FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Gus Schumacher, the Anchorage Olympic cross-country skier, a [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s rural schools are on track to access faster interne [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Plan to Defend Ethics Cases Gets Pushback
By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press
JUNEAU (AP) — Proposed regulations would allow the state Department of Law to represent Alaska’s governor or lieutenant governor against ethics complaints, something a former attorney general says would be an inappropriate use of state resources.
The department has proposed rules that would allow it to defend the governor or lieutenant governor against ethics complaints if the attorney general determines the representation is in the public interest. The department could defend the attorney general against an ethics complaint if the governor determines doing so is in the public interest, under the proposal. Information received by the department in defense of such complaints would be considered confidential.
Attorneys general in Alaska are appointed by the governor and subject to legislative confirmation. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s attorney general is Kevin Clarkson.
The department is taking comments on the proposed rules through Nov. 4, after which it will decide how or whether to move forward.
Department of Law spokeswoman Cori Mills said she did not know of a specific impetus for the proposed changes but said the issue came up through a review process. She said by email that the proposal would “enable the department to carry on one of its primary functions _ that of acting as legal counsel for the Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General in their official capacities.”
It’s not clear if any ethics complaints have been filed. Such information would be considered confidential, she said.
Jahna Lindemuth, an attorney general under Dunleavy’s predecessor, Gov. Bill Walker, said the proposal is inappropriate and should not be adopted.
“The role of the attorney general is to represent the state of Alaska, and the governor is not the client except to the extent he is the representative of the state,” she said. “So, when the attorney general, in his sole discretion, is defending ethics complaints against the governor or the lieutenant governor, they are his client directly and it’s not the state of Alaska who is the client at that point. And so, it confuses the basic role of the attorney general.”
Lindemuth is one of the legal advisers for a campaign aimed at recalling Dunleavy.
State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, an Anchorage Democrat, questioned the need for new rules.
“I think it’s sort of common sense, if you’re a governor and you’re acting in your state capacity, then you should be entitled to be represented by the attorney general,” he said. But getting into personal, political or ethics issues, “I think there’s a pretty clear line that you shouldn’t be using state resources to defend yourself.”
Mills said the governor, lieutenant governor or attorney general currently have to personally pay for any legal counsel to represent them before the state personnel board, which handles complaints against those offices. Mills said the state official can get reimbursed by the state if exonerated.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in emails during her final months in office, expressed outrage over ethics complaints she felt frivolously targeted her. Palin unsuccessfully ran as the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee and later, in July 2009, stepped down as governor in the midst of her term.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....