I hope everyone had a good Christmas! This is the last Sunday Minefield of 2025. Which means the legislative session gets underway in just over three weeks. Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year! It was a slow week in politics due to Christmas. Governor Mike Dunleavy (R – Alaska) announced the replacements for the two vacant Mat-Su House seats. They now need to be confirmed by a majority of House Republicans. The Governor’s Office and Department of Revenue continue to stonewall a records request the Landmine sent on October 1 concerning Crooked Adam Crum’s shady dealings. And an investigation by the Landmine revealed just how much damage vagrants and homeless are causing around the Midtown Walmart.
A friendly message and reminder to all our readers. The Landmine is made possible by myself and a team of awesome Alaskans. I have been covering the legislative session in Juneau for the last seven years and will be heading back for my eighth session in January. If you enjoy the content we provide, please consider making a one time or recurring monthly donation. You can click here to donate. We have a system that makes it super easy. We would really appreciate it. And thanks to everyone who has been supportive.
Week in Review
Governor Dunleavy appointed Republicans Garret Nelson and Steve St. Clair to fill the vacant Mat-Su House seats after now-Senators George Rauscher (R – Sutton) and Cathy Tilton (R – Wasilla) were appointed to fill the two vacant Senate seats. St. Clair is a former legislative staffer who, along with his wife, used to be my neighbors at the Driftwood Hotel, which was a great place to stay until Tlingit & Haida bought it and decided it was a smart move to treat the long-term guests like garbage. I don’t know Nelson. Dunleavy’s press release said he’s lived with his family in Sutton for nine years and is chair of the Sutton Community Council.
Nelson and St. Clair will need to be confirmed by a majority of House Republicans. There are 17 in the Republican minority and two in the House majority, so ten votes are needed to get confirmed. That won’t be a problem for them. House Republicans say they will meet this week to consider the appointments, though I’ve confirmed that some members of the minority learned about this from the below Landmine tweet. Which means the drama within the House minority continues.
House Republicans say they will meet the week after Christmas to vote on the two new Mat-Su reps. There are 17 in the minority and 2 in the majority (Stutes and Kopp), so ten votes are needed for confirmation. Confirmation won’t be an issue. #akleg https://t.co/WLBjcz9KRs pic.twitter.com/Z44dnSAzxZ
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) December 25, 2025
It’s been nearly three months since I sent in a records request to the Governor’s Office and Department of Revenue concerning former Revenue Commissioner Crooked Adam Crum’s loose investment of Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) funds with a private equity firm. I paid when I was asked to pay. But they have continued to stonewall me and are now hiding behind a crazy six-figure contract they signed with a D.C. law firm. The Alaska Public Records Act needs to be updated to include consequences for government officials when they blatantly disregard the law.
On Oct. 1 the Landmine sent a records request to @GovDunleavy’s office and the Dept. of Revenue asking for various documents and correspondence pertaining to Crooked Adam Crum’s loose CBR investment with a private equity firm.
In mid-October, the governor’s office and Dept. of… pic.twitter.com/ZrUi4aeX5u
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) December 23, 2025
This Landmine story I published two days ago, “APD records show thousands of police calls made from Midtown Walmart over two-year span,” has gotten a ton of traction. It’s baffling to me that the larger media outlets in the state don’t do basic investigative journalism and cover stories like this. Instead, many choose to just regurgitate press releases and take what the government says as gospel.
This Week’s Loose Unit
It’s been a rather slow week in Alaska politics, but there is still a good designee this week. This week’s Loose Unit is Facebook or Meta or whatever they hell they go by. Back in July, Facebook informed me that the Landmine Facebook page qualified for monetization, and they invited me to join their monetization program. Seeing it as a way to earn some extra money, I signed up.
Things went great for a few months. But I was unable to finish setting up my account because it would not let me change to my business name from my personal name. So I could not put in my business EIN. This meant I could not even collect any of the money the page had earned.
In early October, the monetization stopped working. I sent messages to them through their business portal but no one ever got back to me. If you know how these tech companies work, there is never anyone to call or email. Very loose.
So in mid-October, I contacted their Alaska lobbyist, Sonia Henrick, to see if she could help. I explained the problem and sent her a follow-up email. She told me she would be glad to help.
