On Friday, April 4, then-Deputy Revenue Commissioner Fadil Limani got a call from Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum at the end of the workday. Limani did not know that he was about to be fired over the phone by Crum.
Limani had worked as Crum’s deputy since March 2023, and had done much of the high-level finance related work at the department.
What Limani – and the Governor’s Office – did not know was that Crum was in Hawaii on an unauthorized family vacation when he called Limani.
It’s not clear exactly why Limani was fired. It seems to have involved the proposed gasline and an alleged conversation between Limani and Senator Dan Sullivan’s (R – Alaska) office about Glenfarne – the company chosen by the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation to spearhead the long-awaited megaproject.
What is clear is that Crum was told by his bosses that Limani had to go.
An investigation by the Landmine confirmed that Crum hadn’t submitted a leave slip for his family vacation to Hawaii. As a result, he was forced to admit to his superiors why he couldn’t fire Limani in person.
The Landmine did not learn about Crum’s Hawaiian getaway until April 13. An Instagram post on April 12 from Adam Crum, who goes by “akwildcat77,” showed him and his family in Hawaii. The post was sent by a source who thought the Revenue commissioner taking a vacation in the middle of session – while Alaska is facing a revenue crisis – was wrong.
Sources then confirmed that Crum had also been in Hawaii when he fired Limani. On April 15, the Landmine submitted a public records request to the Department of Revenue (DOR) asking for any leave slips Crum had submitted in March and April. It took nearly two weeks for the department to fulfill the request.
On April 28, the following record was provided to the Landmine from DOR. No reason was given for the redaction. More on that later.
The leave slip clearly shows that Crum submitted the request for leave after, not before, his trip to Hawaii. He listed his leave from April 2 – 8, but did not submit it until April 10.
Crum was likely told to submit the leave slip after it was discovered by his superiors in the Governor’s Office that he went on a rogue trip without telling anyone.
For anyone who has ever had a job, it’s known that you ask to go on leave or vacation before you go, not after. There are also potential insurance and workman’s compensation issues. If Crum had been injured in Hawaii while his employer did not know he was there, it could have created a complication or liability for the state.
It’s not clear if the Instagram post from Crum (akwildcat77) on April 12 was made from Hawaii. But if it was, his leave slip did not cover that date.
DOR did not provide a reason for the redaction. When asked the reason for the redaction, Revenue told the Landmine, “Under the Alaska Personnel Act (AS 39.25.080), state personnel records are confidential and are not open to public inspection.”
This was the first time I have seen that portion of a leave slip redacted.
When asked how to appeal the redaction, here is the response. Appealing a redaction concerning the commissioner to the commissioner seemed like a waste of time.
It was clear Crum was trying to hide something, but it was going to be difficult and time consuming to find out what. But then someone with a lot of experience with public records gave me an idea. They pointed out to me that the leave slip was signed by Rachel Bylsma, Governor Mike Dunleavy’s (R – Alaska) deputy chief of staff. This means the Governor’s Office was also in possession of the record.
On a whim, I sent the following request to the Governor’s Office on April 30. It was fulfilled the next day. And it’s amazing.
The unredacted leave slip shows that Crum checked the box for “annual/personal” leave. But Bylsma crossed that out and instead checked the “unauthorized leave without pay” box. This is what Crum was trying to hide. He did not want the public knowing that he was reprimanded by the Governor’s Office for taking an unauthorized family trip to Hawaii.
Crum, undeterred after getting caught on a vacation to Hawaii, was in Florida this week. He was attending the State Financial Officer Foundation conference in Orlando. This Fox News article includes a video of him speaking at the conference.
Crum has been preparing to run for governor for several months. He would have to leave his $168,000 state job before he can officially file to run. He seems to be milking the current job for as long as possible, while enjoying all the travel perks, before he actually files to run.
Well done, landmine. Let’s be clear: people in Alaska state government have been fired for falsifying records and stealing time. Why does he still have a job? Yet here we have a commissioner who took a vacation to Hawaii, failed to request or get pre-approval for leave, and used that time to call someone and fire them. Then has to admit why he didn’t fire the guy in person? Why is no one talking about this serious breach of trust and ethics? How can the governor possibly trust this guy? Adam Crum is on the PFD Board too, right? Adam… Read more »
I won’t defend the LWOP weirdness, nor why it took 6 days for the leave slip to be signed by Bylsma, and why the leave dates don’t include the date he was allegedly in HI according to his IG post, but I’d caution against your assertion that Crum didn’t have prior approval unless you definitively know (e.g., confirmation from source(s))… It appears to me your entire claim relies on the fact that he signed the request form after the alleged leave dates. As an SOA employee in a different agency, we obtain approval for leave from our supervisor ahead of… Read more »
It boggles the mind a senior leader could “disappear” without being noticed. He posted about his location publicly. People take vacations. Maybe Adam does a good job, maybe not. But this article does not provide any useful information to evaluate that. Instead doxxing his family and pictures of his children. Swamp be swamping here. Keep that junk in Juneau.
