August 14, 2008

State of Alaska Files Criminal Charges Against Lobbyist

Reed is a Lisa Murkowski backer

The State of Alaska has filed criminal charges against Ashley Reed, a longtime lobbyist, alleging that he knowingly failed to file timely reports under the Regulation of Lobbying Act, AS 24.45.151. The Act requires lobbyists to file reports with the Alaska Public Offices Commission disclosing their lobbying activities, compensation, disbursements and expenditures. These reports are required to be filed by certain dates and to disclose lobbying information for defined periods. During legislative sessions the law requires a report to be filed for each month the legislature is in session so that updated and ongoing disclosures regarding legislative lobbying are available to the public. When the legislature is not in session disclosures are required on a quarterly basis. The reports, when filed with the Commission, become public records available for inspection and copying. The State has alleged that Mr. Reed has a history of filing late reports and, despite the imposition of civil penalties by the Commission, he continues to be substantially late with his disclosure reports.

The criminal charges, filed in the District Court in Juneau , are misdemeanor offenses and are each punishable by a fine of up to $1000, imprisonment up to one year, or both. The charging documents allege that Mr. Reed did not file his 2007 3rd Quarter report, due October 31, 2007 until January 23, 2008 and that he was from three to six weeks beyond the statutory deadline with his four (4) 2008 legislative session reports, one for each month the legislature is in session. Additional counts allege the failure to file the June 2008 special session lobbyist report and the 2008 2nd Quarter lobbyist report by July 31, 2008, the statutory deadline for these reports.

A summons has been issued by the District Court in Juneau requiring Mr. Reed to appear for arraignment on these charges on August 28, 2008 at 1:15 p.m.

From a State of Alaska press release