State Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, this week gave his account of the history of an advertising campaign the state’s public offices commission is investigating for irregularities, including an alleged failure to report the ads as part of his re-election campaign.
Thomas testified to the Alaska Public Offices Commission about the matter last week.
“APOC asked me if I set up the ads and whether I did the font. I told them I don’t even know what font is. If I touch my computer wrong, (my staff) has to come in here and fix it,” Thomas said.
He said resident Jim Studley came to him with the idea for thank-you ads as he was going fishing. “I said that’s fine. I know nothing about the new (campaign) law. I said, ‘Do whatever you want, but check the law.’”
Thomas said Studley is listed as deputy campaign treasurer because he delivered some campaign checks last year. Anyone delivering money for the campaign needs to be identified as such, he said. Thomas said his wife Joyce Thomas, who serves as campaign treasurer, was told by APOC that disclosure wasn’t necessary for thank-you ads, “which they were, up until that one… I’ve never really read them yet except when Seth Waldo came in here and showed me the one he did.”
“I had nothing to do with them. (Studley) would call about pictures and we’d send him some, but that was about it… I’m not running the ads and I did nothing wrong. It’s more of a campaign smear,” Thomas said.