Anchorage mayor resigns after acknowledging relationship

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The mayor of Alaska’s largest city submitted his resignation, four days after an anchorwoman at a local television station threatened to report he had posted nude photos of himself on a website.

Ethan Berkowitz initially denied the allegation, but on Monday acknowledged he had an inappropriate relationship with Maria Athens, the anchor at a Fox/ABC combined station in Anchorage.

“It is with profound sadness and humility that I resign as mayor of the Municipality of Anchorage,” he said in a statement read Tuesday night at the Anchorage Assembly meeting by his chief of staff, Jason Bockenstedt, and later emailed to the media.

“My re s i g n a t i o n results from unacceptable personal conduct that has compromised my ability to perform my duties with the focus and trust that is required,” Berkowitz wrote.

Berkowitz, 58, noted that his conduct did great injury to his wife, their family, his staff and the people of Anchorage. “For that, I am deeply sorry,” he said.

A small but vocal crowd stood and cheered the resignation, effective Oct. 23.

The saga that has been the buzz of Anchorage started when Athens posted a video Friday on her Facebook page, the same day the station barred her from the studio. In the video, she claimed she would break a story that night claiming Berkowitz posted nude photos to an underage website. She later also posted what she said was a photo of the mayor’s nude back side.