Anchorage Assembly introduces resolution to initiate first-ever removal proceeding against member Martinez

The Anchorage Assembly introduced a resolution on July 7 that would formally initiate removal proceedings against one of its own members, a step the body has not taken since the municipal code established the procedure in 1993.

Assembly Members Jared Goecker and Donald Handeland filed the accusation document on July 1 and introduced AR 2026-192 for its first reading on July 7. The resolution would direct the Municipal Attorney to retain outside counsel to investigate East Anchorage member George Martinez and, if the Assembly votes to submit the accusation, present evidence before an Administrative Hearing Officer. Removal proceedings would be formally initiated only if the Assembly passes the resolution and submits the accusation document to the Municipal Clerk.

The accusation document alleges five counts of perjury, three ethics-code violations, two counts of falsification of records, and one count of substantial breach of statutory duty. The triggering document is the Alaska Public Offices Commission's June 11 final order, which imposed the maximum civil penalty on Martinez and described his sworn testimony at a June 3 hearing as "formulaic and evasive." APOC found that Martinez "outright refused to respond to questions or provide answers to straightforward inquiries."

Three Areas of Alleged Misconduct

The accusation covers three distinct areas of alleged misconduct.

First, the Fort Lauderdale trip: on December 27, 2025, Martinez purchased a $1,255.70 nonrefundable ticket using campaign funds for an approximately 8,000-mile round trip that allowed only 63 minutes on the ground. The following day, he contributed $1,000 in campaign funds to Chooose, Inc. and received 1,500 status points credited to his personal Alaska Airlines rewards account. Martinez testified under oath that the trip was for campaign strategic planning and that airline status benefits "were unknown at the time of the transaction" and "were not part of the expenditure rationale." APOC rejected that account. The accusation document charges that testimony as perjury.

Second, the per diem claim: Martinez submitted an expense report after a November 2025 trip to Puerto Rico claiming $456 in per diem. His approved travel authorization entitled him to $312, covering two travel days and five official business days. The accusation charges the $144 overage as both an ethics violation and falsification of a public record.

Third, the Consoach LLC omissions: Martinez filed public official financial disclosure reports on January 16 and March 12, 2026, each certified under penalty of perjury as listing all financial interests. Neither listed his ownership interest in Consoach LLC. His candidacy paperwork filed the same day as the January disclosure did list the company. The accusation charges both omissions as perjury and falsification of records. The document also alleges that on or about April 28, 2026, Martinez used or allowed the use of his Assembly title, official position, or official social media presence in connection with promotion of his personal book and related book-tour activity, and that he used his official Assembly Facebook page on June 18 to promote Consoach's social media activity. Both are alleged as ethics violations.