The Landmine recently published an article documenting that “full PFD” Republican gubernational candidate Bernadette Wilson had her 2023 and 2024 Permanent Fund Dividends garnished to pay a court ordered judgement. The judgement, for more than $57,000, was to Shoreside Petroleum. 

Court documents obtained by the Landmine show that Wilson, acting on behalf of her trash company Denali Disposal, submitted a commercial credit application with Shoreside Petroleum on June 15, 2020. In the application, Wilson agreed to be personally liable for any fuel debts incurred. Her mom, Roberta Zipay, was also listed on the application. Denali Disposal is owned 75% by Wilson and 25% by Zipay. 

Starting in March 2022, Denali Disposal began purchasing fuel on credit. From March 31 to July 31 of 2022, the company ran up a fuel bill of more than $52,000. Two checks from Denali Disposal were rejected due to insufficient funds. The first, written on May 30, 2022, was for more than $5,400. The second, written on July 21, 2022, was for just under $13,000. 

In October 2022, Shoreside Petroleum filed a debt collection lawsuit against Denali Disposal, Wilson, and Zipay after repeated demands for payment. Denali Disposal, Wilson, and Zipay all failed to respond to the lawsuit. 

The court granted default judgement to Shoreside Petroleum on February 2, 2023 for $53,800. An amended default judgment for $57,400 was entered on May 3, 2023. 

A writ of execution for the judgement was issued on July 17, 2023. Bank sweeps against Denali Disposal, Wilson, and Zipay began soon after. Court records show the bank sweeps did not result in much money. The following accounts were swept from August 11, 2023 to October 4, 2023:

• $3,031 from a Denali Disposal bank account at Northrim Bank. 
• $479 from a Roberta Zipay account at Northtim Bank.
• $513 from a Roberta Zipay account at Northrim bank.
• $2,630 from a Bernadette Wilson account at Global Credit Union. 

Court records show that during this period a process server attempted service on Roberta Zipay and Denali Disposal multiple times. An affidavit from the process server noted that she could “hear voices inside; however there was no answer at the door” when she tried to serve Zipay. It also says the process server received a return call from a man who initially identified himself as Daniel (Roberta’s husband is Daniel Zipay) but later said he was not Daniel when the process server identified herself.    

Wilson had other income during the period she owed Shoreside Petroleum the money. In September 2021, Wilson was hired as the state director for Americans for Prosperity Alaska. She worked there until she was let go in April 2023. Her salary at Americans for Prosperity is not known, but sources told the Landmine that it was more than $100,000 per year. 

Wilson became the interim CEO of the Alaska Policy Forum in November 2023. According to the Alaska Policy Forum’s IRS 990 for 2024, Wilson was paid more than $125,000. During the year Wilson was interim CEO, the Alaska Policy Forum reported revenues of just $92,000, resulting in a deficit of $121,000. Their net fund balance at the end of 2024 was just $9,100.

Previous years for the Alaska Policy Forum were much better for revenue and showed lower salary overheard. The previous CEO, Bethany Marcum, was paid a salary of $70,000 according to their 2022 990 filing. That year, Carmela Warfield, now-Alaska Republican Party chair, was paid $21,000. In 2022, total revenue for the Alaska Policy Forum was $524,000, with an ending net fund balance of $346,000. 

In 2023, Wilson was paid more than $10,000 (for just over a month of work). Marcum was paid $56,000 (she left in August 2023). And Warfield was paid just under $87,000. Revenues were $355,000, with an ending net fund balance of $130,000. 

Wilson and Zipay had their 2023 and 2024 PFDs garnished to fulfill the judgment to Shoreside Petroleum. The judgment was satisfied on September 23, 2025 – four months after Wilson filed to run for governor.