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Tom Anderson (politician)

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Thomas T. (Tom) Anderson
Member of the Alaska House of Representatives
from the 19th district
In office
January 21, 2003 – January 15, 2007
Preceded byKevin Meyer
Succeeded byBob Roses
Personal details
BornAugust 4, 1967[1]
Anchorage, Alaska
Political party Republican
SpouseLesil McGuire
ChildrenTimothy, Tommy Jr., Kerry, Grayson
Residence(s)Anchorage, Alaska
Alma materUniversity of Alaska Anchorage, B.A., M.A.
Hamline School of Law, J.D.[1]
OccupationPublic & government affairs consultant[1]

Thomas T. (Tom) Anderson (b. 1967) is a former state representative for District 19, in Anchorage, Alaska, serving in the Alaska Legislature for two terms, from 2003 until 2007. He is a former Anchorage School Board member and life long Alaskan.

On December 6, 2006, Anderson was indicted for taking a bribe of nearly $13,000 to use his official position as a legislator to advocate for private prisons. Federal agents had gathered hundreds of hours of taped conservations as evidence against Anderson. Anderson's legal team includes prominent Alaska defense attorneys Paul Stockler, a solo practitioner who successfully represented an Anchorage aviation company against federal charges in 2006, and Jeff Feldman of Feldman, Orlansky & Sanders who is a well-known federal litigator. Trial is scheduled to begin June 25, 2007, to give the defense attorneys ample time to review the evidence against Anderson. Anderson has pled not guilty to all counts. The Tom Anderson Legal Defense Fund was created by friends and supporters to offset Anderson's trial costs.



Legislative career

23rd Alaska Legislature

In 2002 Anderson, then serving as executive director of the Anchorage Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailers Association (CHARR), a trade association of Anchorage-area bars and restaurants, ran as a Republican against Democrat Owen Carey for Alaska House District 19, covering the Muldoon area of Anchorage.[2] He defeated Carey in the November 5 election.[3]

With other legislators, Anderson was sworn into office at the state capital in Juneau as a member of the 23rd Alaska Legislature on January 21, 2003.[4] Anderson served as chair of the House Labor and Commerce Committee and Vice-Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. He was also a member of the House committees on Community and Regional Affairs and Administrative Regulation Review, the Finance Subcommittees in the Administration, Corrections, Public Safety, and Revenue committees, and, during the first legislative session (in 2003), the Conference Committee on SJR 8.[5]

During the first legislative session in 2003, Anderson championed House Bill 49, of which he was co-sponsor, to expand the state DNA database by requiring DNA samples from all convicted felons; any person convicted of a felony or misdemeanor crime against a person, such as assault; and anyone convicted of a misdemeanor sex offense. The bill applied the DNA sample requirement retroactively to people currently imprisoned or on parole for those crimes, as well as anyone required to register as a sex offender. Some serious juvenile offenders were also included under HB 49.[6] The bill enjoyed wide bipartisan support,[7] and was signed into law by Gov. Frank Murkowski on June 13, 2003.[6] However, in October 2003 a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order which disallowed the state from requiring DNA samples from convicted sex offenders who had completed their sentences unless the state had first obtained a warrant and shown probable cause to believe a crime had been committed.[7] Ultimately, the portion of the law requiring registered sex offenders who had completed their sentences to provide DNA samples was struck down as unconstitutional by U.S. District Judge John Sedwick; other provisions of the law remained intact.[8]

In the second legislative session in 2004, Anderson was the House sponsor of a "payday loan" bill to regulate short-term, high-interest loans. The bill was passed and signed into law by Gov. Frank Murkowski in June 2004. Critics charges that the new law did not regulate loaners enough, still permitting them to charge fees for payday loans that amounted to interest rates of over 300 percent when calculated on an annual percentage basis. An Associated Press wire story about the bill noted that Anderson had received campaign contributions of $500 each (for a total of $1000) from the two co-owners of Cash Alaska, a payday lending company that had also hired former state senator Tim Kelly to push for the bill. (The Senate sponsor of the bill, John Cowdery, had received a $500 campaign contribution from one of the owners of the business).[9]


Northeast Community Council takeover

Anderson played a significant role over two years from 2002 to 2004 in changing the composition of Anchorage's Northeast Community Council to reflect more conservative political and economic views. Anderson encouraged friends and allies, including pastors and members of the locally influential Anchorage Baptist Temple, to pack the town meeting-style community council elections. By May 2004 the tactics had resulted in six of the nine community council board members, including its president, being friends and political allies of Anderson. While Anchorage's community councils have no real authority, they are influential with the Anchorage Assembly because, according to Dick Traini, then chair of the Anchorage Assembly, "they are the active people in the community that choose to be involved." Community council involvement has been a first step in the political careers of several Alaska politicians.[10]

