FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 09/15/2014

ANCHORAGE — Last week, Mark Begich continued his commitment to fighting the flawed Supreme Court Citizens United ruling when he voted in support of a constitutional amendment to reign in secret campaign spending from billionaires like the Koch brothers. Unfortunately, the measure was blocked in the U.S. Senate.

Mark Begich has released a detailed plan for how he will work to address campaign finance issues in a second term, including adopting Alaska’s campaign finance requirement of identifying the top three donors in ads.

In stark contrast, Dan Sullivan continues to support unlimited secret campaign contributions.

Read the Associated Press story below:

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

September 12, 2023 - 8:14 pm EDT

JUNEAU, Alaska — U.S. Sen. Mark Begich is proposing changes to campaign finance laws, including requiring the top three contributors to candidates or third-party groups be identified in ads.

In laying out his plans to address the issue if re-elected, Begich also proposed that all candidates electronically file and post their federal fundraising reports. He called for contribution limits and said he would continue to support a constitutional amendment, similar to one that failed in the Senate Thursday, that would allow Congress and the states to better regulate election spending.

Begich’s GOP rival, Dan Sullivan, has called on Begich to sign an agreement aimed at limiting outside money in their race. Begich said he’s signed a separate agreement striking at the idea of corporate personhood and is proposing legislation in line with that.

###

ANCHORAGE — Mark Begich is calling on the nation to adopt Alaska law requiring political candidates or groups to disclose their top three donors in any campaign ad. The proposal is part of Mark Begich’s campaign finance reform platform which includes specific steps and recommendations to increase transparency and correct the influence of billionaires and corporations after the flawed Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United case.

U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan supports unlimited spending by secret Outside groups, billionaires and corporations.

The billionaire Koch brothers have spent millions in Alaska while killing Alaska jobs at the Flint Hills refinery and spending millions in support of his candidacy. The Koch brothers and Outside groups like them are spending $12 million on attack ads in Alaska in support of Dan Sullivan. The Kochs were mocked for using a Maryland actress in an Alaska TV ad and their operatives showed an lack of knowledge about Alaska by awkwardly calling Alaska a “peninsular” state in a secret meeting. The meeting, leaked to the media, revealed the Kochs intent to buy Alaska’s senate seat by dumping millions on to the airwaves.

“Alaska is a model for increased campaign contribution transparency. The federal government could really learn a few things from our campaign laws which require disclosure of who’s paying for advertisements and contributing to campaigns, both for politicians and independent expenditures. If an Outside group can’t disclose their top three contributors in an advertisement then they shouldn’t be spending money on it,” said Senator Mark Begich.

View MARK BEGICH’S CAMPAIGN FINANCE PLAN HERE

Mark Begich supports a constitutional amendment to permanently overturn the Citizens United ruling and has signed the We The People Alaska pledge stating his belief that corporations are not people.

Mark Begich has supported transparency efforts such as the DISCLOSE Act, legislation Dan Sullivan does not support, and supports Alaska state law which requires ads to disclose top donors.

###

ANCHORAGE — Dan Sullivan is unleashing more of the same desperate attacks he’s been pushing for months at the instruction of Outside groups, all while telling Alaskans he’s focused on a positive campaign.

Dan Sullivan’s attacks against Mark Begich’s record of supporting Alaska’s military and veterans have been called “false” and “twisted.” With the blessing of Karl Rove Sullivan previously attempted to turn the Arizona VA scandal into a political attack in Alaska. Sullivan’s attempt backfired because Alaskans are familiar with Mark Begich’s record of delivering for Alaska veterans and reducing VA wait times.

Sullivan’s latest attack comes during a pending Maryland investigation into tax breaks he received on a Maryland home he declared his “principal residence” when he was political appointee at the State Department.

“Dan Sullivan will say anything to try and draw attention from a pending investigation about tax breaks he received on a million dollar Maryland home while voting in Alaska. Sullivan continues to dodge legitimate questions from Alaskans about why he claimed Maryland as a ‘principal residence’ for tax breaks while continuing to vote in Alaska. Months ago Sullivan received backlash for attempting to turn the tragic death of veterans in Arizona into a political attack in Alaska, his latest attacks on Mark Begich’s commitment to Alaska’s veterans and military families are nothing but a disappointing political smokescreen,” said Max Croes, Alaskans for Begich Communications Director.

