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The Commission refrained from enjoining ASA from all activity and remanded the case to the Executive Director for further investigation. However, the Commission specifically told ASA that if it continues to engage in election activities, it does so “at its own peril.” Furthermore, the Commission warned the RGA that the evidence at last week’s hearings indicated the two entities are “one in the same” –meaning any further activity by ASA in this election “could expose the Republican Governors Association to penalties during the pendency of the investigation.”
As part of this order, the Commission issued a stern warning to the RGA’s attorneys to preserve all emails, texts, and any other information. Additionally, to the extent the RGA wishes to engage in Alaska’s elections, the Commission encouraged the RGA to do so “in its own name … provided it complies with all campaign finance laws.” AKPIRG and the 907 Initiative agree wholeheartedly: If the RGA wanted to campaign, it always had the right to do so, but it must do so transparently and in its own name.
“This is a huge win for transparency in Alaska’s campaign finances and a reminder of the importance of having oversight in this process,” said Veri di Suvero, Executive Director, AKPIRG. “Although APOC stopped short of specifically enjoining all action by the RGA’s false front, shedding light on this issue underscores the importance of a strong regulatory process to prevent major dark money schemes and their unchecked influence on Alaska’s elections.”
“With this ruling, APOC is standing up for the integrity of our elections,” 907 Initiative Executive Director Aubrey Wieber said. “The RGA should stop illegally spending money in Alaska today. If it wants to campaign, it needs to do so in its own name and in compliance with donor transparency laws. Then, APOC can take the time necessary to finish its investigation and issue the appropriate penalties. Those penalties are likely to be substantial, if not record-breaking.”
In recent weeks, the RGA spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on mailers trying to influence the outcome of the election. These mailers are illegal, containing defective disclosures by, among other things, wrongly stating that they were paid for by a group called A Stronger Alaska. They were not. This blatant attempt to conceal donors and misrepresent the entity funding elections communications has no place in our electoral system.
AKPIRG and the 907 Initiative thank the Commission for its time and thoughtful consideration of these serious allegations. It is clear the Commission took this complaint seriously and is concerned with the actions of the RGA. If nothing else, this proceeding has demonstrated that the Legislature must provide APOC with more resources to investigate and prosecute complaints.
In the order, APOC’s own findings demonstrate that the RGA’s reporting scheme was a sham. The Commission was unable to find any material difference between the entities stating:
“Apparently, Republican Governor’s Association created A Stronger Alaska at the behest of their high-ranking employee David Rexrode, who in turn ran the independent expenditure group. There is no independent board overseeing A Stronger Alaska’s expenditures. There is no independent address, no independent phone number, and no other existence of A Stronger Alaska other than a single APOC filing and a bank account it shares with Republican Governors Association’s own accounts.”
The RGA is a repeat offender, having violated Alaska campaign finance laws in 2018 by failing to register with APOC before engaging in over $1 million in expenditures. This pattern of illegal activity continues in other states around the country. This morning, nonprofit Progress Michigan filed a campaign finance complaint alleging the RGA is using superPAC Get Michigan Working Again as a front for its own electioneering in the Michigan gubernatorial race, much like its activities in Alaska with A Stronger Alaska.
“We will be closely watching how this money is spent over the next two weeks,” Wieber said. “Any further expenditures would each appear to be a new, and intentional, violation based on APOC’s findings today.”
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Edited By: Mary Kauffman, SitNews
Source of News:
Alaska Public Interest Research Group
www. akpirg.org
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