But more than two months later the issue remains. I have followed up several times with her to no avail. You would think a company with a market cap of $1.6 trillion and a stock price of $663 (it was $90 in November 2022) could help someone that they invited to participate in their monetization program. They can sure afford to pay Henrick $60,000 a year! But they can’t help me out. Classic Loose Unit behavior.
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.
“The prosecution of crime in the court system is a state function, not municipal.”
-Reggie Taylor
Um, no.
The Municipality of Anchorage has a Municipal Prosecutor, whose employees prosecute crimes.
muniDOTorg/Departments/legal/criminal/Pages/default.aspx
Never post, Reggie, you are always wrong.
Always.
Wrong article, Dan. Go back to the Walmart article and try not to pollute this page with your drivel, please. And I will not stop commenting. The Anchorage muni prosecutors office is supposed to prosecute misdemeanors, but can’t seem to get it done, so no, they aren’t prosecuting crimes.
https://www.propublica.org/article/criminal-case-dismissals-anchorage-alaska
Funny…….my mother-in-law was a magistrate……
Reggie doesn’t have to worry about being right. Just like he doesn’t have to worry about telling the truth or engaging in civil debate. That’s why he hides, like the weak dishonest coward he is, behind fake names.
I’d thank you for using your real name (I think) for that comment, except you only did it to attack me for anonymity……..which you really don’t know if that’s my real name or not. You don’t have a clue, and I won’t give you one.
You’ve given plenty of clues, anonymous coward. You’re just too much of a narcissist to be aware of it. You’re not nearly as clever as you think you are.
“………You’re not nearly as clever as you think you are……….”
And you are?
It is nice to see Rep. Ruffridge in a prominent position. The legislature needs more young, smart, visionary people like him.
Truth. The legislature also needs fewer performative jackasses who worship a sexual predator and pedoohile protector.
Should be “pedophile”.
So which “Mark Kelsey” is the true former newspaper editor? The one who can’t spell, or the one who can and can’t help correcting the mistake like a grammar Nazi?
Go get a room, you two
No pads, please………
Former KTUU is a shadow of its former self and personnel changes/assignments are not for the better. Repeating the prior news throughout the day with some live weather updates is not news. Sometimes they don’t even do weather updates anymore for 6 o’clock news if one watches the weather map that repeats. It is allowed to slip by most viewers since they stopped using live temperature and current time in the lower right corner during news broadcasts.
Very true, Alaska’s news media is dying.
Chronic, terminal disease tends to be fatal.
I actually agree with you on some thing. Occasionally. Even if you are mostly a dork/dick.
True to form, Landfield makes St. Clair’s appointment about him. Then goes on to make his loose unit another personal grievance: “But they can’t help me out.” Remind you of anyone?
“……..Remind you of anyone?……..”
Mark Kelsey?
Careful “Reggie”. Your obsession is showing.
I wonder if I could ever match yours with McCabe?
Nah………
Once again, Reggie the Anonymous Coward, you are the one bringing up McCabe first for like the 10th or 11th consecutive time, despite there being zero mention of him in this edition of the Minefield.
Congratulations! Maybe I can equal you in obsession! Imagine my pride!
Again, dumbass, anyone with functioning eyeballs can count 10 or 11 times of your mentions without one mention from me. Last time I mentioned that blowhard, he was a subject of the Sunday Minefield. You don’t need to think about equalling me when you’re the only one obsessed. You’re also clearly obsessed with me. You stalk my posts and accuse anyone who disagrees with you of being me, when I’m one of the few people here who posts under his real name. I know how galling that is to you, but being an anonymous coward is a choice that you… Read more »
“………You stalk my posts and accuse anyone who disagrees with you of being me……..”
So how does that feel, Kelsey? Maybe you can catch a clue here? If you don’t like it, don’t do it to others.
Honestly, anonymous coward, I couldn’t give a shit. You’re the one that it reflects poorly on.
If your insecurities can’t handle honest disagreement, you don’t get to demand that people stop disagreeing with you. Take responsibility for yourself for a change and stop posting if it’s so upsetting to you. Or maybe get ChatGPT to write your posts for you. I know you know how to do that. Maybe you won’t sound like such a whiny dumbass, too.
“………I couldn’t give a shit……..”
