The Kenai Peninsula Borough now says mayor and gubernatorial candidate Charlie Pierce was asked to consider resigning from office after an employee filed workplace harassment claims against him and a law firm found them to be credible.
The borough disclosed the new information at a special meeting Sunday. But it stopped short of releasing specifics about the allegations or the internal investigation.
Pierce announced in late August he was resigning as mayor to focus on his bid for governor. And he’s doubled down on that reasoning, even amid rumors of a potential workplace harassment claim against him.
But now, for the first time, the borough has confirmed the existence of allegations against Pierce. During an emergency meeting Sunday, the borough assembly released a statement that said Pierce was asked to consider submitting a voluntary resignation as part of a potential resolution, to help the borough avoid a lawsuit. The assembly also agreed in a Aug. 23 executive session to pay mediation costs “up to $10,000,” according to the statement.
Assembly President Brent Johnson said Monday it was important to release the statement to be as transparent as possible without compromising a resolution to the claims.
“We’re balancing trying to not interfere with the mediation and trying to give the public as much information as possible,” he said.
The borough already confirmed last month it had hired Anchorage law firm Ashburn & Mason to conduct a confidential and internal human...
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