Judge Rules Alaska Governor Illegally Fired Lawyer Who Criticized Trump

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A federal judge ruled this week that Alaska Governor Michael Dunleavy (right) unlawfully fired a state attorney after criticizing former President TrumpDonald. prison in a PLUS campaign finance case on a personal blog.

U.S. District Judge John Sedwick, in a ruling released Thursday, ruled that attorney Elizabeth Bakalar’s free speech rights were violated when she was fired. Sedwick said the state has failed to prove Bakalar’s positions, including one in which she calls the former president a “treacherous, semi-literate, lewd oligarch,” affect her duties as deputy attorney general.

When Dunleavy took office in 2018, he asked several state employees to submit resignations with explanations of why they should keep their jobs. Bakalar was one of two lawyers who worked in the attorney general’s office who were not rehired, Reuters reported.

Tuckerman Babcock, who served as Dunleavy’s chief of staff and is a defendant in the case, reportedly said he did not rehire Bakalar because of the tone of his resignation letter. He also said he was moderately aware that he had a personal blog.

Sedwick said on Thursday that the reason for Bakalar’s dismissal had to do with his strong opinions, according to Reuters.

“[Dunleavy’s office] could not reasonably have believed that it was legally appropriate to make political loyalty a requirement of the plaintiff’s employment,” he reportedly said.

Sedwick also granted summary judgment to Bakalar and requested an update from both parties within two weeks regarding any damages he may be owed and outstanding issues, the outlet noted.

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