The state’s campaign finance regulator has fined an Anchorage Assembly member more than $5,000 for allegedly violating campaign disclosure laws.
Anchorage resident Vickie Clay filed a complaint with the Alaska Public Offices Commission against Assembly Member George Martinez in March alleging that Martinez had improperly listed campaign expenses. The expenses included an Airlines Airlines flight Martinez took to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and a $1,000 donation he made to Chooose Inc., a company that works in offsetting carbon emissions from air travel. The combined expenses totaled over $2,200.
In a hearing with APOC commissioners in early June, Martinez claimed he used the flight time as a campaign planning session, “where he could devote all his time and effort to the campaign while in the air and waiting to board,” according to the order. The flight was Dec. 30, 2025, and Martinez flew back to Anchorage about an hour after arriving in Florida, according to records he submitted. He said the donation to Chooose Inc. was part of his campaign’s commitment to offset carbon emissions from air travel.
In a final order published Thursday, APOC staff described Martinez as “evasive, vague and noncommittal” during the hearing. They said Martinez refused to directly answer multiple questions about whether he received mileage points through Alaska Airlines’ Atmos rewards program for his travel. According to the order, Martinez also avoided questions about whether any points he earned pushed him to his current “titanium” Atmos level, the airline’s highest level, which requires a member to log at least 135,000 flight miles in one year.
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APOC commissioners ruled that the air travel was not necessary for the campaign and that Martinez made the purchases to personally benefit his travel accounts and status. APOC ordered Martinez to pay a maximum fine of $3,050 and reimburse his campaign account for the two expenses, putting the total fine at $5,305.70.
Martinez did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a public Facebook post Thursday, he wrote that he disagreed with the commission’s finding but would comply with the order.
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Martinez has 30 days from the ruling to appeal the fine.