In July 2004, Anderson was criticized in an Anchorage Daily News editorial for signing a $10,000 contract in 2003 with the Alaska oilfield services company VECO Corporation to consult "on local government and community council affairs."[11] Anderson had earlier told the Anchorage Daily News that he'd been approached by VECO after the end of the 2003 legislative session because it was aware he'd done similar consulting work before he became a legislator. He told the newspaper that most of his work for VECO was in seeking out civic and charitable events for the company to get involved in, and that he also monitored Anchorage's community councils to see if there were zoning cases or other issues under discussion that might affect VECO. The newspaper noted that Anderson had received about $4,000 in campaign contributions from VECO employees or their spouses in the 2002 election that won him his first term in the Alaska House. By July 2004 he had received at least $3,500 in VECO-related contributions for his 2004 reelection bid.[12]

Members of the community council later recalled Anderson attending all their meetings during 2003, and assumed he was attending as their representative in the state legislature. They did not learn he was there as a consultant for VECO until 2004, when his state financial disclosure form was filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, as required by law.[13][14]

By the April 2006 election for Northeast Community Council, the effects of the 2004 takeover had been partially reversed, leaving the council nearly half and half liberal and convervative.[15]

24th Alaska Legislature

In 2004, Anderson ran for reelection to the Alaska House of Representatives. He defeated fellow Republican Louis Mayo in the August primary[16] and in the November 2 general election defeated Democratic challenger Peggy Robinson.[17]

In September 2005 it was disclosed that Anderson and fellow Rep. Lesil McGuire (R-Anchorage) had married and that Anderson was moving out of his district to live with McGuire in her South Anchorage district. Anderson stated that he intended to serve out the remainder of his term and not run for re-election. Alaska law specifies that legislative candidates must have lived in their district for at least one year immediately before filing for office, but nothing is said in the statute about legislators being required to maintain residence in their district for the entire course of their term.[18]

Consulting work while in legislature

Outside income reported by Tom Anderson
to Alaska Public Offices Commission, 2003-2005[14]
Work performed for: 2003 2004 2005 Total
VECO Corporation $10,000 $17,500 $2,500 $30,000
Alaska Telephone Association $20,000 — — $20,000
Pacific Publishing — $10,000 — $10,000
Marc Marlow — — $5,000 $5,000
Annual total $30,000 $27,500 $7,500 $65,000
As an outgoing legislator, Anderson was not required to report his outside income for 2006.[19]

Anderson continued to work as a consultant during his time in the legislature. He had a $10,000 contract with VECO Corporation in 2003 to consult "on local government and community council affairs." During his first term as a legislator he also had a $20,000 consulting contract with the Alaska Telephone Association, a group of rural telephone companies. Anderson told the Anchorage Daily News the contract was to advise the association on member relations and to research telecommunications policies in other states.[12] The association's executive director said the contract was to educate its members on how to be more effective in dealings with lawmakers.[13] As chair of the House Labor and Commerce Committee, Anderson dealt in an official capacity with telecommunications issues, but Anderson said he was careful to avoid conflicts of interest and did not push his employers' interests.[12] Anderson reported a total of $30,000 in income from VECO between 2003 and 2005.[14]

Anderson also reported to the Alaska Public Offices Commission outside income from Pacific Publishing for $10,000 in 2004 and $5,000 from Marc Marlow in 2005.[14] In total, he received $65,000 in outside consulting fees during his first three years in office.[13][14] As an outgoing legislator, Anderson was not required to report his outside income for 2006.[19]

In 2006 after the end of the regular 2006 legislative session, Anderson registered with the Municipality of Anchorage as a municipal lobbyist and worked briefly again for Anchorage CHARR[13] in opposition to a proposed measure to extend a smoking ban in Anchorage restaurants and most indoor public spaces to also cover bars and bingo halls. By Alaska state law, legislators are not permitted to peform lobbyist work that would require them to register with the Alaska Public Offices Commission for a full year after they leave office, but lobbying the municipality on local issues did not appear to require registration with APOC.[20] In July Anderson was hired by the Anchorage Home Builders Association for $2,500 per month.[13][14] The following month he testified before the Anchorage Assembly in favor of two stores that Wal-Mart wanted to build in his legislative district. The Northeast Community Council opposed the stores. At the Assembly meeting, Assembly chair Dan Sullivan introduced Anderson as "Representative Anderson," but Anderson corrected him, stating that he was at the meeting in representation of the home builders association, which favored the Wal-Mart stores.[14]

Later in 2006, Anderson was hired as executive director of the Midtown Improvement District, which was then in the process of forming.[13]

