Legislator's comments called unethical (Sealaska)

State Sen. Albert Kookesh faces ethics allegations after suggesting he could make it difficult for his constituents in Craig to get state money if the City Council there opposed a bill to give Tongass land to Sealaska Corporation that Kookesh works for.

LANDS BILL: Council members accuse Kookesh of suggesting he'd block money.

State Sen. Albert Kookesh faces ethics allegations after suggesting he could make it difficult for his constituents in Craig to get state money if the City Council there opposed a bill to give land to a Native corporation that Kookesh works for.

Kookesh's remarks to the Craig City Council earlier this month are causing controversy in the Southeast community. Members of the council say the Angoon Democrat threatened the city and acted unethically.

Kookesh was part of a delegation of officials from Sealaska Corp. who attended the City Council meeting on Jan. 7, a little more than a week before the opening of this year's legislative session. Kookesh is on the board of Sealaska, the Juneau-based regional Native corporation for Southeast Alaska, and was there trying to convince the council to drop its move toward opposing the Sealaska lands bill in Congress.

The council that night was considering both the Sealaska issue and its requests for money from the Legislature.

"I am the state senator that represents Craig. I'm not a vindictive person," Kookesh told the council. "I see you're going to have your 2010 capital projects on the table here tonight. And who's it going to go to? It's going to go to me. And to (Rep.) Bill Thomas, who is also a Sealaska board member. We have to be good neighbors."

"There are times you are going to need my help and Bill Thomas' help," Kookesh said next, according to an audio recording of the council meeting. "And this is a time we need yours."

Read the complete story at the Anchorage Daily News.