Unbiased governor candidate Invoice Walker known as for Republican candidate Charlie Pierce to stop his marketing campaign after Pierce and the Kenai Peninsula Borough have been sued by a borough worker who mentioned she was sexually harassed by Pierce when he served as mayor.
The lawsuit was filed Friday by Pierce’s former government assistant.
Incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy, additionally a Republican, mentioned throughout a debate two days earlier than the lawsuit was filed that he would rank Pierce second in Alaska’s ranked-choice election for governor.
Requested whether or not the lawsuit has modified his place, Dunleavy mentioned on Monday in an emailed assertion: “The allegations as described are critical, and we’ve got a system of due course of beneath the regulation to vet these claims. With none solution to independently confirm these claims at this late date, it will be inappropriate and unfair to all events concerned to make any snap judgments or draw any conclusions from a grievance filed simply days in the past. I’ve been targeted on my race all alongside, and I’m asking all Alaskans for his or her assist.”
Pierce didn’t reply to messages left on his cellphone Monday.
(Dunleavy’s marketing campaign didn’t reply to earlier requests for remark about his earlier assist for Pierce when the Day by day Information reported the swimsuit on Friday, and the governor declined to talk to a Day by day Information reporter when approached on the Alaska Federation of Natives conference on Saturday.)
Democratic candidate Les Gara mentioned it appeared odd to him that Dunleavy didn’t rethink his place when all 4 candidates shared a debate stage on Saturday, someday after the lawsuit was filed.
“To me, on this race, it appears odd for the governor to encourage individuals to vote for Mr. Pierce given all that,” Gara mentioned.
He tried to attract a line between the lawsuit in opposition to Pierce and sexual-harassment allegations in opposition to former Legal professional Common Kevin Clarkson, who resigned after the Day by day Information documented Clarkson’s actions.
“It’s very according to the best way the governor handled the sexual harassment declare in opposition to the legal professional basic. Till the press caught wind of it, it didn’t look like the governor took 500 sexually harassing texts to a younger worker significantly,” Gara mentioned.
In 2018, Walker’s lieutenant governor candidate, Byron Mallott, stop that 12 months’s election after propositioning a state worker. Walker suspended his marketing campaign, and Dunleavy received the race, which additionally featured Democratic candidate Mark Begich.
In a written statement on Sunday, Walker mentioned, “When an individual ready of energy does one thing incorrect, you don’t urge your supporters to vote for them. You demand accountability. Charlie Pierce ought to droop his marketing campaign instantly, and Mike Dunleavy mustn’t proceed to assist Pierce simply because it helps together with his private political ambitions.”
Legal professional Caitlin Shortell is representing the plaintiff in Friday’s lawsuit and mentioned she “is just not a political particular person and didn’t file this lawsuit to make commentary on any election. (She) filed this lawsuit to implement her proper to be free from sexual harassment within the office.”
Shortell mentioned the lawsuit’s timing was dictated by a state regulation that prescribes a 180-day statute of limitations.
In accordance with the doc, Pierce subjected his assistant “to more and more frequent incidents of sexual harassment together with: sexual remarks, embraces, kisses, touching her breast, false imprisonment in his personal workplace, massages, dialogue of his intercourse life, and questions as to Wastell’s sexual preferences and wishes. This conduct started occurring a number of occasions per week and elevated in frequency till the sexual harassment was fixed.”
The assistant submitted a proper grievance on July 11, and the Kenai borough employed an out of doors authorized agency to analyze the claims three days later.
That report, delivered lower than two weeks after the agency was employed, mentioned the assistant’s claims have been credible. That report has not been launched to the general public, and its conclusions grew to become recognized solely after Pierce introduced that he would resign.
In two different recognized instances, the Kenai Peninsula Borough settled office harassment lawsuits in opposition to Pierce, with the borough paying a mixed $260,000.
Officers on the borough, talking anonymously, mentioned the borough tried to barter a settlement with the intention to keep away from the most recent lawsuit, however that these talks failed.
Shortell, who was employed by the assistant rather than one other legal professional, mentioned she was not concerned in any mediation and there’s no settlement settlement.
She mentioned the plaintiff intends to litigate her case and can take it to trial if it can’t be resolved.
Initially printed by the Alaska Beacon, an impartial, nonpartisan information group that covers Alaska state authorities.