Federal corruption probe

Main article: Alaska political corruption probe

On December 7, 2006 Anderson was arrested on a federal bribery warrant at his home by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was held overnight in the Anchorage jail.[21] Anderson had been indicted the previous days on seven counts of extortion, bribery, conspiracy, and money laundering involving his support of a private corrections company. Anderson was accused of accepting money from a private corrections company through a shell corporation set up by a lobbyist, identified in Anderson's charging documents as "Lobbyist A" and later identified as prominent Anchorage lobbyist Bill Bobrick, to disguise the source of payments. Unbeknownst to Anderson or Bobrick, their contact with the private corporations company was a confidential source of the FBI working undercover. According to federal prosecutors, the private corrections company — unidentified in the court documents but widely believed to be Cornell Companies — was not implicated in the plot, and had been unaware of the FBI investigation until Anderson's indictment and arrest. The confidential informant in the case is believed to be Frank Prewitt, a former commissioner of the Alaska Department of Corrections who later took a job with Cornell Companies.[22]

Bobrick charged

On May 14, 2007, William (Bill) Bobrick, a prominent municipal lobbyist in Anchorage, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, bribery, and money laundering in the same scheme for which Rep. Tom Anderson was indicted the previous December. Bobrick was the creator of the shell corporation, Pacific Publishing, through which money was allegedly funneled to Anderson. Bobrick also received money through the scheme. Bobrick is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court on May 16, where he is expected to enter a guilty plea.[23]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Alaska Legislature. (2005-09-20). "Representative Tom Anderson" (biography). Through Internet Archive. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference shinohara-youngguns was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cockerham, Sean. (2002-11-06). "French defeats Donley for Senate seat — Majority: Despite that loss, Republicans retain control of House and Senate." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  4. ^ Inklebarger, Timothy. (2003-01-21). "Game on: Lawmakers sworn in for 23rd legislative session." Juneau Empire. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  5. ^ Alaska Legislature. (2003-05-29). "Member Information: Representative Tom Anderson." Through Internet Archive. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
  6. ^ a b Associated Press. (2003-06-14). "Laws expand DNA database, lengthen jail time for some — Crime: Other bills include one closing a loophole in state's stalking statutes." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  7. ^ a b Tsong, Nicole. (2003-10-27). "Judge bars DNA sampling — Lawsuit: Restraining order issued in case brought by John Doe sex offender." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  8. ^ Tsong, Nicole. (2005-02-12). "Sex crime DNA rule shot down — Court: Offenders whose sentences were over by 2003 are affected." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  9. ^ Brown, Cathy. (2004-07-01). "Governor signs bill on high-interest loans — New rules: 'Payday' companies to be regulated, but some say not enough." Associated Press wire story. Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  10. ^ Shinohara, Rosemary. (2004-05-07). "Muldoon council reshaped — Rep. Anderson coup: Six of nine board members are people he supports." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  11. ^ Anchorage Daily News. (2004-07-09). "Opinion — Whom do they work for? It's a fair question for lawmakers on political players' payrolls." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  12. ^ a b c Cockerham, Sean. (2004-07-06). "Consulting work pays off for some state legislators — Politics: Ben Stevens made $300,000 helping people who help him." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference demer-andersonlobbyist was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Kizzia, Tom and Lisa Demer. (2006-09-24). "FBI raids cast light on dual incomes — Consultants: Ethical standards for lawmakers questioned." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved on 2007-05-10. Full detail of Anderson's outside income reported in APOC reports is not available on the Anchorage Daily News website, but is found in the version of the story available through the subscription service Newsbank.com.
  15. ^ Shinohara, Rosemary. (2006-05-06). "Challenge changes council election outcome — Northeast: Member resigns, secret meeting averted, board installed." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  16. ^ Anchorage Daily News. (2006-08-26). "Election 2004 — Primary results." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  17. ^ Cockerham, Sean and Anne Aurand. (2004-11-03). "Dems fall flat in Anchorage — Legislature: Republicans are poised to rule the roost in Juneau." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  18. ^ Cockerham, Sean. (2005-09-30). "Anderson to leave district, not post — House: The newly married lawmaker is departing Muldoon." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  19. ^ a b Anchorage Daily News. (2006-09-28). "Opinion — No more free passes: Legislators should disclose their last-year financial deals." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10. Reprinted 2006-10-09 as "Alaska editorial: Legislators should disclose their last-year financial deals." Juneau Empire. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
  20. ^ Hopkins, Lyle. (2006-06-12). "Liquor industry hopes to soften bar smoking ban — Lobbying: Legislator bends Assembly ears on behalf of city tavern owners" Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved through Newsbank.com (subscription required) on 2007-05-10.
  21. ^ Associated Press. (2006-12-08). Legislator arrested in FBI probe: Anderson seized at Anchorage home on bribery warrant." Juneau Empire. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
  22. ^ Mauer, Richard, Lisa Demer, and Tom Kizzia. (2006-12-09). "Anderson indicted on seven counts: Federal bribery case centers on link to prison firm lobbyist." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
  23. ^ Demer, Lisa. (2007-05-15). "Bobrick charged with conspiracy in bribery probe." Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.

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