Reinstate Chuck Kopp??? Let it die, people, let it die...

First here's the history:

Chuck Kopp replaces Walt Monegan
Introducing Chuck Kopp press event
Chuck Kopp--curioser and curioser...
"The Alaska Hillbillies"
Anticipating Kopp's departure
Chuck Kopp resigns effective immediately

In Friday's Peninsula Clarion, we find a story that's been picked up by the AP:

About four dozen friends and family members of Chuck Kopp jammed the Kenai City Council chamber Wednesday night urging the council to reinstate the former Kenai police chief.

Mayor Pat Porter informed the supporters that hiring and firing of city employees at the department head level is the responsibility of the city manager, not the city council.

The interesting part is who was there to support him...

A number of Kopp's supporters said they were affiliated with Cook Inlet Academy, which was founded by Kopp's father. Kopp is a past-president of the school...

...A Sterling woman who described herself as being a friend of Chuck and Trish Kopp for 16 years, Robin Forci, said city council members should consider the legacy they want to leave.

...and who wasn't there...

City Manager Rick Koch, who did not attend Wednesday's meeting, has been attending a hockey camp out of state with his son.

I'll bet Mr. Koch is thinking that hockey camp was great timing.

There is no way they are going to rehire Chuck Kopp. Besides the number of lies he told to the media (i.e. all of you) as well as the Governor, I described some of the stuff I was receiving leading up to Mr. Kopp's resignation. His departure caused me to drop any and all efforts to "research" the claims that have been made by anonymous sources. I'm guessing wayyyyy more powerful media folks than this blogger-chick have the same information and the same ability to do that research...if we are all properly motivated.

Reinstating him as police chief in Kenai would motivate me as I'm sure it would motivate others.

Folks down in Kenai should let this go. Based on my information, there could be much more than a "hug" in his past. If you really care about Chuck and his family, find him a different job.

Chuck Kopp resigns effective immediately

Per KTUU 5:00 report breaking news: Kopp resigns on his own "for the good of the Department of Public Safety."

More at 6:00 PM report and the press release should be out any second...we hope...

Per ADN:

In a brief news conference with Gov. Sarah Palin in her Anchorage office late this afternoon, Kopp said he was stepping down effective immediately. Kopp, appointed to replace former Commissioner Walt Monegan 10 days ago, said recent scrutiny of a 2005 sexual harassment complaint has been too hard on his family.

Neither Kopp nor the governor would answer questions.

"We're going to move forward now," Palin said. "This has been brutal on a good family."

No replacement has been announced.

I'll bet...not for awhile...

This is the part I love:

"The recent media firestorm has been detrimental to the Department of Public Safety mission, the citizens of Alaska and my family," Kopp said. "While I have been portrayed in a negative light, my personal worth is now in the person of Jesus Christ."

Yeah, it's always a good idea to bring Jesus into these things.

Perhaps the fact that media folks and bloggers like myself have been getting all kinds of emails and comments had something to do with this? Perhaps we were calling and emailing the right people and it was only a matter of time before someone went on the record with information proving that you lied through that entire previous press conference on the nature of your harassment? Perhaps the idea of a FOIA requesting access to all of your non-case-related phone conversations with dispatchers (which are recorded) made you nervous about big trouble down the road?

Perhaps the reason you resigned wasn't because of the "media firestorm" that YOU created, but because there were more chickens that were about to roost on top of the other ones?

Buh bye...don't let the door hit ya--well, you know the rest...

***UPDATE***

HERE is the raw feed of Kopp's statement at the press conference.

HERE is the raw feed of the Governor's statement.

Chuck Kopp---curiouser and curiouser...OK, I mean slimier and slimier...

Picture courtesy of Dept. of Public Safety

This was pretty chicken-shit:

This coming up shortly: "Department of Public Safety Commissioner Charles Kopp will have a press availability for news media at 3 p.m. today to make a statement concerning the claims levied against him while he was with the Kenai Police Department. Kenai Mayor Pat Porter will attend in support of her former police chief."

Alaska Politics posted it at 2:53...I'm guessing they heard about it late as well.

Here's KTUU's story on the women who is accusing him.



I was at the "press availability" event last week where this was originally discussed. Also, here is the letter the Kenai Police Department sent the woman.

I can tell you from my own EEO experience, if there is good evidence that it truly happened and the victim is willing, they'll move the victim as part of a off-the-record settlement. If there's damning evidence and they don't want the victim to take it any farther, they'll move the perpetrator. They won't move anyone if there's no proof.

Chuck Kopp lied...this was a settlement.

***UPDATE--the "press availability" event***

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Kopp disclosed he was reprimanded, with a letter, by the Kenai city council after an investigation found to have improperly hugged the employee multiple times. He said the hugs were non-sexual, in a "friend-to-friend capacity," and he has no idea why the woman eventually filed a sexual harassment complaint with the city.

He disputes that he ever kissed her, as the woman claims. He also disputed that there was a witness to a kiss, as she contended in an interview with KTUU-Channel 2 yesterday.

K...the letter said they did an investigation...don't you think that they talked to the people involved during an investigation?

KOPP...THEY MOVED YOU OUT OF YOUR SUPERVISORY POSITION, YOU THROWBACK! DON'T YOU THINK THAT BOLSTERS HER CLAIMS?

He said the city took the complaint seriously and he realized that the workplace hugs were inappropriate. He said he received a letter of reprimand after the investigation. He said he appealed the finding, and reached an agreement with the city that the letter would be removed after two years if there were no further incidents. He said there were none and the letter was removed.

The only reason we know that Kopp lied the first time is because the victim produced this above-linked letter:

"You may want to know what action has been taken against Chief Kopp as a result of this investigation. That is certainly understandable; but Title 23 of the Kenai Municipal Code requires personnel matters, regardless of their nature, to be kept confidential."

