By SUZANNE DOWNING
May 9, 2026 – Anchorage Assembly member George Martinez, a former New York City activist associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement before relocating to Alaska, has been ordered to pay thousands of dollars after Alaska Public Offices Commission staff concluded he improperly used campaign funds for a whirlwind trip to Florida and related “green travel” expenses.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Anchorage resident Vickie Clay, who alleged Martinez improperly used campaign money during his successful 2026 reelection campaign for the Anchorage Assembly. APOC staff found that while Martinez properly disclosed the expenditures on campaign reports, the spending itself did not reasonably relate to campaign activity.
According to the APOC staff report dated May 5, Martinez spent $1,255.70 in campaign funds on an Alaska Airlines ticket for a rapid round-trip journey from Anchorage to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, departing Dec. 30, 2025. The itinerary showed Martinez arriving in Fort Lauderdale at 5:40 p.m. and departing back to Anchorage just 63 minutes later, without enough time to even leave the secured airport area.
The next day, Martinez used another $1,000 in campaign money for a purchase through Chooose, Inc., a climate technology company tied to Alaska Airlines’ sustainable aviation fuel program. The purchase generated 1,500 airline status points credited to Martinez’s personal Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account.
Martinez told APOC investigators the trip was related to “campaign-related strategic planning, including development of campaign policy, messaging, and overall campaign strategy.”
He also defended the $1,000 carbon-offset purchase as part of his campaign’s “Certified Green Travel” platform, saying the expenditure reflected a broader commitment to offset emissions from campaign-related travel.
APOC staff was unconvinced.
“Without details or documentation, staff does not find Respondent’s explanation credible,” the report states. “Staff finds it more likely than not that Respondent’s $1,255 expenditure for his out-and-back trip to Ft. Lauderdale was not related to his Anchorage Municipal campaign.”
The report further noted that even if the trip had been campaign-related, the $1,000 sustainable aviation fuel purchase far exceeded what would normally be needed to offset emissions from the flight. APOC staff calculated that the maximum offset for the trip would have been roughly $150 each way, far less than the amount Martinez spent.
Investigators also took issue with Martinez initially denying that he had received any personal benefit from the transaction, before later acknowledging that airline status points had been credited to his personal account.
Martinez’s campaign materials submitted to APOC included endorsements from The Alaska Center and screenshots of his campaign website promoting a “Certified Green Travel” pledge to offset campaign-related emissions through sustainable aviation fuel and other environmental initiatives.
APOC staff recommended Martinez reimburse his campaign $2,255.70 and pay an additional civil penalty, for a combined total of $4,511.40.
Martinez, who won reelection to the Anchorage Assembly in April, previously lived in New York City and participated in Occupy Wall Street activism before moving to Anchorage, where he has continued progressive political organizing and advocacy work.
One thought on “Assemblyman Martinez fined over campaign spending on Florida trip, carbon credits”
Power corrupts the heart. It’s what happens when one party gets a monopoly, its leadership think they are invincible and no one will really care what they do because they have the majority.