In a shocking-even-by-today’s-standards report dropped Tuesday, Alaska Public Media pulled several years of podcasts by Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s policy advisor on “pro-family” issues into the light.
It wasn’t pretty.
In the more than 100 hours reviewed by the outlet, now-former “pro-family” policy advisor Jeremy Cubas dismissed the seriousness of rape, claimed a man can’t rape his wife, defended Hitler for supporting racial purity, bragged about his use of vile racial slurs, talked about slapping women and promoted attacking transgender activists.
“I don’t think it’s possible to rape your wife. I think that that’s an impossible act,” he said. “When you signed the contract, you have already consented. You’re consenting until the end of time, or until you’re dead. I would say an act like divorce is worse than rape.”
Cubas—who attends the same church as Dunleavy, according to the Alaska Public Media report—worked as the governor’s photographer until earlier this year when he was promoted to a policy advisor as part of Dunleavy’s new focus on making “Alaska the most pro-life state in the country.” The position paid $110,000 a year.
“Rape, in the end, is pretty low on the totem pole of grave immoral actions,” Cubas also said on his podcast. “Because in the end, I mean, if you produce a child through rape, you’ve ontologically fulfilled the act to a pretty good capacity.”
Cubas resigned as Alaska Public Media was preparing its story for publication on Tuesday but stood by his comments which also included encouraging people to “start beating” transgender activists, that Hitler’s ideas of purity “are worth talking about” and how “more they tell me not to say” the N-word, “the more I want to say it.”
In a video posted to Twitter today, Cubas had a simple message for people upset with his words.
“To all the pussies out there that are crying and shitting themselves,” Cubas said at the start of a nearly 2-minute video rich in far-right victimhood before landing on the final message of “Go fuck yourself.”
Cubas voiced no similar ill-will toward Dunleavy or the governor’s administration in his video, which has since a general statement with a nod toward inclusion.
“Gov. Dunleavy sincerely believes that the differences between people are what makes all of us stronger,” said Dunleavy spokesman Jeff Turner in a prepared statement. “The governor represents all Alaskans, regardless of their faith, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation or gender. Derogatory statements about individuals and groups within our society do not in any way reflect the values of Gov. Dunleavy or his administration and will not be tolerated.”
Cubas is far from the first creep to leave the Dunleavy administration after reporters looked into their past. Former Attorney General Kevin Clarkson resigned after the Anchorage Daily News/ProPublica reported long-running harassment and unwanted advances toward a junior state employee. Clarkson’s successor, Attorney General Ed Sniffen, lasted about two weeks between his official appointment to the position and his resignation after allegations that he had groomed a teenage student for a sexual relationship nearly three decades ago.
Matt Acuña Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Twitter.
