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October 27, 2006
Alaska Democrats Roll Out Ethics Platform
Alaska Democratic Party, press release

     Legislative Democrats, in conjunction with several Democratic candidates, last Monday rolled out an aggressive ethics reform platform.

     The Democratic proposals include:

     - A bill preventing a public official from doing government work on behalf of a company in which he owns significant stock

     - A bill putting an end to closed door legislating

     - A bill requiring legislators to disclose the nature of work they perform for private companies

     Democrats have urged ethics reform for the past four years, often in response to Republican misdeeds.

     Randy Ruedrich was kept on as Republican Party boss even though he was forced from his chairmanship at AOGCC for ethical violations. Former Republican Attorney General Greg Renkes fell victim to ethical lapses when he conducted state business on behalf of a company, in which he owned more than $100,000. Senate President Ben Stevens is currently at the center of a federal investigation targeting several Republican lawmakers and VECO, a construction company with strong ties to the Republican Party. Republican Senator Scott Ogan resigned rather than face recall. Ogan was collecting a $40,000 salary from Evergreen Resources, while voting on legislation that directly benefited Evergreen’s bid to develop coal-bed methane in the Valley.

     Senators Hollis French, Johnny Ellis and Rep. Harry Crawford (all D-Anchorage) spoke at Monday’s event. Candidates Valerie Baffone and Bill Wielechowski also spoke, calling for more stringent ethics rules and enforcement. In Fairbanks, Rep. David Guttenberg hosted a simultaneous event with Democratic candidates.

     “While the FBI raid on several legislative offices was shocking to the Alaska public, to those of us who have been in Juneau, the raids come as no surprise, and is long overdue,” French said. The relationship between VECO and Republican legislators has raised eyebrows and concern for several years, leaving many Alaskans asking how much influence the company wields behind Capitol doors that are too often shut off from public view. “Veco donors have given more than $100,000 in campaign donations last year and this year,” French said. Ninety-seven percent of that money went to Republicans. Ninety-seven percent.”

     VECO also gave $250,000 to Ben Stevens for “consulting fees,” though it remains unclear exactly what services Stevens provided for that money. Stevens’ office is the only one to have been searched twice by the FBI.

     Bill Wielechowski, a Democrat running for Senate District J, said he will introduce legislation to close the loophole that allowed Renkes to use his government influence to increase his own portfolio. “Senator Ralph Seekins’ [R-Fairbanks] response to this problem was to propose a law that would make it a crime for a citizen to publicly file an ethics complaint against a government official,” Wielchowski said. “That’s right, Seekins’ proposal could have resulted in a concerned citizen being packed off to jail for up to a year. I call that extreme.

     “My bill will set a clear, bright line for members of the Administration,” Wielechowski said. “More than $5,000 worth of stock, or 1 percent of the value of a company if it is not publicly traded, and you may not take official action on behalf of that company through your government job.” Wielechowski said he’ll hit the ground running in Juneau.

     “On my first day in office I will file legislation that overhauls our ethics laws,” Wielechowski said, adding that if voters put Democrats in charge of the Legislature, they will pass the bill within the first 30 days of the session.

     Democrats, including Representatives Berta Gardner, Harry Crawford and Les Gara (all D-Anchorage) and French have introduced several ethics bills for the past two years, but each of those bills has been killed in committee at the hands of the Republican majority.

     Crawford said an obvious difference between Democrats and Republicans in Juneau is that, while both caucuses meet prior to legislative floor sessions, Democratic meetings are open to the press and public, while Republicans continue to meet behind closed doors. “A government that’s more open to special interest groups than it is to its own people flies in the face of every Democratic principal I know,” Crawford said.

     Baffone fixed her sights on questionable consulting fees. Under current code, legislators can collect payment for so-called consulting services without disclosing the specific nature of their work. “State law should not allow that,” Baffone said. “I’ve been knocking on doors all summer and fall and I know the people in South Anchorage want ethical legislators representing their interests, and not special interests.” Last year Gardner sponsored a bill that would have required full disclosure of services provided by legislators, but the bill was killed by Republicans in committee.

     “This year Democrats will make ethics reform a reality,” French said. “Alaskans are tired of being embarrassed by public officials who blatantly disregard the tenets of good government and ethical conduct. Alaskans are calling for accountability in government, and Democrats remain committed to deliver it.”

     Democratic legislators and candidates addressed voters and members of the news media at 10:30 am in Anchorage near the FBI building downtown and at 11 am in Fairbanks at the Rabinowitz Court House.
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