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Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins writes about Anchorage city government and politics. He covered last year's campaign for governor, and has blogged extensively about Alaska politics for the past year. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and was a reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com

Sean Cockerham

Sean Cockerham writes about Alaska state politics. He spent three years based in Juneau for the Daily News before joining the Tacoma News-Tribune two years ago to write about Washington state politics. He went to Iraq twice for the News Tribune, and previously wrote about Alaska government and politics for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Now he's back in Anchorage. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com

Erika Bolstad

Erika Bolstad covers Alaska issues, including the congressional delegation, from Washington, D.C., for McClatchy Newspapers. Before joining the bureau this summer, she spent seven years as a reporter at the Miami Herald, where she covered politics, government and the state legislature. E-mail Erika at ebolstad@adn.com.

APOC monday

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: September 28, 2007 - 2:05 pm

From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

The Alaska Public Offices Commission plans to hold a meeting on Monday afternoon to talk more about Veco contributions, said APOC director Brooke Miles.

She said a Sept. 25 letter from Reps. Les Gara and Harry Crawford prompted the meeting and that the commission could discuss, for example, the Veco special bonus program and contributions to candidate fund-raisers.

Miles said she doesn’t know what the commission might decide, but said: “If they were to look at this in same light over which they saw the polling issue, it’s likely that they would ask the staff to conduct a fact finding investigation and report back to them.”

Meantime, Gara and Sen. Hollis French sent this letter to BP, Conoco and Exxon, asking about their relationship with Veco. For example, did anyone at the companies talk with Veco about influencing politicians with campaign donations?

Also today: Charisse Millett, who has worked for former Rep. Vic Kohring, the Department of Administration and Rep. John Harris, said she’s filed with APOC to run for Rep. Kevin Meyer’s seat.

Millett is a registered Republican, and said another Republican - Bruce Webb - also plans to run. Until recently, Millet was vice president of the Abbott Loop Community Council.

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6 October 2, 2007 - 12:57am | tlamb775

Has Hollis and Les

mentioned anything about the kozy relationship of the IBEW/polls with Legislators who voted the PLA in when they were (Legislators) lobbied by the IBEW to put the PLA into AGIA?

Can we get audio tapes please?

5 September 30, 2007 - 11:30pm | truthseeker

Truthseeker, on successful mission.........

to visit the past......can now reveal the true story on APOC. (easily verifiable with just a couple of phone calls if the daily news or anyone else wants to look into it.)

What allowed bill allen to do all the illegal legislative fundraising was due to his not being classified as a lobbyist. Lobbyists in alaska are limited to only giving contributions to their own legislative district (one representative and one senator) and cannot sponsor fund raising events for politicians.

Alaska Law of the Land had it that you had to register as a lobbyist if you did more than 10 hours of lobbying a month. Well............bill allen and rick smith were both spending a lot more time than that in juneau obviously lobbying on behalf of the oil companies, and collecting on the political debts owed to them from their illegal campaign contributions and consulting contracts.

Everyone could see it. So APOC started an investigation into how much he was lobbying, asking legislators and staff how much time he spent with them, what they talked about etc.

The political retribution was swift and devestating. The next day bill allen had a bill introduced on both the house and senate sides of the legislature (I believe the house sponsor was pete kott and the senate sponsor was john cowdery). The bill would have completely defunded APOC and turned them into an electronic reporting service.

I believe at that point APOC staff freaked out and had to back down from their investigation or risk their demise. There have been insinuations of murkowski admin meddling with APOC, but it could be just as simple as a case of what you have to do to survive against a corrupt political machine. The people of Alaska were the real losers in this deal.

Later on that session, and with the investigation safely killed, allen got the state law passed to allow up to 40 hours of lobbying per month and although allen was lobbying even more than that for murkowski's phony gas contract, APOC never dared take him on again.

If you asked a few questions and checked the record of legislation, I think that you would find that this is true. Someone should look into it.

October 2, 2007 - 11:34am | tlamb775

Who was naughty and who was nice?

Where was Tony Knowles? A 2006 fundraiser?

Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 5:30 PM
The home of Kevin Harun 7893 Highlander Drive - Anchorage
Join: Alice Aguilar, Jenny Allen, Virginia Allen, Tom Amodio, Scott Anaya, Jane Angvik, Deeann Apgar, Alan Baldivieso, Sharon Barr, John Bernitz, Sidney Billingslea, Bill Bobrick, Jeannie Bradner, Peggy Burgin, Mark Butler, Polly Carr, Lupe Chavez, Sharon Cissna, Matt Claman, Currey Cook, Mike Coumbe, Emily Creely, Pat Cue, Diane DiSanto, Art Eash, Lisa Eyler, Vic Fischer, Deb Fitzgerald, Susanne Fleek, Melissa Fouse, Hollis French, Peggy French, George Gee, Christian Gou-Leonhardt, Chuck Gunther, Joelle Hall, Kevin Harun, Julie Hasquet, Patty Higgins, Ruth Ann Jennings, Michael Johnson, Johnny Johnson, David Landry, Dick LeFebvre, Martha Levensaler, Suzanne Little, Pamela Marsch, Whitney Marshall, Erika McConnell, Rod McCoy, Brant McGee, Joe McKinnon, Jake Metcalfe, Mary Jane Michael, Nick Moe, Diane Moxness, Beth Nordlund, Jim Nordlund, Theda Pittman, Mara Rabinowitz, David Ramseur, Deb Seaton, Barb Seibel, Meg Simonian, Schawna Thoma, John Toppenberg, Tony Turrini, Randy Virgin, David Wigglesworth, and Deborah Williams at a fund raising reception for Tony Knowles for Governor!

Who did VECO endorse? And where was Curtis Thayer and when? Did the Knowles people "pat" him down at the door? Or Bill Bobrick for that matter?

October 1, 2007 - 11:33am | HD

And someone should check, too...

to determine which legislators voted for that change of state law. Who will be the first to post that info on this blog?

October 1, 2007 - 1:08pm | Diogenes_lamp

The lobbyist hour change...

The best I can remember, it was back in 2003 when they changed the lobby law allowing 40 hrs as the new monthly limit. Ralph Seekin's sb89 was the bill and the original bill before changed called for 80 hours but was reduced to 40. Seekins, a long-time car salesman used that tactic often. (Ask for much more than you want)
I believe it passed on a straight party-line vote in both chambers, Republicans voting for it, Democrats against. Seekins and Rokeberg were active in it's passage. Kott was Speaker of the House.

4 September 28, 2007 - 9:17pm | Diogenes_lamp

The more things change, the more they remain the same!

So Conoco Kevin is trying to replace Veco John. And Charisse Millet is going for Kevin's empty seat. You have to love Alaska politics! Let's see, wasn't Charisse the darling of the lobbyist crowd that constantly hung out in Veco Vic Kohring's legislative office in Juneau. (she ran his office there) I noticed that her Treasurer is none other than Myrna Maynard. That wouldn't be the same Myrna Maynard that was Treasurer from Ben Stevens last election, is it? Or the same Myrna Maynard that was office manager to dandy Don Young? Nothing like a little fresh blood in the political pool....yes, the more things change, the more they remain the same!

September 29, 2007 - 9:31am | bob_the_contractor

Yep, that's the same Myrna Maynard

by golly

It is a small world, after all.

September 29, 2007 - 9:17am | iHEARTmea

Well said, Diogenes ...

And with her history, presumably she won't be running as a "family values" candidate!

3 September 28, 2007 - 8:43pm | Natalie_0

I agree Stumpy...Its sad about APOC

With what this investigation has brought out, if APOC was in their right mind, how can they truly believe that there wasn't anything illegal or improper going on in the political arena over the past years. NOW THEY WANT TO INVESTIGATE!!! How pathetic.

2 September 28, 2007 - 3:29pm | chilcoot

Be Stevens Calls Dan Fagan's Show

I hate that I've been listening to this show lately, but from 3:05P today to about 3:22P, the Dan Fagan show was riveting. In the preceding hour, Fagan called for Ted Stevens to resign over his failure to stop Ben Stevens from robbing tax money as a consultant to fish processors. Then Ben Stevens called in.

Stevens wouldn't directly address the allegations against him, but he almost sounded suicidal, angrily complaining about some slam Fagan may or may not have made about the Stevenses in the prior hour. He complained about out-of-state prosecutors, said Bill Allen will say anything at this point, and basically sounded miserable and beaten.

They podcast Fagans show at kfqd.com, this is one to listen to. A dumb guy interviewing a bad guy.

September 28, 2007 - 5:23pm | F_Firkle

I don't believe it to be

I don't believe it to be coincidental that Daddy Stevens worked as hard as he did in his failed efforts to prevent the current federal prosecutor from being placed here; even stating untruths regarding the man not being from Alaska, when, in fact he -has- some history here from before his being appointed.

