By SUZANNE DOWNING
Feb. 22, 2026 – The arrest of Craig Scott Valdez at the Juneau airport as he was reportedly preparing to travel to Washington, DC, for some event, was an ugly news item on Friday.
Staffer in Alaska Capitol arrested on serious child porn charges
But it is a flashing red warning light for the Alaska Young Republicans and, by extension, the Republican Party brand in this state.
Valdez, a 36-year-old legislative staffer and now-former president of Anchorage Young Republicans, now faces federal charges including sex trafficking of children, sexual exploitation of children (production of child pornography), coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt of child pornography. According to federal court filings, prosecutors allege he used Snapchat to groom and exploit underage girls. He is being held at Lemon Creek Correctional Facility pending further proceedings.
No matter what the outcome of his case, the rest of his life will be very, very difficult. While he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, the charges themselves are devastating.
Even more devastating is that he was not arrested by Anchorage police, even after an intoxicated 13-year-old girl was reportedly found in his house in October, according to the federal indictment.
Criminal behavior is bad enough. Allegations involving the exploitation of children are the worst of the worst. There is nothing partisan about protecting children. There is no spin that softens that reality.
And yet, this incident does not exist in a vacuum. Some have worried about the Alaska Young Republicans for years. There are some in the Alaska Republican Party who have been warning that the culture of the YRs, as they are known, is antithetical to the values of the Republican Party.
Just weeks ago, concerns were raised publicly about the culture surrounding some younger legislative staffers and activists in Juneau, including members of the Alaska YRs. Stories of heavy partying, blurred boundaries, toxic dynamics, and retaliatory treatment toward whistleblowers were dismissed by some as gossip or exaggeration.
Then came this arrest. Maybe the whistleblower whose life was turned upside down last month after calling out the culture was right, after all? Is there more to come that we don’t know about?
Juneau’s open secret: The Capitol culture of mutually assured destruction
When someone connected to that tight orbit is indicted on charges this severe while he was heading to a Young Republican national event in Washington, DC to represent other young Republicans, the questions get even harder. The soul searching must be deeper.
This is far beyond the rumors of late-night bar tabs or the legislative “party house” blocks from the Capitol. This comes down to the credibility of the entire organization.
The Republican Party brands itself, rightly, as the party of family values, law and order, and personal responsibility. It’s a good platform. Voters expect that those values start at home. If a young adult organization associated with the party is perceived as emulating a frat-house, giving in to reckless behavior, or cultivating a culture where accountability is absent, that hypocrisy will not go unnoticed.
And it won’t just hurt the Young Republicans. It will hurt candidates up and down the ballot who have nothing to do with any of it. This kind of criminal behavior is what turns people away from political parties altogether, because they can’t stand the hypocrisy.
Most Young Republicans are hardworking, idealistic young adults who want to be involved in public policy. Many volunteer countless hours for campaigns, knock doors in bad weather, and genuinely believe in conservative principles.
To pivot for a moment: Organizations in crisis have two options: Defensiveness or transparency.
If the Alaska Young Republicans want to restore credibility, they need to conduct an independent review of leadership and governance practices, adopt and publicly enforce a strict code of conduct, establish clear policies regarding alcohol abuse in public, housing arrangements during session, and interactions between members and minors, and create protected channels for whistleblowers.
Anything less will look like damage control.
The Alaska GOP has worked hard to rebuild momentum in recent years. It cannot afford to let a culture problem among its younger ranks undermine that progress.
One man’s alleged crimes? We’ll leave that to a jury to decide.
But when it is part of a known culture of partying and loose morals, then this becomes a question whether the organization surrounding him — the broader party structure — takes seriously the moral responsibility that comes with claiming the mantle of family values and public trust. There are some in the party who have been admonished for bringing up these concerns.
The first job is to admit there is a frat-boy problem.
If the Alaska Young Republicans want to remain relevant, and if the Republican Party wants to protect its brand, now is the time for soul-searching, structural reform, and accountability.
Because the alternative is worse. Much worse.
Suzanne Downing is the founder and editor of The Alaska Story and is a longtime Alaskan.
25 thoughts on “The Alaska Young Republicans have a crisis, and it’s bigger than one arrest”
I’d go a step deeper into the parent AKGOP, the lead group, that its more aged members put a mirror in front of yourselves. Because at the end of the day who is elevated, encouraged, and promoted rove a Young Republican comes from the advice of those from the AKGOP.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
When the “children” are immoral, it’s good bet the parents are just as immoral or even more immoral and wicked.
For the AKGOP chair, vice chair, committee, and district groups and grassroot groups, you can’t know what is the right and moral action or discernment of people when you don’t know the Word of God.
