Watch CBS News

Town Manager Scott Janke Shafted for Porn Star Wife Jazella Moore… Again?

(AP Photo/Scott Janke)
Photo: Scott Janke, right and his wife Anabela Mota Janke.

MIAMI (CBS/AP) He was a Florida town manager, she was a porn star, and two of them together were a match made in heaven.

Until word got around and Scott Janke was fired from his post because of his marriage to Anabela Mota Janke, also known in the adult film world by the stage name Jazella Moore.

(CBS)
Janke, who now lives in Groveland, Mass., said that he has spent the last three months looking for a job, and was among the top finalists for a city manager position in Alaska – until his bid was dropped.

Photo: Scott Janke, right and his wife Anabela Mota Janke on the Early Show.

The city council in the southeast Alaska town of Petersburg winnowed down their list of five job candidates to three. Among the two dropped last week was Janke, who was fired in July by officials in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.

Petersburg Mayor Al Dwyer says the issue of Janke's wife was discussed, but there were no indications it dissuaded council members from keeping Janke on the list of candidates. Dwyer says he was the only council member who voted for Janke.

Janke said in a job applicant questionnaire for the Petersburg position that he left the job as town manager of Fort Myers Beach, Fla., "for reasons that to this day I don't understand."

"The Town Council there simply over-reacted to a news story about my wife's previous career and they terminated my contract without cause," he wrote. "I am sure you have heard the stories."

He said Wednesday that his wife retired from the porn industry before their marriage last year, but she returned briefly to magazine and film work to help make ends meet after he was fired. It was temporary and she has not worked for three months, he said.

"We have nothing to be ashamed of," he told The Associated Press.

Janke, 55, was among five finalists out of 43 applicants for the Petersburg position, according to Kathy O'Rear, city clerk for the community of 3,000. Despite local news reports of Janke's Florida notoriety, the clerk said she knew of no outrage about it among residents of the Alaska town.

Fired town manager Scott Janke, left, and his porn star wife Anabela Janke on "The Early Show."

"We've not heard a thing, pro or con," O'Rear said. "Personally it's not an issue for me, but I could see how it might bother some people."

Fort Myers Beach town council voted 5-0 to fire Scott Janke "without cause" after Mayor Larry Kiker called an emergency meeting.

Kiker acknowledged that Janke had violated no rules or laws and added that he had done a good job for the island town that had about 6,500 people, according to the 2000 Census. But the mayor was concerned whether Janke could remain effective and not distract the community from the business of the town along the state's west coast.

"What we were addressing was a situation where we weren't going to be able to govern the town with all the disruption and interruption," Kiker said.

On the show, Anabel Janke said she didn't think her husband was being treated fairly.

"When this came out, he talked to the mayor and said, 'I'm willing to resign.' And then everything just..." She then trailed off.

Scott Janke added, "When this story began to break, I was actually called by a local reporter, who also called the mayor about a day before he was going to actually print these articles. And the mayor and I chatted on the phone. Because of my ethics, I said, 'I'm willing to resign with compensation if the town council thinks it will help the community not be so distracted.'"

Dan Miller, editor at the AVN Media Network, which covers the adult industry, said he had not heard of a similar case, but noted the adult film industry is "not necessarily widely accepted" in mainstream American politics.

Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida: "His firing may run up against Florida's law that prohibits discrimination based on marital status."


PREVIOUSLY ON CRIMESIDER
July 24, 2009 - Fired for Marrying a Porn Star - The Aftermath
July 23, 2009 - Fired for Marrying a Porn Star

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.