APOC complaint filed against Anchorage Assembly hip-hop candidate George Martinez over campaign spending disclosures

By SUZANNE DOWNING

March 15, 2026 – A formal complaint filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission alleges that Anchorage Assembly candidate George Martinez failed to properly disclose campaign expenditures in his 2026 campaign finance filings with the agency.

Martinez, who moved to Anchorage after being an “Occupy Wall Street” political activist in New York City, serves on the Anchorage Assembly.

The complaint was submitted by Anchorage resident Vickie Clay and asks the state’s campaign finance watchdog to investigate two expenditures reported in Martinez’s campaign disclosures.

Martinez, who is running for reelection to the District 5 seat on the Anchorage Assembly, reported approximately $11,327 in campaign income and $5,633 in expenditures in his Year Start Report covering activity through early February.

The complaint alleges that two transactions, totaling about $2,255, were reported in a way that may violate Alaska campaign finance disclosure laws.

The first issue raised in the complaint involves a $1,255.70 payment to Alaska Airlines listed in the campaign report with the description “travel.”

According to the complaint, Alaska law requires campaigns to provide enough detail about expenditures for regulators and the public to determine whether the expense is directly related to campaign activity.

The filing argues that the description “travel” does not provide sufficient information to determine the purpose of the trip, who traveled, or whether the expense was connected to campaign activities such as fundraising or events.

Campaign finance rules require candidates to disclose the vendor, amount, date, and purpose of campaign expenditures with enough detail to demonstrate they were legitimate campaign expenses.

The second expenditure flagged in the complaint is a $1,000 payment to a company identified in Martinez’s report as “Choose Inc.”, described as a promotional or advertising expense.

The complaint argues the company appears to be a climate-technology firm that provides carbon-offset and sustainable aviation fuel credit programs for airline passengers rather than a traditional advertising vendor.

Supporting materials attached to the complaint reference Alaska Airlines’ partnership with the company, which allows travelers to purchase credits that offset emissions from flights.

The complaint questions whether the payment was actually related to the Alaska Airlines travel expense rather than campaign advertising.

It also notes that the address listed in the campaign filing for the company differs from corporate records for the firm in Florida.

The complaint cites several provisions of Alaska campaign finance law, including statutes requiring candidates to accurately disclose campaign expenditures and prohibiting the use of campaign funds for personal benefit.

Clay asks APOC to investigate the transactions, require Martinez to amend any inaccurate disclosures, and impose penalties if violations are found.

When a complaint is filed with APOC, the commission reviews the filing to determine whether it falls within its jurisdiction. If accepted, investigators may request documentation from the campaign, including receipts, invoices, and explanations for the expenditures.

Cases often end with amended reports or clarification of campaign filings. Although civil penalties may be imposed if violations are confirmed, although not often with Democrat candidates, who are treated differently. Martinez describes himself as a hip-hop political pioneer whose single “Occupation Freedom” was the anthem for the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City.