From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

The North Slope Borough has given at least $500,000 to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission every year since 2005.

During much of that time, the former directors of the commission were stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization, according to federal indictments.

This week, the Assembly president sent the following announcement to reporters saying the Assembly is confident its money is being "appropriately 
managed
 and
 reported" despite the charges against former commission director Maggie Ahmaogak.

Ahmaogak's successor, Teresa Judkins, was indicted in June. She also is accused of stealing from the organization and was fired in 2008.

Here's the Borough Assembly's statement:

Statement 
on 
behalf 
of 
the 
North 
Slope 
Borough 
Assembly
 from
 Assembly
 President 
Eugene
 Brower:

In 
light 
of 
the 
recent 
criminal 
indictments
 against
 former 
executive 
staff of 
the 
AEWC, 
the
 Borough
 Assembly 
held 
a 
special 
meeting 
this 
week to
 discuss
 AEWC.

The
 Assembly 
heard 
a 
detailed
 report 
from 
the 
administration 
on 
AEWC activities
 under
 the
 Borough
 grant
 agreement. 

The 
Assembly
 also 
heard
 from
 the 
AEWC 
Chair 
and 
the 
CPA 
for
 AEWC. 


AEWC 
is 
being
 transparent with 
the 
Borough 
about 
its 
finances 
and 
the 
Assembly 
is
 confident
 in 
their 
present
 capacity.

While 
there 
was 
a 
period 
without 
annual 
audits 
at 
AEWC, 
the 
Borough 
now
 requires 
annual
 audits 
under 
its 
grant
 agreement. AEWC 
has
 completed 
an 
audit 
for 
2009, 
is 
expecting
 the
 completion
 of 
the 
2010
 audit 
within 
the 
month 
and 
the 
completion
 of 
the 
2011 
audit 
before
 the
 end 
of 
the calendar 
year.
The 
Assembly
 is 
persuaded
 that 
present 
management 
of 
this 
critical 
organization 
is 
meeting
 the
 audit
 requirement 
of 
the 
Borough’s
 grant 
agreement and 
is 
compliant 
with 
generally 
accepted
 accounting
principles.
Whatever 
the 
outcomes 
of 
the 
present
 criminal 
cases 
regarding 
th e
management
 of 
federal
 money
 AEWC
 received
 in
 the 
past,
 the 
Assembly 
has 
confidence 
in 
the 
present 
management of
 AEWC
 and 
confidence 
that 
Borough 
funding
 of 
the 
organization 
is 
being 
appropriately 
managed
 and
 reported.