Alaskans for Better Elections has filed a complaint with the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) alleging that four organizations and two men perpetrated multiple campaign finance law violations in an effort to repeal the state’s open primary and ranked choice voting system.
The complaint, detailing numerous alleged violations, names Alaskans for Honest Elections, Alaskans for Honest Government, Ranked Choice Education Association (RCEA), Wellspring Ministries, Phillip Izon, and Art Mathias. The complaint further contends that Izon and Mathias serve numerous roles in the entities named in the complaint.
According to Mathias, his group has worked closely with APOC.
“We have done everything they told us to do, and we will continue to do so,” Mathias said. “If there is anything we need to fix, we will do so.”
In November of 2020, Alaskans voted to enact an initiative that established a top-four open nonpartisan primary, ranked choice voting for general elections, along with new “dark money” disclosure requirements. In 2022, residents voted under these regulations in special primary and special general elections for the U.S. House, plus regular primary and general elections for all contests for state and federal offices.
Following that election, the complaint notes, Alaskans for Honest Elections (AHE) filed an initiative with the Alaska Lieutenant Governor’s office to repeal the ballot measure under which the new voting system was enacted. That initiative was approved an Alaskans for Honest Elections is currently collecting petition signatures to qualify for placement on the 2024 ballot.
Other groups and individuals are also working in support of the repeal, including Alaskans for Honest Government and the RCEA. The complaint contends that neither of these groups are properly registered with APOC, as required before undertaking such activities, and neither of the groups have reported their donors or expenditures.
The complaint also contends that Wellspring Ministries, an Anchorage religious organization, appears to be subsidizing or housing the RCEA. The RCEA itself was somehow also formed as a church, while the RCEA engages in unreported campaign activities and what appears to be laundering of contributions to AHE.
The RCEA also appears to have formed as an auxiliary of Wellspring for the purpose of using Wellspring’s IRS status to provide donors with potentially unlawful tax deductions for political donations, the complaint contends.
