Master of deflection

Donald Trump refuses to actually reveal the sexual predators in the Epstein files, preferring to disclose the victims‘ identities instead. Our Master of Deflection began  an unlawful encroachment in the Caribbean; threatens to invade Greenland or reclaim the Panama Canal. His newest offering is the potential release of the UFO files. All of this is to divert our attention from the Epstein files and the approximately $4.5 billion his family has earned / extorted since the inauguration. Our Ship of State is lurching from corruption to increasing chaos while he still finds the time to take the Rule of Law and line  the bottom of the parakeet’s cage with it.

Michael A. LeMay

Veterans for Peace


Rep. McCabe should avoid conflict of interest in Vance ethics case

Dear Members of the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics:  

Pursuant to the mission of the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics, AS 24.60, it is incumbent upon each of you to ensure there are no conflicts of interest or even the appearance of conflicts of interests when you deliberate, and to avoid any breach of the integrity of the committee’s mission.

  

I draw your attention to two publications by Representative Kevin McCabe, a member of your committee:  

Who watches the watchers? Alaska legislators are right to challenge media bias  Who Watches the Watchers? Legislators’ Free Speech and the Duty to Challenge the Media

The first article was published in the Alaska Watchman; the second publication of what appears to be the same article was published in Representative McCabe’s Substack.  

Rep. McCabe, in two forums, appears to be a strong defender of Rep. Sarah Vance’s use of Alaska Legislative letterhead and her Alaska Legislative Facebook account for a nonlegislative duty.


  

While I agree Ms. Vance has a constitutional right to free speech, I do not agree that she has a constitutional right to use Alaska Legislative resources to make reputational and economic threats.  Instead of using her own personal individual stationary to exercise her free speech, she used Alaska Legislative letterhead and her Legislative Facebook account to threaten economic and reputational harm to the corporate offices of both the Peninsula Clarion and Homer News.  She did not express her constitutionally protected views to the Editors of those two newspapers in her personal capacity using her personal resources.  

Rep. McCabe clearly defends her actions, and in my opinion, should not participate in any way on any of the complaints against Rep. Vance.  

Very truly yours,

Landa B. Baily