Hi Brad, Well, someone’s gotta say it. Again. Unfortunately… This is what happens when department heads are handpicked based on loyalty over competence. We’ve had seven years of musical chairs and magic tricks at the top, and surprise — people still aren’t getting their food stamps. State services? Yeah, those are basically a coin toss now. Accountability? Ha. That’s a good one. If you took a tour of Alaska’s departments right now, you’d find a highlight reel of “how not to run a government.” Health dropped the ball on benefits and people can’t get food stamps, Transportation’s fumbled federal reimbursements,… Read more »
Crum and Landfield live in Anchorage.
Ah…He may live in Anchorage but Landmine’s out there in Juneau pounding the pavement like a one-man watchdog squad, neck-deep in the legislative circus.
Honestly, he digs up more waste and dysfunction in state government before lunch than most folks manage in a year—but sure, let’s pretend he’s just a loudmouth. Funny how the people who can’t stand him usually have something to lose. I’m all in—he’s basically Mr. Doge Alaska, barking at the nonsense and dragging skeletons out of the Capitol clown car.
Jeff – we all need to buy him a beer the next time we see him.
No need for excuses—he lied. Plain and simple. No hearing, no appeal—just send him packing. He’s been pocketing $168,000 a year while swiping an open-ended credit card to gallivant across the country, all while prepping his next move: pimping himself out for the governor’s seat.
And just for laughs, he’s got his department scrubbing the inconvenient details.
Redacting the truth—how predictable. Oh, and let’s not forget, he sits on the PFD Board. Because of course he does.
Why exactly are people bending over backward to defend a serial liar who’s supposed to be a trusted figure? That’s the real mystery.
Are you urging Jeff Landfield to hold a smear before he definitively knows he’s right?
This isn’t a smear campaign or character assassination—it’s the truth, and Landmine uncovered it. It’s in black and white. Alaskans deserve transparency. The Governor serves us, the people. Alaskans need to call or email the Governor and demand an explanation (907)465-3500 Feedback – Mike Dunleavy The commissioner made his own choices. If he’s willing to disregard the rules so blatantly, what else has gone unnoticed? At last, the silence has been shattered on an issue that has long simmered beneath the surface. Countless employees in DOR and other agencies have witnessed state funds being squandered, yet they’ve remained silent—fearing retaliation, dismissal,… Read more »
To be clear, I detest Dunleavy and Crumb, but I don’t agree that “The facts are undeniable.” As D13 pointed out, Landfield doesn’t know how leave works in Revenue and the Gov’s Office. Crumb may have sought leave and received an okay via email that Jeff doesn’t know about. No commissioner should leave the state during the final month of the legislative session, although it’s Crum’s staff–not him–that provides any real value. Crum has been over his head since Dunleavy plucked him from obscurity to head what was then the Dept. of Health and Social Services. He not competent, and… Read more »
Thank you, Speedo. I wasn’t defending any of Crum’s actions; just cautioning Landfield to make sure he’s not jumping to any conclusions without sufficient evidence. (He may have confirmed the unauthorized LWOP from a source, but that wasn’t evident from his article.)
Speedo – Oh, but of course, nothing says “leadership” quite like ditching your responsibilities for a Hawaiian getaway and scrambling for paperwork after getting caught. And let’s not forget—if Crum’s leave had actually been **previously approved**, there’s **no way** the Deputy Chief of Staff would have slapped him down with **unauthorized leave without pay**. That designation isn’t a polite memo—it’s a clear signal that Crum broke the rules, and the Governor’s Office wasn’t about to sweep it under the rug. But here’s the kicker—this isn’t just an embarrassing misstep. Crum **violated ethics rules** that **every single** state employee is obligated… Read more »
I read an article over 2 weeks ago that mentioned that he was on vacation in Hawaii. I don’t see what the big deal is. It looks like the paperwork was submitted late, so what!?
Oh, absolutely, Jeff—nothing to see here. Why should anyone in Alaska care that the Commissioner of Revenue, the person responsible for overseeing BILLIONS of dollars, is casually skipping town without informing the Governor’s Office? I mean, it’s just 170 grand in salary—chump change, right? And submitting a leave slip to the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff only to have it DENIED because it was unauthorized leave without pay? Pfft, who even needs accountability in high-level government positions? Transparency? Responsibility? Honesty, truth, ETHICS? Those are just overrated buzzwords. Honestly, why should Alaskans expect their top officials—who literally shape the state’s financial… Read more »
Liberty Ed Here , Jeff your great at investigation! Please run down ” What Limani – and the Governor’s Office – did not know was that Crum was in Hawaii on an unauthorized family vacation when he called Limani. It’s not clear exactly why Limani was fired. It seems to have involved the proposed gasline and an alleged conversation between Limani and Senator Dan Sullivan’s (R – Alaska) office about Glenfarne – the company chosen by the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation to spearhead the long-awaited megaproject. What is clear is that Crum was told by his bosses that Limani had… Read more »
Crum also took his wife and two kids to Orlando for a family vacation surrounding the conference, FYI.
