Court Opinion

ID: 5162016
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-01-02 02:56:03.857996+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:25:39.984715
License: Public Domain

MOORE, Justice,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I agree with the court’s opinion, except insofar as it implies that APOC was correct in determining that three groups were involved in this case.
According to APOC, one group consisted of VECO, Inc. and its employees; the other two groups consisted of subsidiary corporations together with their employees. Thus, APOC assessed three separate fines for each violation of the Campaign Disclosure Act.
I think that only one group was involved, consisting of the VECO conglomerate. The joint action required by AS 15.13.130(3) extended beyond the individual corporate units and their employees. It involved a single plan, evidently directed by the chairman of VECO.
When there is any ambiguity about the outer bounds of joint activity, the purposes of disclosure require that the largest possible network be considered a single group. We have said that “disclosure requirements deter actual corruption and avoid the appearance of corruption by exposing large contributions and expenditures to the light of publicity.” Messerli v. State, 626 P.2d 81, 85 (Alaska 1980). This cleansing effect would be diluted, if not frustrated altogether, if a large group could be disguised as several smaller groups.
Since I would require the joint activity at issue in this case to be reported as a single group, I would also assess a single fine for each failure to report. Admittedly, imposing a separate penalty on each subgroup would make the total penalty, and therefore the total deterrent effect, much higher. However, the threat of criminal prosecution pursuant to AS 15.13.120(a) already provides ample deterrence.
While VECO did not appeal this issue, I think it was plain error. On remand, APOC should reassess the penalties accordingly.