Basically, he can claim whatever he wants about the aftermath and any other potential problems and we'll never know...the Kenai Municipal Code prevents anyone but the victim from speaking out.

Chuck "I am not a sex harasser" Kopp, as Commissioner of Public Safety, is responsible for all aspects of Alaska law enforcement. Kopp is responsible for the difficult and sensitive task of finding solutions to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, which exist in Alaska in crisis proportions. Kopp's past renders him ineffective in this most-important task.

Chuck "I am not a sex harasser" Kopp needs to go.

Breaking: "Top Kopp" to release his personnel file

Per the ADN:

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Chuck Kopp said today he will release his personnel file from the Kenai Police Department.

Kopp, who has been at the center of a political firestorm, said he will release the file to dispel rumors of a history of sexual harassment.

"I am not ashamed of my past," he said.

Kopp became the center of attention after Gov. Sarah Palin abruptly fired Walt Monegan last Friday from the commissioner's job and then appointed him. The governor has said she wants change in the leadership of the department and wants to take it in a new direction, but hasn't said why the department needed fixing.

That's been my issue all along with the press conference and every statement out of the Governor's office. No one has shown us what "new direction" they are talking about...which causes people to question if that's truly the reason.

Kopp has been accused by a former employee of sexually harassing her with unwanted hugs and a kiss on the cheek in 2005. That employee says a Kenai city investigation confirmed her version of events.

Her lawyer, Chuck Robinson, today said he also believed the city investigation substantiated the harassment.

The Palin administration looked into the 2005 charge and said it learned that it was unsubstantiated, according to governor spokeswoman Sharon Leighow.

Hmmm...I've now learned the lingo and it's "unfounded" (proven false), "not sustained" (can't be verified or proven) or "sustained" (proven). I'm curious to know which it is.

Kopp wanted to dispel another rumor also: He said he was never friends with Palin or any of her family. He first met Palin when she was campaigning for governor in July 2006 in Kenai. Later, Palin made him the head of her Department of Public Safety transition team. Kopp said he also served on former Gov. Frank Murkowski's transition team.

I really don't care when Kopp met Palin. I just want to know if he's going to be a "yes man" to the detriment of the Department and Alaska.

I can't wait to see this report, now that I understand better what I'm looking at (after 270+ pages).

Press Event: Introducing Chuck Kopp as the new Commissioner of Public Safety

Yours truly on the right (photo courtesy of The Department of Public Safety)

I went to the State Trooper's building today for the "press availability" event (Megan Peters corrected me when I called it a "press conference") at 1:00. He talked about looking forward to working with the Legislature, being an advocate for the Troopers and focusing on recruitment, moving forward with improvements in Rural Alaska, including reducing substance abuse. He gave pretty much the standard spiel and definitely no "new agenda."

Then the first question came:

Corey Allen Young, Channel 11--"I'd just like to get your side of the story regarding the sexual harassment allegations made."

Commissioner Kopp--"[There has] never been a sexual harassment allegation that resulted in a lawsuit or a settlement by the City of Kenai. There is nothing in my record that would give me a black eye or would hinder me in my roll as Commissioner of Public Safety."

Then a follow up from Channel 11, then a similar question from Channel 13.

Commissioner Kopp: "There is no personal settlement there is no public settlement as in there is nothing in the record."

**raised eyebrow**

Channel 11 and 13--more questions

Commissioner Kopp--"There is one that has happened, period," said Kopp. "But I don't want to comment on that. There is absolutely nothing in my record that I am ashamed of. There is no skeletons in my closet. There is no monster looming to crawl out to say, 'Did this happen?'"

Public Safety Commissioner Chuck Kopp speaks to the press (photo courtesy of The Department of Public Safety)

The back story per channel 11's website:

While no lawsuit or settlement came from the sexual harassment complaint, we do know one was made; and so did Governor Palin before she appointed Kopp, Alaska's top cop.

The governor's office said there was no substance to the complaint filed three years ago and Commissioner Kopp continues to have her full support. After being pressed on the issue several times, Kopp did admit to the complaint...

...CBS 11 News is in contact with the woman who filed the complaint and she wants to tell her side of the story, but doesn't want to do that until she can talk to her attorney. He is not going to be back in town until later this week.

Megan Peters jumped in and said this is about "talking about the future of DPS and where we are headed."

K...let's ask a "future" question.

So I asked "The reason [given] for Walt Monegan's firing was so that they could go 'in a new direction' so I wanted to know specifically what you wanted to do differently than Walt Monegan was doing."

Commissioner Kopp--"I'm not going to comment on prior leadership or the circumstances there. I'm just going to move forward with a positive focus. I've talked about recruitment and retention, talking about improving the working conditions for the employees of the Department of Public Safety, looking at being accountable and responsive in all our Divisions to the people of Alaska as we execute our mission.

Me--"I was wondering what was new about this direction?"

Kopp--"We're building on the good things of the past and we are looking forward to further refining our approach, our fiscal responsibility, our accountability. We're looking forward to moving forward and having a credible (*muffled*) policy."

Corey from Channel 11 pointed out that this was all the same things the Governor has been saying and that Walt Monegan has been saying. He asked for more specifics on recruitment and...again...we heard some of the same things we've been hearing--that we have to target people with an "adventurous spirit" who want to live in Rural Alaska.

I have heard good things from others about Chuck Kopp and though I wonder how he'll handle 800 state employees vs. the 30 he dealt with in Kenai, he probably deserves a chance...if he can handle this "sexual harassment" issue better than he did today.

However, I left the press room thinking less about Chuck Kopp and wondering more about Walt Monegan and why that change was needed?