Well, then, quit crying about it. Get used to it. You like obsessive heel biting? Enjoy it when you get some.
Projecting again, anonymous coward? You’re the only one here crying and whining. You’re also the only one obsessed enough to be posting at 3 a.m. Do you need a hobby? You’re here practically 24/7. Sad.
But I appreciate the middle-of-the-night, likely alcohol-soaked accidental confession that you’re only here to engage in “obsessive heel biting.” Sometimes the truth just leaks out. Sort of like your dishonest use of ChatGPT. Not that it wasn’t already clear.
“…….. I appreciate the middle-of-the-night, likely alcohol-soaked accidental confession that you’re only here to engage in “obsessive heel biting.”………”
You’re welcome, but it was never a secret. You inspired me with your McCabe Derangement Syndrome. It looked fun, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. I’m having the time of my life following you around! I should have started back in 2020 when you and JJ/Jj/jj popped up out of the nexus. I’ve missed 5 years of fun!
That’s 12 straight times now you’ve mentioned McCabe unprompted. Obsessed much? You know he’s married, right? Three times. (Do you think he’s mastered it yet?) So he’s probably not interested in you, regardless of how much you demonstrate your devotion to him. I’m also pretty sure he’s not gay. Although I suppose that being a severe closet case could be a contributing factor to the multiple marriages. Maybe you should just take a leap and ask him. It might help with your crazy obsession.
“……….That’s 12 straight times now you’ve mentioned McCabe unprompted………” Ready for Lucky #13?: Kevin McCabe says that he’s all for a “full” PFD. But wait! One of your buddies (one of the Mikes) got dinged by the APOC for illegally erecting a “campaign sign” next to a legal McCabe sign, pointing to his, and calling him a PFD thief. I oppose the PFD. I say it should be defunded, and the first year of full defunding, a new prison should be built in Alaska……….or Goose Creek expanded by 100 beds. So I oppose Kevin McCabe and all of his wives… Read more »
Sure thing, anonymous coward. You’ve lied so many times on this board that another flip-flop is not credible in the least. You sound like you’re trying to claim you’re not Rep. McCabe, when no one has suggested you are. Is your guilty conscience revealing itself again?
“……..You’re also the only one obsessed enough to be posting at 3 a.m. Do you need a hobby? You’re here practically 24/7. Sad……….” It’s not sad. It’s efficiency. I and Trump function on full with 4 or so hours of sleep per night. I go to bed @ 9pm and get up @2 or 3 and start the farm chores. Old habits die hard. Sometimes I nap again @5 or so, but that’s a new phenomenon. And I’m not just here. I’m everywhere. When it’s 3am here, it’s 4pm in Kabul. I like my news fresh, Editor, which is something… Read more »
Any state government stonewalling in response to public records requests would be a real problem. Especially when it may involve millions of dollars in public money. I do not know the details of this particular request, but if it is bad enough, you should consider filing a lawsuit. The Alaska Supreme Court teaches: “The cornerstone of a democracy is the ability of its people to question, investigate and monitor the government. Free access to public records is a central building block of our constitutional framework enabling citizen participation in monitoring the machinations of the republic. Conversely, the hallmark of totalitarianism… Read more »
Hoo Boy,
Im with you Nick,hook line and sinker,but that idea (access to public records) is so 20th century.
Exhibit A:?the current regimes both state and federal!
In a refreshing change from this gossip blog, the Anchorage Daily News had one of its journalists dive deep into Anchorage’s shoplifting scene. Among my takeaways: A national surge in retail theft struck Anchorage as the Bronson Administration failed to maintain a vibrant prosecutor’s office. For a period, shoplifting and lower-level theft laws in Anchorage went nearly unenforced as the city struggled with short staffing, said municipal prosecutor Dennis Wheeler. For a stretch of time in 2024, the city dismissed hundreds of cases that included theft charges because they couldn’t meet time obligations. A Midtown Walmart location on A Street has… Read more »
“………If you value journalism enough to subscribe to responsibly-reported news articles, I highly recommend reading the ADN’s act of journalism………”
LOL! Yeah, and if you like automotive dependability, go buy a Model A Ford.
Snarky deflections don’t change that you just got owned again.
