Skulduggery by Nenana Creative Arts

that, or ineptitude. Alaskans for Clean Elections just sent out a press release regarding some dirty tricks perpetrated by the Don Young campaign via an Anchorage sign vendor, Nenana Creative Arts, owned by Joseph Law. It seems that canvassers hired by the company were given flyers bashing Ethan Berkowitz (Young's Democratic contender) that had a disclaimer on it that said "Paid for by Alaskans for Clean Elections." Well, er, actually, the flyers were paid for by the Young campaign. Nenana Creative Arts, which apparently has been involved in dodgy shenanigans before, was paid $6,403 for signs and sign placement by Young's campaign.

Alaskans for Clean Elections is NOT pleased: they are nonpartisan, and state categorically that "AFCE had no part in, nor does the group participate in partisan campaign activities." They are quite probably going to file an FEC complaint (the flyer was not only fraudulent in claiming who paid for it, it had no contact address on it, as required by federal law).

It really would make no sense for Alaskans for Clean Elections to support any given candidate, as it would hurt their credibility as a nonpartisan campaign finance reform group. But it would certainly give a veneer of credibility to be endorsed by them. Briefly. Until anybody with half a brain figured it out that a partisan hit piece would most certainly not be instigated or paid for by a group working to clean up campaigns.

Progressive Alaska has a bit more information on this. The best bit is that the flyer, which talks about how Berkowitz received some money from VECO, naturally does not say that Don Young received 116 times as much from them as did Mr. B.