Conduct of Denali Commission staffer draws scrutiny

The Denali Commission is awaiting results of an investigation into the conduct of one of its staff members. 

Following a routine audit, the Office of Inspector General focused on “one staff member’s conduct” that may have been improper, said Denali Federal Co-Chairman Jason Hoke. He said he doesn’t know if the suspected impropriety was financial in nature. He declined to say if any staffer has been recently fired or suspended.

The late Sen. Ted Stevens created the Denali Commission in 1998 to build infrastructure in rural Alaska, primarily with federal money. The commission’s annual funding used to hover around $130 million but Congress is sending far less these days. The Denali Commission’s base funding for this year is $15 million.

Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her atlruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Lizhere.

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