Former Alaska legislator Zach Fansler charged with harassment

Published 1:00 am Wednesday, June 6, 2018

A former Alaska legislator has been formally charged with a crime for allegedly hitting a woman so hard it ruptured her eardrum earlier this year.

Zach Fansler, a former Democratic member of the Alaska House of Representatives representing Bethel, was charged with second degree harassment, a class B misdemeanor, on Monday. The charging documents were filed in Anchorage.

According to an Associated Press story on June 1, Fansler plans to plead guilty to the charge.

[Juneau woman accuses lawmaker of violent attack]

The 39-year-old had resigned from his position with the Legislature in the wake of the allegations in Feburary.

Fansler’s defense attorney, Wallace Tetlow, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday.

It’s not clear when the next court hearing in the case is.

• Contact reporter Gregory Philson at gphilson@juneauempire.com or call at 523-2265. Follow him on Twitter at @GTPhilson.