A letter signed Thursday by conservative state lawmakers detailing accusations against a U.S. Senate candidate’s campaign manager sparked condemnations, denials and accusations of hypocrisy from elected officials and party leaders.<\/p>\n
A representative for independent Senate candidate Dr. Al Gross unequivocally denied allegations of sexual assault and abusive behavior against the campaign’s manager made in a letter sent by Alaskan Republican state legislators.<\/p>\n
“It couldn’t be more baseless and it’s a shame that people are using women’s lived experiences as political ammo,” said Julia Savel, communications director for the Gross campaign.<\/p>\n
The letter, signed by eight Republican state lawmakers and addressed to Alaska Democratic Party leadership and sent to members of the media, claimed Gross’ campaign manager David Keith was fired from a progressive political action committee in Wisconsin while working for the campaign of Democrat Randy Bryce who was running for Congress in that state.<\/p>\n
According to the letter, Keith was fired from the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, “following well-documented allegations and a subsequent investigation into alarming behavior that included ‘inappropriate sexual comments’, ‘crude and derogatory language to describe women and gay people,’ ‘angry outbursts’ and ‘throwing things at his subordinates.’”<\/p>\n
The letter cites a July 16, 2019, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/a> article and an Aug. 25, 2019, letter from the Young Alaska Democrats to state party leadership expressing concerns at David’s hiring.<\/p>\n But Savel maintained those allegations were entirely false.<\/p>\n