I got owned by who? The wildly successful 2-edition-per-week ADN? LOL!
“Binx Bolling”!!! LOL! Your sphinter is boiling………………
“……..In a refreshing change from this gossip blog, the Anchorage Daily News………”
The main difference between the Anchorage Gaily News and blogs like this one is that the ADN stopped accepting comments long ago. Their “editors” decided that they prefer one-way communication, especially since they’re primary purpose of existence is propaganda.
You sound just like that whiny blogger who lives in Florida, whatshername ?
And you sound just like that whiny former newspaper editor from Mat-Su……..whatshisname?………..
🐸
“………Among my takeaways: A national surge in retail theft struck Anchorage as the Bronson Administration failed to maintain a vibrant prosecutor’s office. For a period, shoplifting and lower-level theft laws in Anchorage went nearly unenforcedas the city struggled with short staffing, said municipal prosecutor Dennis Wheeler……..” Your “takeaways” were all outlined in the ProPublica article I linked here before the Anchorage Gaily News published their articles. And the “national surge in retail theft” is a national surge in muni permissiveness and pro-crime focus designed to forward a Leftist cultural revolution. None of this is any surprise to anybody who has been paying attention. People have… Read more »
Lmao to your last paragraph!
Start your own blog and stop leeching off an existing platform’s following that you nitpick against every week, you and Kelsey boy are the height of insecurity and mediocrity by doing what you do every landmine article when you could easily just see yourself out the door that all of us would be happy to see, and don’t let it hit you on your way out!
“All of us…” lol
One unhinged idiot with multiple user names is not “a following”. And if reader votes are any indication, the unhinged idiot speaks for no one.
“…….. if reader votes are any indication……..”
They aren’t.
He’s a legend in his own mind
Funny how he assumed he was the unnamed “unhinged idiot”. No surprise, though, that the poster whose comments consistently have the most down votes wants to proclaim that meaningless.
“………the poster whose comments consistently have the most down votes wants to proclaim that meaningless……….” They’re meaningless, Editor, because they’re manipulable. While waiting for my beloved wife to complete her physical therapy, I sat and upvoted and downvoted all the appropriate comments (including my own) on another Landmine article. If you have multiple devices, you can do it at a single sitting. If you just wait a couple days, you get fresh votes on the same device you commented on. You know this because you’ve been doing it all along, and under the banner of multiple personalities. Like you mentioned… Read more »
Every accusation is a confession with you, anonymous coward. If you know that manipulation is possible because you’ve done it, that means there are even more down votes on the comments of you and all your other fake names here than the counter shows. Great defense!!
“……..that means there are even more down votes on the comments of you and all your other fake names here……..”
I know many things that cannot be false. First among them is the fact that I have never posted a comment here or anywhere else under a name other than mine.
That might be your most pathetic lie yet, anonymous coward. You’ve already admitted you don’t post with your real name, and you’ve tried to defend the use of fake names multiple times. But nice deflection from your ridiculous claim about reader votes.
“………You’ve already admitted you don’t post with your real name, and you’ve tried to defend the use of fake names multiple times………”
Did Sam Clemens write under any other name? And do you think I care if others write under their legal names? I don’t care if you post under numerous names, either………it’s just hypocrisy……..which also seems to fit you like a glove. Works for me.
More projection. That’s a really poor attempt at deflection, too. If you didn’t care, like you’re trying so desperately to pretend, you wouldn’t keep bringing it up. If you don’t like being called an anonymous coward for posting under multiple fake names, you could stop doing it. Instead, you want to insist it is your right to do it, and that others have no right to call out your dishonesty. More sociopathic behavior.
“…….. If you don’t like being called an anonymous coward for posting under multiple fake names, you could stop doing it………”
I never did. Yet again, it’s your penchant for completely baseless “scurrilous” accusations, which I assume you learned and did as a newspaper editor and publisher.
Well, anonymous coward, as you well know, assumptions are not facts. But keep grasping at those desperate straws. Your continued denial of the mountain of evidence I’ve provided to back up what I say will never change those facts in your favor.
“…….assumptions are not facts…….”
Yet, there you are calling everybody who confronts your crap “Reggie”.
More projection from Reggie the Anonymous Coward.
More assumptions from Mark the Brave Editor.