APOC fines George Martinez after campaign-paid flight to Florida

The Alaska Public Offices Commission ordered Anchorage Assembly member George Martinez to repay his campaign and pay a civil penalty after finding that campaign money covered a round-trip flight to Florida and a $1,000 emissions-related payment that were not reasonably connected to campaign work.

The commission called the violations particularly egregious.

In a June 11 final order, APOC directed Martinez to reimburse his campaign $2,255.70 and pay a $3,050 civil penalty. The total due is $5,305.70.

The case began with a complaint by Vickie Clay, who challenged two expenditures from Martinez's 2026 Assembly campaign: $1,255.70 for Alaska Airlines travel and $1,000 to Chooose Inc., described in the order as a sustainable aviation fuel contribution.

APOC rejected one part of the complaint. The commission found the expenditures were accurately reported.

But it found the spending itself violated Alaska campaign-finance law because the expenses were unnecessary for the campaign, not reasonably related to campaign activities, and personally benefited Martinez's travel accounts and status.

The itinerary was central to the case. According to the order, Martinez flew from Anchorage to Seattle to Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 30, then left Fort Lauderdale about an hour later and returned through Seattle to Anchorage, arriving Dec. 31.

Martinez told APOC he used the flight time to work on campaign strategy and materials. The commission did not buy it.

APOC wrote that Martinez provided only limited, redacted documents he claimed to have worked on during the flights and airport waiting time. One document, the order says, appeared to have been created after the trip was over.

The commission was even sharper about Martinez's testimony. It said he repeatedly refused to answer straightforward questions about airline reward points and whether the trip helped him earn or maintain travel status.

He had a standard response, the order says, as if he was sticking to a script: the rewards were incidental to the travel and campaign-related work.

APOC concluded: We find his testimony not to be credible and disregard it.

Martinez's campaign website says the campaign offsets carbon emissions from all campaign-related travel, including air and ground travel. After the order, Martinez posted a statement saying APOC had found the expenditures were accurately reported and dismissed that allegation.

He said he disagreed with the commission's second finding but would comply.

I also recognize that incidental related benefits became a focus of the complaint, Martinez wrote. For that reason, I intend to donate an equivalent amount to a local nonprofit organization so that no one questions any personal benefit.

The APOC order may be appealed to superior court within 30 days. A request for reconsideration must be filed within 15 days.

The commission's vote was 5-0.