I’d suggest pick up your bibles, brush off the dust off of those dusty bibles (reading them with a solid bible teacher), and start making time to go to church again.
If Rep Rauscher had any discernment, he would had seen straight through his former staffer and never hired him. When you have God’s Word in your life, it’s like you have X-Ray eyes, you can see straight through people right to their heart.
Senator Rauscher was blind sided. Truly such sickness flies below the radar well. We had an elder in our church decades ago and no one had a clue. No one would have suspected. Until he was arrested, charged and tried. Senator Rauscher is very discerning, and a wonderful public servant. Don’t put this on him.
Amen! The truth!
Tina says: When the “children” are immoral, it’s good bet the parents are just as immoral or even more immoral and wicked
Painting with a pretty broad brush, there Tina. An alternative explanation would be that public education successfully changed the perp’s worldview and he got into the business of making poor choices.
One thing about conservatives (and most Republicans) is the notion of personal responsibility. Blaming this on the parents or the greater Republican Party is a return to the totalitarian “sins of the father” world. No surprise you’re going there, though. Cheers –
By the way
Upon Wasilla its Value Village I saw yesterday there are three (3!) Every Man’s Battle books plus a workbook waiting for three men who are tired of struggling in the shackles of sexual addiction
I’d suggest men of Alaska humble themselves and go get help before you too end up in jail and life Forces you to fade the problem you didn’t think was a problem.
Besides the Every Man’s Battle series, Mountain City Church has a Tuesday Men’s group that meets at its main location and sexual addiction group meeting at its Debarr location
Good to know Tina. That is a very good program.
As the AIP fades away, perhaps a new Conservative Party of Alaska can form to embrace those who cannot tolerate the uni-party. I’ve been un-affiliated since just after the 1978 election; I’ve voted my conscience in every election (save one primary) since, and I have voted for Rs, (1) D, several Ls, and a few Is. Not always happy with the results even when my candidate wins. Let your conscience be your guide.
Creating a New party Waste too much time. The Republican Party is already set.
Work with what we already have. So we don’t lose any time.
Just as more conservative, Christian, and true republican neighbors need to attend their neighborhood community councils and start serving. The members we akready have need to step up and get involved with not only their community council but also their Republican dustruct groups and rising up God allowance to replace the current district presidents and yes replacing the current GOP Chair!!
Again I repeat myself Conservative and Christian Republicans DO NOT have the time to organize a New party group While AK Democrats are Advancing and very quickly about to have total domination over Alaska
“This incident does not exist in a vacuum.”
Indeed. It’s absurd to tag this as a problem of Alaska Young Republicans exclusively. This trickles down from the top, as we’re seeing with the daily deluge of disgustingness coming from the Epstein files and the Trump Administration’s endless efforts to cover up the crimes revealed. The Republican Party stopped being the party of family values when it ceased to call out Trump. This outlet has no standing to moralize abouat a local incident when its silence about the Trump-Epstein mess is part of the problem.
Kelsey, don’t forget to take your daily “TDS” meds, you might need an extra dose today. Irony abounds with you since the files and evidence point towards Trump being against Epstein. But what really must burn your soul is knowing so many of your democrat heroes were intimately involved with the epstein evil. Bad people in both parties? No question. But your sole focus on Trump and the right makes it painfully clear you’re just another partisan leftist hack and always have been. You never attack the left considering how much debauchery and corrupt behavior we see from them including recent examples in Alaska. Show a shred of intellectual honesty and call out the plethora of bad actors on “your” side of the aisle and maybe people would take your comments a little more seriously. SMH.
The basic rule: ” undeclared” or ” non partisan” means ” stealth Democrat”
Except for my husband. Our party is not conservative enough for him. Hence undeclared. 😆 He actually simply dislikes politics, but has never missed an election. I was a Republican in the womb.
Chuck, I assume you are referring to candidates here. I’ve been registered undeclared for many years as have a lot of conservative voters. When it comes to candidates, I agree with your statement 100%.
The Republican Party isn’t the party of family values and law and order, it’s the party of sex obsession and repression. Just like in the church, the Republican Party is riddled with people who use the anti-sex (anti-abortion, anti-contraception, anti-LGBTQ, anti-trans, anti-permissiveness) doctrine of the party as a tool of control over *themselves* and their repressed guilt about their sexual proclivities and urges. With alarming regularity, this control fails. This isn’t all Republicans, of course, but it’s a problem that only the Republican party has.
“This isn’t all Republicans, of course, but it’s a problem that only the Republican party has.”
From this statement it is very clear that you so not give a fig about the victims or the crimes for that matter. This should be non-partisan. It is telling that Suzanne LaFrance’s election official accused of the same heinous conduct has conveniently disappeared from the news…. Amplifying the crime in some and ignoring it in others based on an agenda, is destructive to our community and society.