Last week the U.S. Senate passed Mark Begich’s legislation to increase veterans benefits by pegging compensation increases to annual cost of living increases. The legislation will benefit 4.5 million veterans nationwide as early as 2015.

In the U.S. Senate, Begich has built a record of fighting and delivering for Alaska’s veterans:

• Alaska Territorial Guard – In 2009, Senator Begich successfully secured reinstatement of pension payments for members of the WWII-era Alaska Territorial Guard.
• “Significant legislative victory for veterans” – The Disabled American Veterans called Begich’s push to establish advanced appropriation for veterans health programs “the most significant legislative victory of veterans in a generation.”
• Extended TRICARE for Military Dependents – In 2011, Begich helped extend TRICARE services for dependent children of military members to the age of 26.
• Waived Telehealth Copays – In 2012, Begich and Sen. Grassley’s proposal to waive copays for telehealth and telemedicine visits for veterans was signed into law.
• Historic Rural Care Access – Begich followed through on campaign promise to help veterans access care closer to home by allowing rural veterans access to Native health facilities.
• Recognition from Combat Veterans’ Organization - In March, Begich received an Inspirational Leadership Award from the Military Order of the Purple Heart for his work on behalf of veterans.
• Secured access to Space-A for Guard Members - Begich pushed to allow members of the National Guard or Guard Reserve to gain access to Space-A seats on military planes, previously limited to active-duty soldiers.
• Advocated for victims of military sexual assault — Begich sponsored legislation to change the chain of command in military sexual assault prosecutions.
• Restored benefits for military retirees — Begich passed legislation to restore benefits to military retirees affected by a 2013 budget.
• Fought against military commissary price increases — Begich staunchly opposes price increases at military commissaries which would have a devastating affect on Alaska’s military families.

###

ANCHORAGE — U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan’s newest ad doesn’t tell the truth about his record as Alaska’s attorney general where he not only sued to prevent tribes from protecting at risk children, but also refused to support the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

“Dan Sullivan’s latest ad doesn’t tell the truth about where he stands on women’s issues including his refusal to support the Violence Against Women Act and the fact that rates of rape and sexual assault remained dangerously high during his tenure as attorney general. Alaskans need to know the truth and they should be outraged that Dan Sullivan refuses to support common sense, landmark legislation that has already received broad, bipartisan support,” said Susanne Fleek-Green, Alaskans for Begich Campaign Manager.

Department of Law Had to Reform Sentencing Policy After Sullivan’s Tenure, Said Prosecutors Would Not Negotiate Plea Deals For Serious Crimes and Domestic Violence. As reported by the Anchorage Daily News, “State prosecutors will no longer negotiate plea deals for lesser sentences for Alaskans accused of serious crimes and domestic violence, the Alaska Department of Law said Tuesday. The change of policy, which took effect Tuesday, bars plea bargains involving sentences for the most serious classes of felony cases, as well as all cases involving sexual assault, sexual abuse of a minor and domestic violence, said deputy attorney general Richard Svobodny.” [Anchorage Daily News, 7/23/13]

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 09/12/2023
CONTACT: Max Croes — 907-570-2065

ANCHORAGE – After a week of refusing to attend the Kodiak fisheries debate and offending Alaska’s fishermen - and Alaska’s largest private sector employer - Dan Sullivan today conceded he had made a mistake and said he will in fact attend the longstanding traditional debate.

In addition to changing his mind, Sullivan’s campaign was forced to admit that Sullivan “did not have a prior commitment keeping him from the fisheries debate.”

“Brushing off Alaska’s largest private sector employer and a multi-billion dollar industry is just another reminder that Dan Sullivan is focused on his billionaire Outside supporters - not Alaskans . Mark Begich is still waiting for Dan Sullivan to accept six additional debate invitations, but we’re not holding our breath after the public shaming it took for Sullivan to commit to the fisheries debate which is a longstanding tradition in Alaska,” said Max Croes, Communications Director for Alaskans for Begich.

Dan Sullivan has only committed to four out of the ten debates Mark Begich has committed to.

Sullivan’s agreement to attend the fish debate comes after consecutive bad headlines and pressure for failing to commit to the debate. The debate is considered an Alaska tradition for gubernatorial and senatorial candidates going back to 1990.

ANCHORAGE — Senator Mark Begich is announcing a new plan for campaign finance reform and how he would fight Citizens United and unlimited spending by Outside billionaires and corporations with a second term in the U.S. Senate. Yesterday, the United States Senate voted on a constitutional amendment that would have given congress and states the authority to put reasonable limits on campaign spending.

