“I might need protection tonight as I sip a glass of wine ha ha," AG texted young state worker

The Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica brought the story of Kevin Clarkson’s 558 text messages to public attention Tuesday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced Clarkson’s resignation two hours later.

It was a first-rate job of political reporting, something we need more of in Alaska.

The story shouldn’t end with Clarkson’s resignation. The actions and inaction of Gov. Mike Dunleavy deserve examination.

The biggest question is why Clarkson, 61, wasn’t fired months ago.

Clarkson was suspended for the month of August, so Dunleavy knew about all of this in July, but the governor kept the information from state employees and the public.

On Tuesday, Dunleavy’s statement about Clarkson’s resignation sounded like that of a man who had just learned what Clarkson did by picking up the Daily News: “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.”

What is deeply disappointing is that Dunleavy isn’t taking responsibility for keeping Clarkson on the job weeks or months after it was clear that he “did not live up to our high expectations…”

Dunleavy should have told the public that Clarkson, one of the leading officials in state government, had been placed on leave without pay Aug. 1, and that an acting attorney general was doing his work.

The email that went out to employees in the law department Aug. 3 concealed the truth. It said Clarkson “will be out of the office in August, and will not be checking email.”

When pressed by reporter Kyle Hopkins on Aug. 11 about the text messages and whether any investigation was taking place, Dunleavy’s publicity representative would only say that Clarkson was on leave.

In response to a Daily News public records request on June 5 for text messages and other relevant information, the AG’s office said, “The Department has no records.”

Somebody had the records. It could be that the department had no records. It could also be that some other department had the records, making this lying by omission.

Any attorney general who sends 558 text messages in a month to a young low-level state employee, asking her at least 18 times to visit his house and enjoy his company should not expect to remain on the state payroll.

Clarkson claims his messages were innocent and “G” rated, which he bases apparently on his refusal to use profanity. In his resignation letter, he claimed there was “nothing remotely salacious about the texts.”

But the texts show he was obviously putting the Clarkson moves on the young woman, flirting with her and asking her to drop by.

“Always nice to see you beautiful lady ... You have to find a way to say yes and come over and let me cook for you,” the Daily News quoted from one such message. The paper said he often used the kiss emoji and made comments about her beauty.

“I might need protection tonight as I sip a glass of wine ha ha,” he said in another. “Come on over. You stand guard at the door.”

This is beyond creepy. He should have been fired.

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