How Do I File An Ethics Complaint?
Any person may file a complaint with the attorney general regarding the conduct of a current or former public officer whom the person alleges has violated the Ethics Act.
A complaint must be in writing and contain a clear statement of the details of the alleged violation. There is no special form or format for an ethics complaint. But you must sign your complaint under oath. Include the statement: "I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true" and have your signature notarized or otherwise acknowledged.
Mail or deliver your complaint to the Attorney General at either:
Department of Law
1031 West 4th Avenue, Suite 200
Anchorage, AK 99501
or
Department of Law
Box 110300
Juneau, AK 99811-0300
Additional Information:
If a complaint names the governor, lieutenant governor, or the attorney general, it will be referred to the State Personnel Board. Upon receipt, the Board chair hires independent counsel to address the complaint. The independent counsel acts in place of and with the authority of the attorney general.
A complaint and all documents and information regarding the investigation are confidential and not subject to inspection by the public. The person filing the complaint and all persons contacted during the course of an investigation are required to maintain confidentiality regarding the existence of the investigation. Confidentiality may only be waived by the subject of the complaint.
The complete procedures for review and investigation of ethics complaints are set out in AS 39.52.310 - AS 39.52.370 of Article 4 of the Ethics Act, which you can find at a separate link on the Executive Branch Ethics webpage.
Notification of Potential Violation
A Notification of Potential Violation is not the same as an ethics complaint. This notice is intended to bring a potential ethics violation to the attention of the named public officer's designated ethics supervisor so that the ethics supervisor may take action to assist the public officer to avoid the violation. If the ethics supervisor determines that a violation has already occurred, the ethics supervisor may initiate disciplinary action or refer the matter to the attorney general.
Updated April 2011