State campaign watchdog accuses group that supported Anchorage alcohol tax of breaking the law

The state’s election campaign regulator has accused a prominent alcohol recovery group of illegally supporting the 5% alcohol tax that was narrowly approved in last month’s Anchorage election.

The complaint, filed April 30, says Recover Alaska ran advertising in favor of the tax but failed to disclose who bought the ads and failed to tell the Alaska Public Offices Commission that it was campaigning.

If the complaint is upheld following an investigation and a meeting of the five-member commission, Recover Alaska could be fined.

Thomas Lucas, campaign disclosure coordinator for the commission, called the complaint “significant.”

Recover Alaska’s executive director was on leave on Monday morning, said Joan Fischer, who answered the phone for the group. Fischer said that the group was holding a 10:30 a.m. meeting to discuss the complaint.

Later on Monday afternoon, Fischer said it was too early for the group to comment, and it was still examining the grounds of the complaint.

Lucas said the issues involved in the complaint are similar to those raised in 2018 when the Republican Governors’ Association was accused by the campaign of then-Gov. Bill Walker. In that case, the Republican Governors’ Association is still appealing a $4,450 fine. The fine was upheld in Superior Court and appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court.

Under state law, independent groups that participate in political campaigns are generally required to register with the Alaska Public Offices Commission and regularly disclose how much money they’ve spent and where that money came from.

According to its website, Recover Alaska receives money from the state of Alaska, the Alaska Mental Health Trust, several private foundations and other sources.

Recover Alaska backed an unsuccessful 2019 effort to impose a 5% alcohol tax in Anchorage and was not subject to any complaints in that election. In addition, the group properly registered contributions to another organization that ran advertising ahead of this year’s vote.

The group has 15 days from April 30 to file a formal response, and the group will also have an opportunity to respond once the investigation concludes. The public offices commission is scheduled to meet June 10 in Anchorage.

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