Ironically, Ted isn't -from- Alaska either. He came here like most other cheechakos did.

Too bad ol' Teddy didn't get a fellow in there whom he could've controlled or influenced a bit better, huh...

But what a stroke of luck for those of us who wanted so badly for so long to take our State back from the scourge of scum-suckers and bought-and-paid-for bottom-feeders who've inhabited the legislture for so long now. ;^>).

If only Jerry Falwell were alive today to weep at the tumbling and falling of his corrupt, fundamentalist-sponsored neo-theocrats and hypocritical good ol' boy totalitarians he stitched together in the early 80's...

Maybe his buddy, Mr. Prevo can weep for him instead..

Oh Jerry, it's friggin' WONDERFUL!!!! ;^>)

September 30, 2007 - 2:10pm | dmitch04

Naive

Wow, Firkle, what a display. If 'jumping to conclusions' were an olympic sport, you'd be in the medal round.

If you think state politics are going to change over this, you clearly haven't lived here very long.

September 30, 2007 - 6:15pm | F_Firkle

Naive? Jumping to conclusions? Not lived here long??

Actually, according to census data, and other research, I've lived here six times as long as the average Alaskan.

None of your assertions are accurate in the least.

Falwell and Prevo were BOTH instrumental in organizing (with questionable campaign tactics, I might add) the Repugnik coup that swept the Republican Party in the Alaska legislature in the early 80s.

And a percentage of those being knocked down a notch at the moment are, in fact, persons who marketed themselves politically as being akin to the ideological remnants of their shirt-sleeve fundamentalists.

Will what's happening now in Juneau and the federal courts in Anchorage change 'business as usual' in those places for any meaningful length of time? I'd guess that'll be up to the People of Alaska, the Division of Public Integrity at the FBI, and the various state offices that should've been taking care of this sort of monkey business for the last 25+ years, when others like Barnes and Dankworth were selling our representation and interests for personal perks... while speaking of family values... Kinda' like Falwell and Prevo did and do.

I'd be willing to bet that the next time some corporate hack or mercenary lobbyist starts sliding cash around the table in exchange for corporatist favortism, that the would-be recipients look over their shoulders a bit more than they have been, and think twice before bettering themselves at the expense of their constituency.

So please illustrate the 'jumping to conclusions' that I've allegedly engaged in here, or perhaps acknowledge that your beef is limited to resentment of some other sort..

September 30, 2007 - 10:48pm | ivanmoore

given that median alaska residency

for adults 18+ is in the region of 25 years, this pegs you at about 150 years old firkle... don't forget to soak those dentures tonight.

October 1, 2007 - 9:02am | F_Firkle

Sorry Ivan, I failed to more

Sorry Ivan, I failed to more accurately recall the stats I was using; HALF OF ALL ALASKAN RESIDENTS LEAVE THE STATE AFTER APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS OF RESIDENCY....

I'm nearly a 30-year Alaskan.

And it doesn't change the fact that whether or not this current series of events (that I'd guess isn't anywhere near over with yet, as names keep on dropping, and not all covert tapes have been aired yet), will leave a notable mark on the political process here that won't be forgotten for some time to come.

Whether or not it 'cleans politics up' here or not, will largely be a result of whether or not the masses and the gate-keppers allow themselves to slink back into brain-dead apathy, eating bon bons, watching football, and gossiping about whether or not their neighbor dares to live somewhat differently than they do..

Corporations of various sorts will always zero in on places possessing large amounts of raw materials and opportunities, and many of them will be looking earnestly, as they always have, for politicos willing to make the tracks more greased for them.... often for an (illegal) price.

If voters and those who research the candidates will look deeper into those running for office than the thirty-second sound-bytes that result from those who assist with polls to find the most salable buzz-word issues, and vote based on what persons have actually done, rather than how many babies they've kissed, or how well they smile at the camera, claiming to be God's second son, maybe, just maybe, we, as a state, won't have to spend any more time amongst the top four of corrupt states in the country.

September 30, 2007 - 10:56pm | truthseeker

ummmmmmhhhhhhhhhh......

nice try to flip the stats Ivan. Why would you limit alaskans to only those over 18 years old? the younger ones are still alaskans. Any data on them?

September 28, 2007 - 3:37pm | Stumpy1

Thanks

Thanks for the head's up Coot.

