Commissioners to APOC Staff: Try Again.
Some of you have been following the saga here on Mudflats about my APOC complaint against Alaska House District 5 Representative William Thomas, Jr. (R-Haines) and his re-election campaign. The complaint (plus amendment) deals with 17 ads placed and designed by campaign Deputy Treasurer James Studley and charged to various Haines businesses. My complaint asserts that they should be considered illegal campaign ads in total, either illegal in-kind contributions because some of them were paid for by corporations, or illegal independent expenditures because they were coordinated with Studley as well as others campaign staff. We left the story at the…
The APOC Hearing Has A Part Deux: The Deliberation
A week ago Friday, I testified at the hearing for my first APOC complaint–Kellen vs. Thomas et al. It seemed to go very well…better than I’d hoped. I wasn’t planning on writing another post about it until there was a decision (I didn’t want to irritate the Commission until after they decided) but I also expected there would be one by now. To my surprise, we are still awaiting the “verdict” from the Commission. This is amazing, as today was the end of their 10 days. I actually believe that this is a very good sign…they wouldn’t need this amount…
Mudflats Chats – After the Election With Scott McAdams
I had the opportunity to sit down with former U.S. Senate candidate Scott McAdams and talk informally with him about the campaign. It was so informal, there was ice cream involved – the best way to interview someone if you ask me. It was only a few days after the election and I wanted to get his thoughts and reflections on the campaign while it was still fresh in his mind, and before he traveled back home to Sitka. The former Mayor has now resumed his job as the head of the local Community Schools program. His immediate goal? To…
Joe Miller's Lawsuit – Highlight Reel
This Joe Miller lawsuit thing may seem to be getting complicated, so here’s a (hopefully) simple breakdown and a “highlight reel” of most of the important things you need to know. It’s not every little thing, but it’s enough to have a reasonable discussion at the watercooler without people thinking you’ve become an election wonk. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Heck, some of my best friends are election wonks. OK, fine. I’M an election wonk. But here’s the dill (as our former governor would say): Write-in candidate Lisa Murkowski spent a lot of time focusing on spelling this…
Voices from the Flats – Dear Sarah, You're Not Alaska.
By Zach Roberts Special note: This is a message to Sarah, that I sent to her via Facebook. Alaskans will get all the places, some of the references and some of the names. If you don’t get them, give it a Google, or read TheMudFlats.net (why aren’t you reading it already? What’re you a member of the Paliban?) Or better yet, get your butt on the next flight up to Anchorage. Yes I know it’s November and it’s cold… that means flights should be cheap. Go to Spenard Roadhouse get the Bacon Jam and tell them I sent you. ***************…
The Alaska Senate Race – It Ain't Over Yet…
The following was just released from the Joe Miller campaign: Today the U.S. Federal District Court in Anchorage ordered the U.S. Senate race not to be certified until vital legal issues are resolved. The Court recognized serious statutory matters have been raised by Joe Miller concerning what standard of review should be used to count the write-in ballots. The Miller campaign has consistently held that the state law must be applied, as written. Its provisions could not be clearer: “A vote for a write-in candidate…shall be counted if the oval is filled in for that candidate and if the name,…
APOC Staff tries to (mostly) give Rep. Bill Thomas Campaign a pass–My testimony for today's hearing
UPDATE – For those who are interested in listening to the hearing, the information can be found HERE. Teleconference number 1-800-315-6338, Code 4176#1 ********* Everyone may remember a few weeks back when I filed an APOC complaint against Rep. William Thomas, Jr. (R–Haines). I posted about the APOC Complaint I had filed against the re-election campaign of Representative Bill Thomas, Jr. Here is the complaint as listed on the APOC website. The complaint is in response to a newspaper advertising campaign consisting of 17 ads which ran in the Chilkat Valley News during the weeks leading up to the election: …Upon…
Voices from the Flats – Brad Friedman
The article below, by Brad Friedman should be required reading for every legislator and every voter in the state of Alaska. As we march closer to the end of the Alaska senate race, there are still many questions that need to be answered. The most important thing that can come from this election is not simply coming to a determination about who won this particular race. We have an opportunity to take back our elections from a system and a process that is inherently flawed, has been proven unreliable, has been shown to be vulnerable, and yet is still entrusted…
Murkowski to Declare Victory Tonight
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski will declare victory later today in the seemingly endless senate battle with Joe Miller, also a Republican. Miller was endorsed not only by Sarah Palin, but received considerable financial backing from the Tea Party Express. On the other side of the coin, Murkowski received considerable financial backing from corporations, but her write-in victory has dealt a blow to the Tea Party and to Sarah Palin in her home state. “We’ve said all along, we’ll wait for the votes to be counted,” Murkowski Campaign Manager Kevin Sweeney told CNN. “The votes will be counted this afternoon.” When asked…
Why Joe Miller Has a Point
Something in Alaska stinks. Again. Not just an ordinary low tide smell. Not like something you’d blame on the dog. It smells like an infection. For me to plug my nose, I’d have to overlook some curious facts. I’ve written another piece like this. It was after the last election. I said it the three elections before that. In the words of baseball great Yogi Berra, it’s Déjà vu all over again! I’m writing and talking about the same thing, in what has become an even-year ritual: Alaska doesn’t count votes properly and hasn’t for years. Alaska still uses the…