Judge sides with Alaska attorney who alleged wrongful firing

By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A U.S. judge has sided with an attorney who alleged she was wrongly fired by the state of Alaska over political opinions expressed on a personal blog. U.S. District Court Judge John Sedwick ruled Thursday that Elizabeth Bakalar’s firing in December 2018 violated her free speech and associational rights under the U.S. and state constitutions. Bakalar had been an attorney with the state who handled election-related cases. She sued Gov. Mike Dunleavy, his former transition chief Tuckerman Babcock and the state. An attorney representing those parties did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. An attorney for Bakalar says they will seek damages.