Pretending that the other party has no problem, is clean as the wind-driven snow and has no sexual deviants is laughable but sad as it does nothing to solve the problem. So I do not give a fig what your political persuasion is. You abuse others, especially kids, you need to get arrested, tried and go to prison.
I have the expectation that both parties clean house and demand standards of behavior and refer depravity to the appropriate authorities.
Taxpayer you nailed it. He’s just a leftist shill that screams from the mountain tops anytime there’s a misstep from someone on the right. Since he hates Christianity so much I will use an applicable quote from Jesus, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”
I was going to say the same thing. The pedos look for the spot they will be able to operate-and anywhere shame and repression are the norm they will find plenty of victims.
Child exploitation is far beyond immaturity and loose morals. It also transcends politics. Mr. Valdez is deeply troubled, if he is indeed guilty, and it has nothing to do with his politics, nor the rest of the staff and legislator he worked with. As expected some will try to make such behavior reflective of party but there are plenty documented cases showing this sickness is on both sides of the isle. Child exploitation is extreme sexual addiction and I would go so far as to label it demonic. Immature legislative staff partying it up, while cringe worthy, is far removed from such sexual evil.
Anti Christian, anti republican, anti anything with moral values. Moore you support nothing other than leftist ideology and the failure of society that follows a breakdown of the family, social structure and underpinnings of civility which the values of the right are based upon. People fail all the time, including lawlessness and debauchery. Your side of the aisle, which you appear to ignore quite willfully, is FAR more off the deep end of bad behavior. Because people failed to uphold solid values doesn’t mean the values are wrong. By that logic, your side of the aisle is significantly more out of the bounds of a moral and civil society than the “right”.
Suzanne, your points are well taken. An organization that can embrace integrity can truly accomplish much! As Melania Trump encourages, “Be your best”. It definitely cannot hurt and will certainly help to promote a moral society.
What a great article Suzanne!!! There’s nothing more embarrassing than to have a member of your own family or party being accused of wrongdoing. It’s amazing what one bad apple does to the whole basket. I have to ask, Suzanne, do you ever take a day off just to rest up for what’s to come?
This is just pure bloviating when all 3 of Alaska’s federal representatives repeatedly voted to protect rich pedophiles. It sounds to me like the republican party is rotten from the top down. The kids just aren’t as good at hiding it.
If we’re comparing notes then you must also agree the democrat party is rotten from the top down?
A side by side comparison of statements, actions, arrests, Epstein File associations, etc paints a pretty clear picture of democrats and leftists vs, republicans and conservatives.
Both have bad actors but one side has demonstrably shown us they are the party of lawlessness. The democrat party of today seems to abhor the rule of law, Christians, Jews, America, the west, you name it.
Spare us the performative selective outrage.
This is the tip of the iceberg. Children are no longer protected by the adults who have an obligation to protect them. Money, pleasure, pride, and fitting in with the corrupt crowd are way more important than integrity and good measure. I should know, as a teacher who has come out to expose the unhealthy schools that are causing illness to students and staff across Alaska. I and at least 4 other colleagues have had to resign or retire since 2023, with at least one more this year that I currently know of. The one I know this year is being monitored very closely for being environmentally poisoned, which her blood work has confirmed is happening. A couple weeks ago parents were posting that their children were asking them to be picked up from a local high school because for two days they were exposed to sewer gases due to a pipe breaking and they couldn’t concentrate and were gagging. Sewer Gas smell in a school is an immediate evacuation. I predicted staff and students getting sick for at least a month after this incident.
High levels of sewer gas exposure which occasionally occurs during manual scavenging leads to loss of smell, throat and eye irritation and congestion in eyes, mental depression (>500 ppm), seizures, coma, and even death immediately (>1000 ppm).
Just yesterday, I found out that another student from this High School with a high rate of suicide has ended their life so prematurely. Mental depression is listed as a side effect of sewer gas poisoning. Now we will never know because parents aren’t aware of monitoring their children’s blood for environmental poisoning. I want to see this sadness end. I want to get off the insanity hamster wheel of throwing money at the same programs and institutions that are claiming to make a difference. I want the The Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act to pass with funding revoked for schools that don’t pass a 3rd party inspection.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5123
Indoor Air in schools can have 100 times more contaminants than outdoor air. I would encourage people to check out Change the Air Foundation for truthful information and testimonials from those harmed by misinformation and gaslighting about our buildings. https://changetheairfoundation.org/. If you’re interested in my story, I am Interview #79 on the Never Been Sicker Podcast. When the truth is revealed, which it will be, there will be a whole lot of people implicated in spreading misinformation that harmed others.