A public records request by Anchorage citizen activist Russell Biggs shows that some Anchorage Assembly members have been destroying their text messages that they use to deliberate public policy and coordinate votes, a violation of the Open Meetings Act.
Assembly members are prohibited by law from making agreements in private about how they will vote in public. They are also prohibited from destroying records of their communications.
“We’ve suspected for a long time that several assembly members have been destroying public records that showed the extent of their collusion in driving policy within the assembly meetings – specifically messaging between themselves and/or individuals outside the meeting in order to coordinate the vote. After several months and lots of money, we now know that Forrest Dunbar, Chris Constant, and Meg Zaletel are using several methods to evade the Alaska Public Records and records retention laws, and that the municipal clerk has not enforced the compliance with those laws,” Biggs said.
Biggs had requested all electronic messages sent in the last 90 days during the Assembly meetings, and he has paid thousands of dollars in fees to the Municipal Clerk to get those documents. Assemblyman Chris Constant only revealed that he deletes messages automatically after every seven days. Deleting communications that pertain to legislation would be a violation of public records and retention laws.
Former Assemblyman Forrest Dunbar, who is now a state senator, admitted that he uses the app known as Signal (a secret message auto-delete app) and claimed it was because he had been cyber-attacked. However, he also said he emails frequently … but did not provide any emails or deleted texts to meet the requirements of the records request.
Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel claimed that a software update deleted her texts, and failed to provide an explanation why those public records would not be easily recoverable (or why they were not saved to begin with), also violating the public records retention laws.
“Finally, the clerk has not enforced compliance on these legislators, which is her job,” Biggs explained. “This is exactly the same type of behavior that has landed a slew of state legislators in legal trouble over the last few years, because they believe that 1. These cases won’t end up in Superior Court (or Supreme Court if necessary) and 2. that Signal won’t produce those records under a subpoena (they will). “
Biggs has already won three legal actions against the clerk and says he is confident this unlawful attempt by Zaletel, Constant, and Dunbar to evade the AK public records is headed for a fourth date in court.
“What that will look like is uncertain, but you can bet that the same legislators that redacted hundreds of pages of their communications with the Blue Alaskan/AK Dems Communications Director and then sealed the executive sessions indefinitely without disclosing why are going to fight this tooth and nail,” Biggs said. “As invested members of the media, I’m forwarding this info along. The ADN has chosen not to report on any of the prior public records settlements involving the clerk, or two separate letters to the editor that explained the circumstances that forced the muni to settle these cases for several thousand dollars.”
Democrats and Lefties are the first in line to scream that there is no such thing as election fraud…….even with evidence.
I’m sure they’ll investigate themselves and find out it’s mayor Bronson’s fault.
I hope Bronson again puts forth an AO that makes the clerk’s position no longer an Assembly appointment but the result of a vote by the people.
He did that once before, didnt he? And the Assembly shot it down?
Where are the radio and print ads from Conservative dark money groups telling the public about this?
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Oh, forgot. Only children and leftists (sorry to repeat myself) do that.
So, what’s next regarding this? What’s the penalties for Constant, Dunbar, and Valetel for violating these laws and ordinances? Why isn’t ADN and local TV stations being shamed into accurately reporting Assemblymember’s flagrant disregard for our laws and ordinances while the same media take an active role in reporting allegations regarding Bronson’s violations?
Because Christians haven’t come together in prayer and to disarm the wicked principalities who have moved into the heavenly realms of Anchorage governance.
Because “spiritual forces of wickedness” have taken up residence in Anchorage’s realms of governance and public discourse. Christians haven’t come together to pray them out or gotten off the couch to vote them out. No prayer and fasting. Welcomed the pot shops. ADN’s spiritual forces have a legal right to be here because Christians gave it to them.
The ADN picked sides the day they called me a “detractor” in a headline about the Blue Alaskan emails that that the Assembly locked up in executive session forever…right before the city wrote me the first of two settlement checks for lawsuits related to the public records requests. Or was it the day their reporters called me an antimasker in a previous article even though I’d never spoken publicly about masks? You would think that the free press would have a vested interest in maintaining transparency but they aren’t going to publish anything critical of the Assembly until after the election, and after a new Progressive super majority is in place.
Can these legal actions be community actions? Would it apply more pressure? What can we do to help?
Can’t they be thrown out by the same process they installed to remove Bronson? Cheers –
Nope.
The process to remove an assembly member is identical to the process to remove the Mayor.
First step, someone lodges an accusation.
