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Complainant details Kopp's harassing behavior

by Jason Moore
Monday, July 21, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- New questions regarding Gov. Sarah Palin's choice for public safety commissioner have surfaced.

The allegations come as lawmakers consider appointing an independent investigator to look into the chain of events that led to former Commissioner Walt Monegan's termination.

More details have arisen from the sexual harassment claim made against Chuck Kopp in 2005 while he served as Kenai's police chief.

When Kopp appeared for the first time in his new role he was asked about the complaint.

"There has never been a sexual harassment allegation that resulted in a lawsuit or a settlement by the city of Kenai and there's nothing in my record that gives me a black eye," he said last Tuesday.

The allegations come from an employee of the Kenai Police Department. At the time the complaint was filed Kopp served both as police chief and acting city manager in Kenai.

The woman who levied the complaint spoke with Channel 2 News Monday. Her identity is being withheld.

"He started off just by asking for hugs from time to time, saying, 'Do I get my hug today? Do I get my hug today?' and it seemed odd but I complied," she said.

The woman claims after numerous hugs Kopp then kissed her. She says there was a witness to the incident.

"We were in his office and he asked if he could get his hug and so I kind of -- by this time I had grown very uncomfortable with the hugs," she said. "I leaned in for a very light hug and pulled away -- and he pulled me back to him and kissed me on the right cheek just as another officer was walking into the room bringing him a cup of coffee."

Before appointing him, Palin said she was aware of the prior complaint against Kopp.

She spoke about it Friday.

"Looking at the investigation that was undertaken in dealing with that issue with Commissioner Kopp we have been shown that he was cleared of the allegations," she said.

Further, during his press conference, Kopp said no job action was taken against him.

"I left in their good graces and there's no job action ever taken against me," he said. "If there was I would never be here today."

But a letter from the Kenai city attorney sent in October 2005 to the complainant reveals otherwise.

The letter says, in part, "We immediately launched an investigation into the behavior and conduct in question ... As a result of our investigation, Chuck Kopp was removed immediately from his supervisory role relating to your position."    

Kopp kept his job in Kenai and has recently received the ultimate promotion despite the allegations. He now oversees law enforcement across the entire state.

Contact Jason Moore at jmoore@ktuu.com