“After the Supreme Court’s flawed Citizens United ruling billionaires and corporations are spending unlimited anonymous amounts to buy elections across the country and it needs to stop. In a second term I will continue to fight to overturn Citizens United while introducing legislation to institute Alaska’s campaign disclosure laws on a national level. The rest of the country can learn a lot from Alaska common sense,” said Senator Mark Begich.

Mark Begich’s opposition to the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling stands in stark contrast to his opponent, Dan Sullivan, who supports unlimited secret money from outside groups.

DOWNLOAD MARK’S PLAN HERE

Alaskans don’t always agree on the best way to tackle a problem, but they know that our biggest accomplishments are achieved when everyone has a chance to participate in the discussion. Right now, it’s too easy for big spenders to drown out the voices of everyday Alaskans who don’t have millions of dollars to spend blanketing TV and radio with their views. Mark knows we need commonsense limits on campaign donations and spending, so that everyone has a chance to be heard. That’s why he voted this week to reverse the Supreme Court and give that power back to the people.

In a second term, Mark Begich will:

• Continue to push for passage of a constitutional amendment he’s cosponsored to restore authority to Congress, the states, and the American people to regulate campaign finance. Voters and elected officials must have the power to set commonsense limits on fundraising and campaign spending so that our representatives listen to voters, not donors.
• Fight to overturn Citizens United, so that corporations have to follow the same rules as real people.
• Oppose the nomination of anyone responsible for enforcing our campaign finance laws, no matter who nominates them or what political party they’re from, who isn’t fully committed to limiting money in politics and strongly punishing lawbreakers.

Increasing Transparency in Our Elections

The federal government could learn a few things from our campaign laws here in Alaska, which require more disclosure of who’s paying for advertisements and contributing to campaigns, both for politicians and independent expenditures. Voters want to know the sources of the information they’re getting so they can make better-informed decisions.

In a second term, Mark Begich will:

• Introduce and champion legislation requiring candidates to electronically file and post their Federal Election Commission (FEC) fundraising reports, as Begich has voluntarily done. Citizens should be able to instantly access and easily search this important information, and there’s no good reason to not require this commonsense step.
• Bring Alaska’s smart transparency requirements to the rest of the country;
• Candidates and independent expenditures must identify their top three contributors in their ads;
• Full reporting of all contributions over $50 for candidates or $100 for initiatives, including the donor’s name and who they work for;
• Strict contribution limits so that candidates have to appeal to as many constituents as possible.
• Fight to pass the DISCLOSE Act, which he has strongly supported since it was introduced. It’s a smart bill that would prohibit foreign influence in our elections and make it illegal for government contractors to spend money on elections, a clear opportunity for corruption.

Putting Teeth Into Campaign Finance Enforcement

Today, our campaign finance laws are in turmoil after the Supreme Court’s decisions removed many of the safeguards and anti-corruption measures established over decades. The Court is wrong: money isn’t speech, and corporations aren’t people. But even before these major changes, our laws simply weren’t up to the task of keeping politicians from constantly breaking the rules – penalties for campaign finance violations were, and still are, shockingly mild. A $100,000 fine from the FEC, sometimes years after a candidate breaks the law, is a slap on the wrist when the election has already been decided and there are millions in the bank.

In a second term, Mark Begich will:

• Introduce and push for legislation to crack down on violations of our election law. Drastically larger fines, swifter enforcement and decision-making from regulators, and criminal penalties for serious or repeated lawbreakers will make sure candidates take our laws seriously.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 09/12/2023
CONTACT: Max Croes — 907-570-2065

ANCHORAGE — Fishing industry leaders are speaking out against U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan’s refusal to attend a debate hosted by the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce. Sullivan’s campaign admitted “Sullivan does not have a prior commitment keeping him from the fisheries debate.” The debate is an Alaska tradition for statewide candidates dating back to 1990.

Alaska’s commercial fisheries are worth billions of dollars and are Alaska’s largest private employer. Sullivan’s unwillingness to debate raises serious questions about his understanding of a unique Alaska industry vital to life in Alaska’s coastal communities.

“Dan Sullivan’s refusal to debate Mark Begich at the Kodiak fisheries debate just proves he wants to represent the Koch brothers agenda, not the needs of Alaska’s coastal communities where fishing is the driving economic force and a way of life,” said Max Croes, Communications Director for Alaskans for Begich.