Next step, the Assembly meets to determine the merit of the accusation.
See, identical. The Assembly is the first gatekeeper for removal of the Mayor, OR removal of an Assembly member.
The Anchorage assembly there are no rules, they do whatever they want and you anchorage people let them. You can’t even show up to vote. You get what you get.
No, these three scallywags will blame it all on President Trump.
They all have been rotten to the core.
If you were trying to destroy a city would you do anything different than our current assembly?
They seem to be steadily on course.
Then again pride before the fall.
You don’t say..
Without consequences there’s no accountability and so far although several gnash their teeth and wring their hands no one has actually done anything tangible about it.
Then Mr. Biggs enters the arena.
Do your worst, Sir.
Clearly this is a good reason for removal, including Dunbar.
The problem is the Assembly gets to determine of the charges lodged against an assembly member has merit. If they say the charges are not significant, the removal process stops.
Same as for the Mayor. The Assembly makes the first call.
I would gleefully donate to Mr Biggs in his effort
Annnnnd who, besides our justice system, didn’t know this?
I remember the day when Anchorage Assembly members actually wanted to hear from Anchoragites for literal guidance prior to and during deliberation of agenda items rather than jamming things through before the public even knew what was foreseen and shoved down their throats regarding any matter. Voiced opposition was not “a A MEETING DISTURBANCE” then but was often persuasive to temporary elected servants. That deliberative process should take place in front the public; not some secret inaccessible digital place regardless of WEF global plans.
Go get them. They need to feel some discomfort as they have dished it out themselves. We need to put them on the defensive as much as we can. Where’s the Covid money they spent?
I’m shocked. Just shocked. Well, not that shocked.
During Covid, the citizens of Anchorage told the Politburo loudly they were willing to surrender their rights.
Can’t blame the Politburo for taking the citizens at their words and running over the laws everyone else has to follow.
Leftists and Liberals are on a crusade because they believe the United States is the worse country in the world. The rest of the world (with maybe the exception of Russia) is a peaceful utopia and we spoil everything. We’re going to burn up the earth and boil the oceans in 10 years. With this mindset, cheating seems a noble cause.
The Assembly members that formed a cabal during the Berkowitz administration are guilty of fraud, misappropriation of funds and collusion to defraud. The fact that no US attorney hasn’t marched them off to jail is reflective of how far the left has embedded itself into the bureaucracy that is supposed to provide oversight for the taxpayers.
Agree!!
Radical leftists are totally fine with any violation of principle, any violation of the law, any violation of morality, any violation of fair play, any violation of decency, in short, fine with ANYTHING, as long as it serves their goal of the accumulation and exercise of raw naked power.
Right there! ?
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It does not matter if you cheat, as long as you get what you want.
The FIRST individual that should be charged and jailed is the Municipal Clerk, Barbara Jones.
The rest shall fall from that happenstance, as she shall sell them out to save her own skin, if she is smart, which is questionable, at best.
The corrupt bastards club all will get their day in court. Be better in the here and now than waiting for the Great
white throne judgement. God disciplines His family today; however for unbelivers He let’s them eat and be merry subverting
Justice today before facing the highest of the highest courts later.
That doesn’t mean we stop praying for them. Cause while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! I’d be so Happy these guys go into a 5-year sentance-May give them
chance to repent..
THANK YOU, Russell Biggs. He’s Anchorage’s version of James O’Keefe and Tom Fitton. I’m so glad we have him working hard to expose this.
what can we do about? this is not ok.
Nothing. Will. Happen.
These people are untouchable. They know it and don’t care.
This is what happened in Palmer. Citizens worked to get enough signatures for a re-call, then stomped the 3 offending liberal assembly members in the recall. A whopping 17% voter turn out, (mostly in-person voters) with an overwhelming majority in favor of the recall. Maybe Anchorage should do the same.
Anchorage ASSembly is far too concerned with having that queer flag flying than doing anything constructive for us. There have been several recall attempts, we are far too purple to pull it off. And dont get me started about all that dark money that is used against us to ensure the recalls fail. Soros, Gates, Bezos, Biden, et al will spend a ton of money to turn us fully blue…. Idiots with ballots
You palmer people need
to increase your Church. Those three were barely recalled all just shy 100 votes. Need to start planting seeds of God in hearts of palmer.
Susan why do my comments always go unpublished? Do you have a record of what your filter screens out?
