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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Law enforcement officials have completed their investigation into whether a U.S. Senate candidate and former Alaska state official illegally obtained a fishing license for a sport fishing event two years ago and turned it over to a special prosecutor under the Act, said an official on Thursday.
Kelly Tshibaka, a former State Department of Administration commissioner and Republican Senate nominee, was granted the license during an event on the Kenai River in 2019.
Records show she received approval in August 2019, eight months after moving to Alaska to take the commissioner’s job, the Anchorage Daily News reported. To obtain a resident fishing license, the state law requires the individual to have lived in the state for 12 consecutive months before applying for a license.
Tshibaka signed the license application and confirmed that she had read the residence permit. She also stated on the license that she had been resident for 15 years and 8 months.
A person could be fined up to $ 300 for knowingly breaking the fishing license law, an offense.
“After a thorough investigation of Ms. Tshibaka’s media reports by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, the investigation has been closed and is now under review by the Alaska Department of Law’s Special Prosecutor,” Department of Public Safety spokesman Austin McDaniel said in an An E- Mail to the Associated Press.
When asked if it was unusual to involve the special bureau, he said in a follow-up email that law enforcement regularly collaborated with prosecutors to create cases.
“Because of the circumstances surrounding this investigation, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers have requested an independent review of the case by legal experts from the Alaska Department of Law,” said McDaniel.
Tim Murtaugh, a senior advisor to Tshibaka’s campaign, said she attended the 2019 Kenai River Classic in her capacity as commissioner.
He said her confirmation hearings were public and it was known that she had just returned to the state.
“The organizers of the event asked if she had a current fishing license and when she said she didn’t have one, they issued her one,” Murtaugh said in an email to the AP.
“The form was filled out for a license that expired after one day August 22-23 and is only accessible to non-residents. This shows the clear intention to acquire a non-resident license, not a resident license, ”he said.
Tshibaka announced her resignation from the state on March 29, the same day she said she would challenge US Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski.
Murkowski, who was critical of former President Donald Trump, was censored by the Alaska Republican Party, which later supported Tshibaka in the race. Trump also backed Tshibaka.
Murkowski has not yet announced whether she will be re-elected next year. However, last month Kevin Sweeney, an advisor to Murkowski’s campaign, said she raised about $ 1.15 million and had $ 2.3 million available in the second quarter of this year.
According to Sweeney, this “positions” Murkowski “strongly” for a re-election offer.
Murkowski declined to talk about re-election plans on Monday.
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Associate press journalist Becky Bohrer in Juneau contributed to this report.
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