on life support thanks to Berkowitz’s war on the private sector using the threat of COVID-19 as an excuse. 

Allard says thus far only 10% of the CARES Act money has gone to help business owners. She says 60% has gone back into city coffers or into the hands of nonprofits. Allard believes the Assembly and mayor will eventually funnel most of the CARES Act money back into city coffers. 

We know Berkowitz and the Assembly are trying to finagle a way to use CARES Act money to make life easier for those wanting to live on Anchorage streets getting drunk and high every day.

The mayor seems laser-focused on buying four properties turning Spenard and Mid-town into “Vagrant Central.”

Meanwhile, our power-hungry, stubborn mayor refuses to ease up on his tyrannical ways.  As a result, The Perfect Cup opened since 1977, is no more. How many more places will close for good? Does Berkowitz realize the longer he waits to open back up the economy the fewer businesses will survive? Does he even care? 

It’s tragic, this game the mayor’s playing. He’s using business owners as pawns in his quest to play the tough guy. He’s causing real pain, suffering, and extreme economic hardship as he wrecks people’s lives. 

Ask Aren Martin, who tonight is reluctantly sleeping more than 1,000 miles away from the place he’s always called home.  

Dan Fagan hosts a radio show weekday mornings on Newsradio 650 KENI.  

The president’s senior adviser Kellyanne Conway has announced that she is leaving the White House to attend to family matters.

It came shortly after her daughter, Claudia Conway, said she would seek emancipation from her parents and that she was “devastated” that her mother was speaking at the Republican National Convention.

It appears the split in the family’s politics have come to a head. George Conway is a liberal and harsh critic of the president.

“The past four years have allowed me blessings beyond compare as a part of history on Election Night 2016 and as Senior Counselor to the President. It’s been heady. It’s been humbling,” Kellyanne Conway wrote. “I am deeply grateful to the President for this honor, and to the First Lady, the Vice President and Mrs. Pence, my colleagues in the White House and the Administration, and the countless people who supported me and my work. As many convention speakers will demonstrate this week, President Trump’s leadership has had a measurable, positive impact on the peace and prosperity of the nation, and on millions of Americans who feel forgotten no more. The incredible men, women and children we’ve met along the way have reaffirmed my later-in-life experience that public service can be meaningful and consequential. For all of its political differences and cultural cleavages, this is a beautiful country filled with amazing people. The promise of America belongs to us all.”

She explained that she will transition from the White House next week.

“George is also making changes. We disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most: the kids. Our four children are teens and ‘tweens starting a new academic year, in middle school and high school, remotely from home for at least a few months,” she said.

At the same time, George Conway wrote on Twitter that he is backing out of the Lincoln Project, which has the mission of destroying the president’s reelection. He said he fully supports the project but intends to spend more time with his family.

The Anchorage Municipal Clerk now says she has 30 days — not 10 — to tell the sponsors of a recall application against an Assembly member whether their application is sufficient to proceed to the signature-gathering stage.

That puts the recall of Assembly member Meg Zalatel into Sept. 2 for a decision about whether it can move to the next stage.

The application was filed with the Clerk’s office on Aug. 3 and the citizen petitioners at that time believed the Muni’s website, when it said the Clerk had 10 days to issue a decision.

[Read: Group collects signatures to recall Meg Zalatel from Assembly]

That web link that says “10 days” has since been broken and replaced with another link that says she has 30 days.

The Muni website also shows no such petition in review or circulation.

Barbara Jones, the Municipal City Clerk, has since turned the recall application over to Municipal Attorney Kate Vogel for her legal opinion.

Vogel is the same attorney for the city on record saying she believed a protest outside of the Loussac Library earlier this month was in violation of the mayor’s Emergency Order 15, which prohibits groups of 25 or more gathering together outside in Anchorage.

A second recall petition by citizens is waiting in the wings for Assembly Chair Felix Rivera. That one cannot proceed until six months after the April election, according to law. But with an additional 30 days now added onto the process by the Muni, it’s more like seven months before the recall can truly begin.

Another petition for voter action has also been filed with the Muni, and that is to repeal the authorization of the use of CARES Act funds for Mayor Berkowitz’ Homeless Hotel plan.

According to the new standards posted, that Aug. 13 petition to take the question to voters on the April 6 ballot may not be answered by the Clerk until mid-September.

The group advancing that repeal initiative is preparing to legally appeal what it expects will be a refusal from Municipal Attorney Vogel.

Once an application for a petition is authorized, the groups seeking the recalls and repeal will each have to get 7,930 valid signatures from Anchorage voters, and then the matter goes to the voters.

The group seeing to recall Zalatel says she violated the law by allowing one member of the public to testify at a meeting that was closed to the rest of the public.