House Rep. David Eastman of Wasilla filed a complaint with the Alaska Public Offices Commission against two House representatives on Aug. 15.
The complaint alleges that House representatives Gabrielle LeDoux of Anchorage and Paul Seaton of Homer attempted to obscure the origins of campaign donations by allegedly funneling money from their political action committees into their campaigns. APOC rejected the complaint Monday.
Eastman claims that Seaton and LeDoux made a series of illegal contributions to each other’s campaigns between 2016 and 2018.
LeDoux has dismissed the complaint as a “distraction,” and Seaton says he uses his PAC, the Sustain Alaska Fund, to help candidates across the state, not just LeDoux.
“I helped numerous people across the state that are good candidates and that want to get a sustainable fiscal plan, but none of it comes to my campaign,” Seaton said.
Eastman did not respond to a request for comment in time for this story. In a letter sent to Eastman Monday, APOC said that he had provided no evidence that the eight transactions in question amounted to any violations and that all contributors and those who received contributions lawfully reported the transactions.
Between 2016 and 2018, LeDoux’s PAC, Common Sense Conservatives, donated $3,000 to Seaton’s campaign, and Seaton’s PAC contributed $2,000 to LeDoux’s campaign. Both PACS also contributed $1,000 to each other in 2016.