Judge allows effort to recall Alaska governor to proceed

Source: Associated Press

Becky Bohrer, Associated Press
Updated 6:35 pm CST, Friday, January 10, 2020

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska judge ruled Friday that an effort to recall Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy may proceed, a decision that is expected to be appealed.

The decision from the bench by Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth in Anchorage followed arguments in the case and came two months after Gail Fenumiai, director of the state Division of Elections, rejected a bid to advance the recall effort.

Fenumiai has said her decision was based on an opinion from Attorney General Kevin Clarkson that found the reasons listed for recall were "factually and legally deficient."

The Recall Dunleavy group has argued that Clarkson's analysis was overreaching and the recall effort should be allowed to move to a second, signature-gathering phase. The state Department of Law has said the group's claims lack specificity or fail to explain how the alleged conduct resulted in consequences justifying recall.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Judge-allows-effort-to-recall-Alaska-governor-to-14965877.php

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Exclusive: Controversial mining company coached Alaska's governor to lobby White House
By Curt Devine, Scott Bronstein and Drew Griffin, CNN
Updated 2:08 PM ET, Fri December 20, 2019



(CNN)A mining company secretly collaborated with the governor of Alaska to lobby the Trump administration to move forward with a mining project that Environmental Protection Agency scientists warned could devastate the world's most valuable wild salmon habitat, according to newly released emails obtained by CNN.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy's office was given detailed talking points, ghostwritten letters and advice on lobbying strategies by Pebble Limited Partnership executives, emails show. Dunleavy and his office then used that material, sometimes adopting the company's language word for word, in an effort that culminated in President Donald Trump promising favorable action on the mine, according to emails.

One striking example of the governor using Pebble's language is an official letter Dunleavy sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in April about the length of a public comment period on the mine's draft environment impact statement.

The emails show that Dunleavy's letter was a verbatim copy of a draft sent to his aide by Pebble's chief of staff, except for a few phrases.

More:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/19/politics/pebble-mine-alaska-governor-controversy-invs/index.html