Fighting Corruption
While serving in the Alaska State House, Harry urged the Alaska Public Offices Commission and Attorney General to take more aggressive action against VECO, and the candidates helped by illegal VECO activity, for a broad array of illegal political activities.
APOC declined to take meaningful action in pursuing VECO campaign donations, claiming that it is limited by a one-year statute of limitations.
Harry, along with Rep. Les Gara, argued that the statute of limitations did not apply since the activities were criminal in nature and, under Alaska law, criminal violations of Alaska’s campaign laws are subject to a five-year statute of limitations.
“Investigating VECO is only the beginning as far as I’m concerned. The people who accepted these illegal bribes are equally culpable, and I won’ t be satisfied until the political system in Alaska is cleaned up – inside and out.” – Rep. Harry Crawford
Crawford and Gara also argued that the extent of VECO’s violations went well beyond illegally paying for political polls. The State should also determine which candidates knew they were benefiting from VECO’s illegal campaign donations – conduct for which the public deserves an answer.
VECO also used corporate money to pay for campaign fundraisers and to compensate its executives for campaign contributions they made – essentially resulting in direct campaign donations from VECO to Republican candidates.
Gara and Crawford asked APOC and the Attorney General for a full investigation of VECO’s illegal political activity and a prosecution for any crimes the company committed. The two Democratic legislators sponsored legislation last year that now makes it illegal to bribe legislators with campaign contributions. Prior to the passage of that bill, bribery was against federal law, but not against Alaska law.