Robin Samuelsen, Chairman of Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation and a lifelong commercial fishermen:

“Personally, I am extremely disappointed that Dan Sullivan has decided to skip the Kodiak Fish Debate. How can fishermen trust Dan Sullivan if he won’t tell us where he stands on the issue that impact our jobs and our families.”

Chip Treinen, Vice President of United Fishermen of Alaska and a commercial fishermen:

“Mark Begich understands Alaskan fishermen, and has gone out of his way the past 6 years to listen to our concerns. Whether it’s re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act or Frankenfish, Mark Begich listens to Alaskans. That’s why it’s disappointing that Dan Sullivan won’t even debate.”

ANCHORAGE — Today, representatives from the Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA), National Association of Teachers- Alaska (NEA-Alaska), the Alaska Professional Fire Fighters Association (AKPFFA), and Alaska Public Employees Association (APEA) joined forces to speak out against Dan Sullivan’s record as attorney general and his ‘personal responsibility‘ for a lawsuit settlement costing Alaskans more than $2 billion and putting the Permanent Fund at risk.

Here’s some of what they had to say:

Jim Duncan, Executive Director of Alaska State Employees Association and former Commissioner of Administration:

“The decision to settle the matter and stop the court case from moving forward, cost the state billions of dollars. There is one person at fault for this decision to give up, our then attorney general, Dan Sullivan. This settlement for pennies on the dollar means the State of Alaska is on the hook for the debt to the retirement system caused by Mercer’s incompetence and Dan Sullivan shirking his duties to Alaskans. As the former commissioner of Administration, I can tell you that this failure to pursue our rightful claim against Mercer in court means that state and local revenues will be needed to cover this retirement debt, rather than paying for all the other needs of a growing population. It should also be noted, in Alaska, public employee pensions are contractual obligations protected by our state’s Constitution. If the retirement trust funds don’t have enough money available to make pension payments, other state assets like budget reserves or the Alaska Permanent Fund, may be tapped for that purpose. Dan Sullivan’s legacy as attorney general isn’t something he should be proud of. He cut a bad deal for ALL Alaskans when he let Mercer off the hook. Leaving the pension system deeply in debt is his legacy, and something that continues to cost us to this day.”

Ron Fuhrer, President of National Education Association-Alaska:

“The Sullivan - Mercer ad is teacher centric, but the issue affects a much larger group. Those groups are public servants and labor groups, teachers, police, fire fighters, and State of Alaska public employees. The more central concern is that this inconsequential settlement drastically shortchanged Alaska public employees. Do the math, the numbers simply don’t add up. $500 million versus $2.8 billion? The winners were Wall Street and not Alaska’s public employees. To tout 20 cents on the dollar a win is simply outrageous and offensive to Alaska’s hard working public employees. Implying the settlement in any way benefits Alaska’s teachers or Alaska public servant pensions when billions were left on the table is untrue. This settlement was simply a bad deal for Alaska.”

Tom Wescott, President of the Alaska Professional Fire Fighters Association:

“What’s the key thing to recognize here is that Dan Sullivan identified $2.8 billion in damages and we settled for $500 million, the state only got $400 million because lawyers took almost $100 million. That means $2.3 billion dollars is now the responsibility of the State of Alaska, when the damage was done by Mercer. Calling this a win is big stretch, I certainly wouldn’t thump my chest about this case if I guided that outcome. Sometimes it’s worth the fight and the time to put in it to do what’s right. In this case I think the easy way out was taken and now the State of Alaska on the hook for $2.3 billion dollars in damages that Mercer caused. On top of that, what’s key in Alaska, especially for my group, fire fighters don’t have a pension anymore because of this shortfall. On top of that, fire fighters don’t participate in social security, we’re a unique group, teachers also are right there with us, we’re unique in all the U.S. No defined benefit pension and no social security. You can’t find that anywhere else in the country. And now because of this shortfall that’s where we stand today.”

Peggy Wilcox of APEA/AFT:

“Dan Sullivan settled the Mercer lawsuit on the backs of thousands of hardworking Alaskans. His decision to settle cost Alaskans over $2 billion and he paid almost $100 million of the settlement to an Outside law firm. When you take actions like that, you send a clear message that your loyalties are not with Alaska.”

###