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Complainant says ethics filing was shared; committee approves new confidentiality language for complaint form
Summary
A public commenter told the Alaska Legislative Ethics Committee his confidential complaint was shown to supporters and led to antisemitic harassment. The committee, after discussing the issue in executive session, approved revised complaint-form language requiring complainant confidentiality throughout the process.
A man who filed a confidential ethics complaint told the Alaska State Legislature's Select Committee on Legislative Ethics on Aug. 15 that the legislator he accused showed his confidential complaint to supporters, which led to online harassment and an antisemitic private message. Chair Deb Fancher said the committee would address the matter in executive session.
The complaint and the message: During the public-comment period, Ivan Hodes told the committee he filed a confidential complaint alleging violations of the Ethics Act by Representative David Eastman and provided his contact information under assurances it would remain confidential. Hodes said Representative Eastman publicly displayed Hodes’s complaint and personal information to supporters, and that one supporter messaged Hodes: “What’s wrong Jew? Did those kike complaints not work out for you? Too bad it takes an ethical person to complain about ethics, lying Jew.”
Why it matters: Hodes asked for a public apology and clearer notice to complainants that another party — the subject of a complaint who has waived confidentiality for their own materials — may disclose information that could lead to harassment.
Committee action and form revision: The committee moved into executive session to consider confidential matters and later returned to public session, where Chair Fancher announced the dismissal of Complaint J 24-03 at the preliminary stage and that the dismissal would remain confidential. Separately, after discussion, the committee approved revised complaint-form language that requires a person filing a complaint to keep both the fact of filing and the contents of the complaint confidential during the entire complaint process, “regardless of whether the subject waives confidentiality.” Senator David Wilson’s motion to adopt the revised wording passed by roll call, 9-0.
Context and next steps: Committee members said they would circulate the dismissal for review and make the revised complaint form available (with timing to account for the campaign period per Representative Sara Hannan’s request). Chair Fancher said the committee would discuss Hodes’s specific allegations in executive session. The committee did not publicly announce any investigative findings about the alleged disclosure beyond Hodes’s statement and the committee’s plan to consider the matter behind closed doors per statute.
— Reporting from the Alaska State Legislature Select Committee on Legislative Ethics meeting on Aug. 15, 2024.
