Libby Dalton: Sen. Kawasaki using public resources to campaign violates the law

By LIBBY DALTON

Using public resources for campaign purposes isn’t a technicality—it violates the law.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner’s October 15 editorial, “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down” minimizes a legitimate ethics violation by Sen. Scott Kawasaki that deserves far more serious treatment.

According to the Alaska Legislature’s Select Committee on Legislative Ethics (Case S 24-01, decision dated October 6, 2025), Senator Kawasaki violated Alaska Statute 24.60.030(a)(5) and (c). These laws explicitly prohibit a legislator from using “state funds, facilities, equipment, services, or another government resource for political fundraising or campaign purposes,” and from requiring or permitting a legislative employee to perform “campaign or partisan political activities on government time.”

During the 60-day pre-election blackout period and up until just a few days before the 2024 primary, Sen. Kawasaki’s state-paid staff members went door-to-door during normal business hours through Fairbanks neighborhoods. They distributed materials that promoted the senator’s “interim office opening” as well as a “Picnic in the Park” campaign-style event. The ethics panel noted that, “…its promotion on Kawasaki’s campaign Facebook page, managed by “Friends of Scott Kawasaki,” effectively turned the event into a campaign gathering funded with state resources.”

The final ruling by the ethics committee states: “The committee determined that Senator Kawasaki, whether intentionally or not, violated the provisions of AS 24.60.030(a)(5) of the Ethics Act by using state funds for political fund raising or campaigning. Sen. Kawasaki violated AS 24.60.030(c) by printing and distributing mass mailings, as noted above, during a campaign period. A mass mailing is considered to be political if it is from or about a legislator, who is a candidate for election or reelection to the legislature. A campaign period begins 60 days before a primary election and ends the day after the general election.”

Sen. Kawasaki claimed to the committee that the rules didn’t apply to him because he believed he was running unopposed. To which the committee replied, “the restrictions stipulated in AS 24.60.030(a)(5) and (c) apply to legislators running for a legislative seat whether running unopposed or opposed.”  Furthermore, when questioned by the media after the ruling Kawasaki said, “it’s just sort of disappointing to have this be said and politicized, and then it becomes a potential issue in the future campaign. It was a technical violation and I think it was unfairly weaponized against us just because of who we were running against.”

These aren’t “technicalities.” They are the very boundaries that separate legislative work from campaign activity. Alaska’s ethics statutes exist to prevent incumbents from using public funds or staff time to gain electoral advantage. As an almost 2-decade member of the Alaska State legislature, Sen. Kawasaki knows the rules. When those rules are broken, it undermines fairness in elections and diminishes public trust.

By calling this ethics ruling an example of “weaponized complaints,” the News-Miner editorial dismisses both the committee’s bipartisan process and the principle that elected officials should be held accountable. Oversight isn’t a weapon—it’s a safeguard that protects honest governance.

The ethics committee’s decision was clear: the conduct occurred, and it violated the law. That no penalty was imposed is troubling enough. But what’s worse is to see such a finding brushed off as political theater. These aren’t technical violations or minor infractions. His actions clearly violated the law.

One thing the News-Miner did get right is stating that “ethics laws exist to protect public integrity, not to serve as ammunition in political skirmishes.”  Fairbanks residents—and all Alaskans—deserve higher ethical standards from their elected officials and more responsible commentary from their local press.

Libby Dalton is a resident of Fairbanks.