House ethics subcommittee finds probable cause in 18 Vance complaints

The House Subcommittee of the Alaska Select Committee on Legislative Ethics found probable cause on 18 complaints against Rep. Sarah Vance of Homer. The panel voted June 26, by majority, on complaints H25-02 through H25-19. The complaints allege Vance misused her office to pressure the owner of the Homer News. Chair Conner Thomas said a written determination would follow. Its status was not stated in the draft minutes, which are not the official record. Those minutes appear in the packet for the full committee's Sept. 14 Anchorage meeting, where they are listed for approval.

The complaints allege misuse of public resources for non-legislative purposes. They cite letterhead correspondence Vance sent to Carpenter Media Group, later posted on her Facebook page. Carpenter removed the original article and published a revised version, saying the changes met its unbiased journalism standards. Vance requested dismissal of the complaints.

Four people testified in June, including Judith Miller. "Her job is to protect my rights, my First Amendment rights," Miller said.

The Sept. 14 agenda also lists an HB 298 drafting error, the fiscal year 2027 budget, harassment training and an update on a falsified complaint.