JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s office and a political blogger have agreed to settle a lawsuit over access to Dunleavy’s news conferences.
Under terms of the agreement, the governor’s office agreed to pay $65,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs. Jeff Landfield, who owns The Alaska Landmine website, said his attorneys will receive the full amount.
Landfield sued in December, alleging he was improperly excluded from Dunleavy media events. Settlement terms were disclosed Tuesday along with a filing by state attorneys seeking to dismiss the case, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
The dismissal request also was signed by an attorney for Landfield.
Under the agreement, Landfield would get “the same access” at gubernatorial press conferences as other members of the media.
There was no admission of liability or wrongdoing, and Dunleavy’s office and Landfield will work to “issue a joint public statement regarding the amicable nature of this settlement.”
U.S. District Court Judge Joshua Kindred in January granted an injunction requiring Dunleavy to invite Landfield to news conferences. The state appealed, but the settlement would render that moot. The parties have asked Kindred to sign off on the dismissal request.
Dunleavy’s press office in a tweet said the matter had been “settled to the mutual satisfaction of both parties. We are happy to say this amicable settlement will put this dispute behind us.”
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