Alaska

Examples of Corruption

• Former Sen. Ted Stevens was indicted and convicted of lying on his Senate disclosure form in order to conceal $250,000 in gifts from an oil industry executive and other friends. The U.S. Department of Justice decided to drop the case after instances of prosecutorial misconduct became clear.²
• Rep. Don Young is the focus of a federal investigation for earmarking $10 million for a Florida construction project in exchange for campaign donations from Florida developers.³ Rep. Young is also the subject of a criminal inquiry into whether he “accepted bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifts from VECO” Corp.⁴ Rep. Young’s ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff also have been the subject of a grand jury investigation.⁵
• Former Gov. Frank Murkowski lost the Republican primary to Sarah Palin over charges of nepotism in 2006.⁶
• After she was elected governor, Palin also faced accusations of corruption in “Troopergate,” among other incidents.⁷

Links and Resources

Alaska Political Corruption
This independent blog follows Alaska political corruption.

The Anchorage Daily News: Politics
Find news stories on Alaska politics and national politics as they pertain to Alaska. The site also contains link to the Alaska Politics Blog.

Andrew Halco (Alaska)
This independent blog site by The Anchorage Daily News contributor Andrew Halco predominantly covers Alaska politics and government at the state and federal level.

Crosscut
Primarily news of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, this site also covers national news items. It has news sections with items specific to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia, Montana, Alaska, and local neighborhoods and communities. It covers a wide range of topics, including politics and policy, business and technology, science and the environment, and arts and living. It also includes links to stories of interest from other publications.

The Mudflats (Alaska)
An independent blog about Alaskan politics, this site contains mostly original posts with links, videos, and selections from other sources on Alaskan politics.

Alaskans for Truth
This blog covers government and corruption in Alaska.

Footnotes

1. Bill Marsh, Illinois Is Trying. It Really Is. But the Most Corrupt State Is Actually …, The New York Times, December 13, 2008.
2. Nina Totenberg, Justice Dept. Seeks to Void Stevens’ Conviction, NPR, April 1, 2009.
3. Greg Gordon and Erika Bolstad, Young’s $10 Million Earmark Focus of Inquiry, The Seattle Times, August 19, 2007.
4. John Wilke, Alaska’s Young, Stevens Face Inquiry, The Wall Street Journal, July 25, 2007.
5. Dennis Zaki, Alaska Republican Congressman Don Young in Serious Legal Trouble, Alaska Report, July 16, 2007./li>
6. Kenneth P. Vogel, Palin’s Tricky Path Back, Politico, November 7, 2008.
7. Sarah Palin Gets Elected, Gets Even, Northwest Florida Daily News, October 16, 2008.