The former Alaska House spokesman charged with assaulting his girlfriend earlier this year was convicted of a lesser crime of disorderly conduct Thursday, after accepting a plea deal from prosecutors.
Will Vandergriff, 38, received a misdemeanor "conviction of record" with no sentence or fine after pleading guilty to the disorderly conduct charge. He declined to comment.
Vandergriff resigned his job with the House majority after being initially charged in June with two counts of domestic violence-related, fourth-degree assault. His girlfriend at the time, a legislative aide, told police he hit her repeatedly and held her by the throat.
Anchorage District Attorney Clint Campion said he made the plea deal after Vandergriff, for the past six months, complied with court-ordered restrictions and participated in rehabilitation programs for alcoholism and anger management.
Vandergriff's girlfriend has also moved out of state and wanted the charges dismissed altogether, and Vandergriff had no criminal history, Campion said.
The plea deal dropped prosecutors' initial allegation of a domestic violence-related crime, but Campion said the disorderly conduct conviction will remain on Vandergriff's record as "something that he's going to have to explain for the rest of his life."
Campion said he hadn't been contacted by Vandergriff's old bosses in the House.
"His former employment was not a factor in any way," Campion said.