Racheal Bylsma just did what no one else in that administration had the guts to do. This is the first flicker of accountability I’ve seen from any commissioner—and that’s saying something, coming from my jaded perspective. Now, Rachel, keep going: dig into Crum’s Florida family vacation. And hey, Landmine—let’s see all the travel costs: hotel receipts, airline tickets, the whole tab. Double-check whether he actually took leave, or just turned a state-funded trip into a family sightseeing tour. And look at the other Commissioners, I process state travel and am shocked to see the amount of money blown… And Crum—just… Read more »
To be fair, it’s completely legal for a family to cover the cost of airfare for a spouse and children to accompany an employee on a work trip, provided their travel is personally paid for and they’re simply making use of the state-paid hotel room—so long as the hotel rate is within the government limit and the stay doesn’t extend beyond what’s necessary for the work trip (e.g., Sunday through Friday). Still, it’s interesting to see someone take their family on two trips in just two months—lucky guy, I guess.
To be fair, let’s be completely honest here. If I packed up my little kids with my wife and trekked off to Hawaii and then Florida for a work conference, how much time would I truly be focusing on the needs of the State of Alaska? None. Let’s be realistic—during the day, I’d attend sessions, but it wouldn’t be long before I’d be tempted to cut out early and take my kids to Disneyland or the beach. It’s spring break in Alaska, after all. Yes, it’s completely legal to have your family accompany you—but let’s ask the real questions. Did… Read more »
The unaccountable state travel for leadership is doubly troubling when it’s compared to the significant difficulty boots-on-the-ground staff have getting travel to the Bush approved. Sure, providing on-site service is expensive and we may not be able to afford it, but it’s a tough pill to swallow while leadership is taking a hundred junkets.
Dan—The leadership for bush Alaska is truly a marvel, isn’t it? Governor Dunleavy never misses a chance to romanticize his time in Bush Alaska—what a nostalgic masterpiece! But here’s the million-dollar question: when was the last time any of his top brass actually set foot in a village? He got elected because “we care” about Bush Alaska—oh really, Mike? Do tell. We’re all ears. And now, in their boundless genius, they’ve decided to shut down Bush offices and replace them with call centers. Absolute stroke of brilliance! Because nothing screams “we’re here for you” like expecting rural Alaskans to navigate… Read more »
Oh, Governor Dunleavy, what an absolute circus you’ve let run wild! Just months after Jeff Landmine—Alaska’s very own whistleblowing superhero—exposed the PFD scandal with actual evidence, here comes the next act: Adam Crum, Vice President of the PFD Board, blatantly caught lying to the Governor’s Office about his whereabouts. Integrity? Apparently optional. And it only gets better! Crum didn’t just lie—he treated himself and his family to an unauthorized Hawaiian getaway, because submitting leave requests *before* jetting off is just too much to ask. He conveniently filed the paperwork *after* the trip, because when you get caught, you get caught—and… Read more »
So, Alaskans, the Dunleavy administration is supposed to uphold ethics laws—but apparently, Adam Crum, Commissioner of Revenue, missed that memo along with his ethics coursework. Turns out his unauthorized island getaway wasn’t just a bad look—it was a textbook case for a formal ethics complaint. But thanks to our conveniently toothless oversight system, accountability remains as elusive as a sunny Juneau winter, and public trust gets left out in the cold. Under Alaska Statute 39.52.120 (Misuse of Official Position), state officials are prohibited from using their roles for personal gain or dishing out favors like moose nuggets. Violations include: Securing… Read more »
Donna Arduin was Alaska’s Musk, predating his DOGE approach by a half a decade or so.
Hey Speedo – if Crum gets booted, Donna could have stepped in and cleaned house—but like other ethical employees, she’s long since moved on. Dunleavy cut her loose back in 2019, and there was no chance she’d ever work for him again, despite probably being able to run the state in her spare time.
Instead, President Trump handpicked her for a role in DC, while Dunleavy, after all his efforts last year, was passed over! Karma’s really putting in overtime on this one—and let’s be real, it’s downright amusing.
Alaska government representatives are so corrupt. When will Alaskan voters stop voting for these corrupt people.
Fadil spent $60k in state money on travel last year. Go look at the executive travel and compensation report. He was only behind the Governor and the Commissioner of DOT in overall costs. Two ten day trips to New York, thee days in Vegas. See what some of those conference trips cost and compare them to other SOA employees that went to the same conferences. It’s probably worth a FOIA request or two.
Isn’t it interesting which billionaires keep popping up in Crum’s circle, or is it Dunleavy’s circle? Either way, someone (or someone’s dad) is playing puppeteer with the people supposedly in charge of the state.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23845845-fertilizer-plant-email/
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23845843-rubenstein-conference-email/