I see plenty of your comments published, over 37 of them. I don’t know what you are referring to. – sd
The voters deserve more transparency at all levels of governments, this would include Mayor Bronson releasing all documents requested by the Assembly
Isn’t Chris Constant up for re-election? This would make a grand ad for his opponent. Something other than those insulting 907 ads for a change.
There was always a conflict of interest built in for the city clerk, as policing one’s direct supervisor is generally not advisable for longevity. Remember the flowers Chris Constant delivered during the counting of the mayor’s race? Barbara Jones is simply an extension of the cabal running interference for them with the public and snooping on the mayor’s office.
https://mustreadalaska.com/smoking-gun-docs-show-municipal-clerk-spying-passing-mayors-confidential-information-to-assembly-leadership/
I have the perfect billboard for that campaign:
CONSTANTLY whining
CONSTANTLY badgering
CONSTANTLY grandstanding
CONSTANTLY deceitful
CONSTANTLY hypocritical
CONSTANTLY arrogant
CONSTANTLY authoritarian
CONSTANTLY playing the victim
CONSTANTLY wrong
Laws do not apply to democrats. If republicans got away with this sort of crime there would be riots, arson, even murder of innocent people. We saw this when a negro over dosed on drugs in Minneapolis. Oh, I know the official story, but the original autopsy was published, that is a fact and it is not going away.
Too bad we can’t do what Iowa did, ‘https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2023/01/24/iowa-governor-kim-reynolds-signs-school-choice-scholarships-education-bill-into-law/69833074007/
Our state is a long way from that what has taken place in Iowa. It should be a goal for all states. The monopolistic grip of NEA realizes this is an inevitable occurrence though. Teachers will get paid better and security will be better. The losers will be bad teachers, unions, and administrators. The plea for more money resulting in worse and worse performance will eventually require some major change in our great state. I almost want my kids and grandkids to move to Iowa.
To Russell Biggs, thank you for your work. We’re more than willing to help with expenses.
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Next step seems like multiple formal complaints filed by multiple Anchorage residents with the Alaska Bar Association against attorneys Forrest Dunbar and The Meg.
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At the web site public.courts.alaska.gov/web/rules/docs/prof.pdf “Alaska Rules of Professional Conduct”, we find this in Section 8.4, pp 65-66:
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“Rule 8.4. Misconduct. It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to: (a) violate or attempt to violate the Rules of Professional Conduct, knowingly assist or induce another to do so, or do so through the acts of another; (b) commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects;
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***(c) engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s fitness to practice law…*** (emphasis added)
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Lawyers holding public office assume legal responsibilities going beyond those of other citizens. A lawyer’s abuse of public office can suggest an inability to fulfill the professional role of lawyers.
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This rule prohibits a lawyer from engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s fitness to practice law.”
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At the web site public.courts.alaska.gov/web/rules/docs/bar.pdf “Alaska Bar Rules”, we find this in Rule 26 (b) “Definition of Serious Crime”, page 28: The term “serious crime” shall include any crime which is or would be a felony in the State of Alaska and shall also include any lesser crime a necessary element of which, as determined by the statutory or common law definition of such crime, involves conduct as an attorney, interference with the administration of justice, false swearing, misrepresentation, fraud, **deceit**, bribery, **corruption**, extortion, misappropriation, theft, or an attempt or a conspiracy or solicitation of another to commit a “serious crime.”*** (emphases added)
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Bottom line: The Alaska Bar Association can be requested to convene the Disciplinary Board to find out: (a) whether Dunbar and The Meg knowingly committed “serious crimes” under Bar Association rules, and (b) whether they should be disciplined.
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To Russel Biggs, again we thank you sincerely for your work.
One more thing: Your main job should you be elected and receive a stipend is to speak to constituents and hear them out especially by telephone. If speaking to strangers about their concerns is too difficult for you personally this stipend is not for you. Many Anchorageites if they are giving you the honor of their actual opinion may be somewhat different than you believe they might be. Are you persuadable? Or are you intractible? Do just nine people fund this community containing one half the population of the state of Alaska? So, they only matter?
Where is the state DA? Don’t they do anything for us little people? Somehow these assembly members need to be hauled into court.
Reminder.
The legislature is your enemy. Elected government representatives and government employees are not some angels who are constantly looking out for the best interests of the public. They are human beings who can, and all too often, abuse the authority of their position for their own gain.
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Which is why transparency is so important. Why the Open Meetings Act is in place. To ensure this type of behavior cannot happen. And, when it does, the people doing wrong must be removed.
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