In A Social Media Fracas, Walker Withdraws Appointee

Gov. Bill Walker has pulled the name of an appointee to the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Grace Jang, a Walker spokesperson, confirmed on Tuesday that Jeff Landfield’s nomination was withdrawn because of “disrespectful” and “misogynistic” images posted to his social media account. Many of the photographs circulating through the Capitol featured Landfield in swim briefs while vacationing in Las Vegas. One photo showed Landfield with his hands on a woman’s chest, and another had him making a crude gesture using a bachelorette-party prop.

Landfield says he is “disappointed by the decision,” but that he does not want his removal to serve as a distraction from work in Juneau. The 30-year-old Anchorage resident also believes the reaction to the photographs may be the result of a generational divide between those who have grown up with social media and those who have not.

“This is probably a big part of the reason many people have no desire to get involved in public service,” says Landfield.

Landfield adds that he disagrees with the description of the photos as “misogynistic.”

Landfield currently chairs Anchorage’s Federation of Community Councils. In 2012, he attempted an unsuccessful challenge against Sen. Lesil McGuire in the Republican primary. McGuire currently chairs the Senate’s Judiciary Committee and had been assigned Landfield’s confirmation hearing. McGuire was not available for comment.

According to Walker’s spokesperson, Landfield was appointed at the recommendation of Craig Fleener, an Arctic policy advisor to the governor and his former running mate. As of Tuesday evening, Landfield had not been contacted by the Governor’s Office about his nomination.