Alaska Report carried this image Tuesday evening. Myrl Thompson and Aaron Selbig in the KUDO-AM Progressive Talk Radio station studio. Apparently, they were playing the tape which came into their hands of a couple of Anchorage Assembly members breaking the law.Local media resources, already sorely stretched as the legislative session draws toward denouement, jumped on this as best they could. The Alaska Report is going to interview Selbig. The Anchorage Daily News has now posted an article about it on their blog, but not as a "real" news item. Yet. KTUU-TV gave it prominence this evening:
The Alaska Public Offices Commission is launching an investigation into the actions of two Anchorage Assembly members.
The campaign watchdog agency says it's basing its probe on a recording aired by radio station KUDO Tuesday afternoon.
In the recording, Assembly Chair Dan Coffey and Assemblyman Bill Starr allegedly talk about handing out cash for other Assembly candidates.
Starr and Traini are backpedalling better than Mark Begich confronting Ray Metcalfe. They've now registered as deputy treasurers for the campaigns concerned, and probably expect that their knowledge of how deep in doo-doo the rest of the assembly and city administration are will keep the retributive forces from winding down their self-serving political aspirations soon.
Progressive Alaska is paying tribute to Aaron here for having the courage to bring this up immediately - and forcefully.
The corruption in the MOA structure is deep and long-seated. I'll pay another tribute to Aaron, Shannyn and CC if they'll go out - while on the air - with Ray Metcalfe, and take the tour of Anchorage real estate deals prominent Alaska politicians have brokered for their buddies and themselves, that Ray provided for Patti Higgins and Kay Brown a few weeks ago.
Update - Wednesday 7:00 a.m: Linda Kellen Biegel has analyzed the tape at her blog, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis. I find her analysis to be more accurate and authoritative than the mish-mash touted as "transcript," now posted as a web-based article at the Anchorage Daily News. I've also added Linda's blog to the Progressive Alaska Blogs category here.
5 comments:
Thanks so much for the boost!
Linda
I'm surprised how well-hidden your GREAT blog is. Now that I've found it, I'll be reading it a lot.
Jim McDermott, D-Wash had an 'accidental cell phone recording once. It somehow found it's way into the public arena.. And he has been in hot water ever since..
The adn says this too is a accidentally recorded phone call.
Is this true..?
Patti Higgins went on a tour with Ray Metcalfe ?
She's a real estate agent too, I'm not sure what the point is here.
anon,
Ask Patti. Duh....?
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