Ben sounded suicidal? Wow. I'd guess the prospect of becoming a federal inmate for many years has that effect.

I wonder if he'll just flee?

1 September 28, 2007 - 2:35pm | Stumpy1

Too little, too late

At this point it is painfully obvious that APOC is in dire need of reform.

When a private citizen, like Ray Metcalf, can accomplish significantly more than the entire APOC bureaucracy in his push to expose the vast corruption in Alaska politics, well, it speaks volumes.

Doesn't it?

Of course it will take an honest majority within the legislature to initiate reform.

I won't hold my breath...

September 28, 2007 - 4:28pm | justthinking

Ray Metcalf accomplished nothing

While I don't disagree that APOC has been pretty useless in rooting out political misdeeds, anybody that really knows Ray Metcalf and his past knows that he is as bad or worse than everyone recently convicted.

The only thing that has kept him out of being investigated is the fact that he hasn't been able swindle the voters into voting for him for elected office.

The FBI investigation was instigated and has proceeded without any help or assistance from Ray.

He has all the credibility of a drug user who turns in his drug dealer who overcharged him and then claims to be the new leader of the anti drug movement.

September 28, 2007 - 6:16pm | BravoSierra

Just thinking that

You should post under your real name- which must be Ben Stevens.

September 28, 2007 - 6:46pm | gilld

Not Sure, BravoSierra...

He/she has strung quite a few grammatically correct sentences together, encompassing coherent thoughts.

Are you *sure* that's Ben Stevens posting under an alias? :-)

September 28, 2007 - 8:30pm | BravoSierra

Well it couldn't be bobbyt

eom

September 28, 2007 - 5:13pm | F_Firkle

I sense the presence of a

I sense the presence of a recently acquired user name, and one which is short of fact, and long on bias.

When Ralph 'I never saw any evidence of corruption' Seekins and his good ol' boy crew wrote legislation that would've made it cost-prohibitive for average citizens to question, in state court, the constitutionality of the state's many questionable assumptions of authority, Ray was one of several who signed the line, sued, and won. With pennies in his pockets.

When Stony 'give to me and I'll set you free' Knowles attempted to bequeath a monopoly to ARCO on the North Slope, Ray was one of several who filed in opposition, abruptly stopping the process until the FTC ultimately agreed that it was indeed a less than acceptable move.... at a time that Ray had pennies in his pockets.

When the Republican Moderates of Alaska had achieved ballot status, the Demopublicans and Repugniks jointly worked to change the rules, in order to alter the number of votes necessary to keep a political party on the ballot. Not very 'democratic' of them, no?

The response to Ray then runing as a Dem, and nearly gaining the number of votes that Dianne Benson did in that same primary (Dianne spending approx. $50,000.00 and Ray spending roughly $100.00) was to then accuse him of 'changing his party affiliations like persons change their underwear', thus intentiionally failing to acknowledge that he had only changed his affiliation ONCE, and that it was a direct result of his being pushed off the ballot by persons who were obviously threatened by his forward, through-the-light-of-day, approach to politics.

Four years ago, when the failed effort to recall Frank the Bank was underway, Ray was publicly informing others in various public speaking engagements about how, exactly, VECO was bribing legislators and making illegal 'individual constributions' to bought-and-paid-for sell-outs in the legislature.

He was also, at that same time, and while still impoverished, informing persons of the significance of Article VIII, Section II of the State's constitution, and the legislators' and Governor's LEGAL OBLIGATION to develop resources to the maximum benefit of the People of the State of Alaska.

Ray has done a lot more for the public good than I will take time to write about here. He has stood for the rights of oppressed persons many times.... while virtually penniless.

Randy Ruedrich, the Traitor of Alaska, who passed confidential state information to his handlers at the oil co's., with a wink and a nod from the Old Guard of the State GOP, wouldn't have spent the amount of Republican Party money trying to defame him if he hadn't been a credible threat to the Repugniks YEARS before the investigation into their oily hanky panky.

And the only way that you'd have any -factual- idea as to whether or not Ray assisted in the early investigation would be if you were an insider in this operation, which I'm wagering heavily is not the case.

So, unless you've got some concrete facts that you're willing to share here about illegal or unethical behavior on Ray's part as a public figure, then I'd assert that your verbal assaults are either based in envy, political vendettas, or utter bull biscuits..

I'm willing to bet that it's a combination of those variables.

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