This has been one of those weeks in Alaska politics. By mid-week I was already struggling with who to choose for this week’s Loose Unit. By the end of the week it became clear it was going to be too difficult to choose just one. So this Sunday Minefield is a special Loose Unit edition! God bless Alaska.

This Week’s Loose Units

In one of the more bizarre things I have ever seen in Alaska politics, Congressional candidate Alyse Galvin thought it was a good idea to post a video of her calling Congressman Don Young’s (R – Alaska) office. On Monday (7/16/2018) she posted a video calling his office, catching the poor woman who answered the phone off guard. The woman is probably an intern or student. Galvin does not tell her she is being recorded or part of a political stunt. Very loose! The woman actually asks Galvin if she is the one running against Young. Galvin then reads some weird written statement and keeps referring to Donald Trump as Don Trump. Then at the end the compliments the woman for the work she is doing. Very bizarre and very loose. I can see Young saying, “Don’t call us anymore, Alyse. We’ll call you.” Check it out here. It’s cringeworthy.

Representative David Eastman (R – Wasilla) is back and loose as ever. Remember when he was kicked off the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics earlier this year for leaking a confidential ethics complaint to a reporter? I thought it was all over but in classic Eastman fashion he decided to challenge it. In a hearing that lasted all day on Tuesday (7/17/2018), lawyers from the State (that cost $20,000) and Eastman’s lawyer, went back and forth about his complaint. Eastman and his lawyer, Tim Petumenos, were made for each other. The whole thing was about as loose at gets. Eastman admitted to running his complaint by Alaska Republican Party Chairman Tuckerman Babcock. Which means it almost certainly got to Alaska Republican Party Propaganda Minister Suzanne Downing. The gist of the hearing was that Eastman thinks it’s all a big conspiracy. The ethics people, the reporter he leaked to, they are all lying! So loose. Two days later the committee found that he did in fact leak confidential information and upheld the original decision. Here is how Eastman responded. Drain the swamp in Juneau! Classic Loose Unit.

On a more positive note for Eastman, he posted a pic this week of his family and their new baby. Congrats to him and his wife. But check out his shirt tho. PORN KILLS. Damn. So loose.

Senator Bert Stedman (R – Sitka) got real this week. He sent a letter recommending Mike Abbott, the Executive Director of the Alaska Mental Health Trust, face criminal charges for leaking a confidential audit of the trust to a reporter. Damn. Check out this actual footage of Stedman when he finds out someone leaked confidential information:

The audit actually found the trust improperly invested $44 million, some of which was supposed to go to beneficiaries. This one provides us with three Loose Units: The Alaska Mental Health Trust for getting fast and loose with the money, Abbott for leaking a confidential audit, and Stedman for going OG and recommending Abbott face criminal charges. We don’t often hear from Bert. But when we do it’s basically him saying let’s lock a mother fucker up. Savage.

Last Sunday I wrote about Representative Lora Reinbold’s (R – Eagle River) husband, Eric, getting up in Representative Dan Saddler’s (R – Eagle River) face at the Bear Paw Festival. They are both running for the seat Senator Anna MacKinnon (R – Eagle River) is retiring from. Not long after the column went up Reinbold contacted me and disputed what I wrote. She said it was a setup because someone was filming. I’m not sure how you set someone up by making them come up to you, but ok. She also assumed that Saddler was the person who told me about what happened. He wasn’t, and I have not spoken to him about it. She even asked who my source was. All around very loose. But it’s what happened this week that took the whole thing to the next level. I was contacted by some people who described similar interactions with an angry Eric Reinbold. Here are some emails I received:

I was surprised to hear about the “Domestic Disturbance” stuff. Turns out it’s true. Check this out courtesy of Court View. Looks like Eric has a history of loose behavior.

The primary is just around the corner. Which means lots of mailers. Check out this campaign mailer legislative mailer from Representative DeLena Johnson (R – Palmer).

Someone should tell her to read Alaska Statute 24.60.030, specifically this part. So loose.

(c) Unless approved by the committee, during a campaign period for an election in which the legislator or legislative employee is a candidate, a legislator or legislative employee may not use or permit another to use state funds, other than funds to which the legislator is entitled under AS 24.10.110 , to print or distribute a political mass mailing to individuals eligible to vote for the candidate. In this subsection,
(1) a “campaign period” is the period that
(A) begins 60 days before the date of an election to the board of an electric or telephone cooperative organized under AS 10.25, a municipal election, or a primary election, or that begins on the date of the governor’s proclamation calling a special election; and
(B) ends the day after the cooperative election, municipal election, or general or special election;

Here is another pretty awesome and loose mailer I just happen to get on Saturday (7/21/2018). Sushi and Sake with Representative Scott Kawasaki! Check out the back side tho! An invite to a fundraiser and an attack on your opponent – all in one. Definitely Loose Unit level. At least he didn’t use state resources to send it out.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mead Treadwell held a press conference on Tuesday (7/17/2018) at the Boardroom in Downtown Anchorage. His campaign manager, Mike Robbins, sent out an email at 11:21 am on Tuesday announcing the 1:30 pm presser. Then, at 1:50 pm, another email came out that said the presser was moved to 3 pm. That in itself is pretty loose, but it’s the media alert in the email that was even looser. It looked like it was written by a third grader. The Landmine provided the following corrections:

It sounded like Treadwell had some dirt on his opponent Mike Dunleavy, but the press conference ended up being very awkward and unexciting. Mead talked about his business experience, called Dunleavy a quitter, announced some new website comparing their records, and played a radio ad. All around very loose.

Francis Dunleavy, gazillionaire brother of Mike Dunleavy, who is a major funder of the pro-Dunleavy independent expenditure Dunleavy for Alaska, was spotted in Anchorage this week at BurgerFi. No word on whether or not he bought the restaurant along with his burger. He must be checking in on the operation. I wonder if he caught up with his bro Mike? Very loose. Frank, next time you are in town we can go to a place called the Crows Nest. Your treat.

Tomorrow (7/23/2018) is the deadline for legislative and statewide candidates and groups to file their 30-day Alaska Pubic Offices Commission financial report before the primary. Some have already been filed. One of our loyal Landmine readers sent us this gem from candidate for everything Dustin Darden.

This is about as loose as it gets. $50,000 in-kind for “Personalized Graphic design work” services and another $50,000 in-kind for “Data mining of social algorithmic traffic personalized site specific political marketing” services. Analyze that! I hope the IRS isn’t checking APOC or else Dustin might have a few letters before next April…

Here is something interesting from the Alaska Correctional Officers Association PAC report:

Damn. Someone getting fast and loose over there with the money. See Dustin, the IRS is watching.

Check out this hot fire radio ad that’s about to drop tomorrow. Making Landfield the chair of an independent expenditure group and giving me $30,000 to play with is definitely Loose Unit level!

It would not be a Sunday Minefield if I did not name this week’s Loose Unit. It’s clearly a real tough decision this week with so many deserving candidates. So I am letting the Landmine readers decide. Email, message, or text me your vote for the loosest of this week’s Loose Units and I will update the column this week with the winner.

If you have a nomination for This Week’s Loose Unit, or if you have any political news, stories or gossip (or any old pics of politicians or public officials) please email me at jeff@alaskalandmine.com.