Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will revisit 35 appointments made by her predecessor in the hour before he left office, especially one she called “bizarre.”
The appointment is that of Murkowski’s former chief of staff, Jim Clark, to the volunteer seven-member board of the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority.
At least one board member said Clark — Murkowski’s right-hand man in the failed negotiations with oil companies on a $25 billion natural gas pipeline — has bucked the board’s decisions since its inception.
Board member Scott Heyworth questioned Murkowski’s motives as well as Clark’s support for the authority.
“To do this at the 11th hour and then appoint his chief of staff who’s been at odds with ANGDA since Day One, it’s amazing,” said Heyworth.
Palin’s spokesman, Curtis Smith, said he told Palin of the appointment minutes before she took the stage for her swearing-in at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks.
“It’s an issue she will revisit when the events of the day settle,” Smith said Dec. 5 as Palin was involved with reopened pipeline negotiations.
Palin has the final word on appointments to any of the state’s boards and commissions.
Authority approved by voters in 2002
The natural gas authority was approved by voters through a citizens initiative in 2002. The organization was formed to plan for a state-owned and operated natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to Valdez, where the gas would be converted to liquids and shipped south.
Murkowski, however, pursued a different pipeline project and asked the authority to focus instead on a proposed natural gas pipeline to the Lower 48 through Canada. In particular, the group has been studying spur lines that would divert some of the gas to Alaska towns in the interior and Southcentral regions.
At the time, some board members fretted about backing away from what they saw as a voter mandate, although the group moved forward with planning under the governor’s proposal.
Clark said he believes his experience and understanding of the project would be valuable to the authority.
“We feel ANGDA made a very, very strong contribution there, and I’m looking forward to getting caught up with things they are doing and see if I can make a contribution,” he said.
Clark said he resigned from his position as chief of staff at 10 a.m. Dec. 4 so that Murkowski could appoint him an hour later to a seat reserved for a member of the general public.
Warwick not reappointed
Heyworth also called Murkowski’s failure to reappoint board chairman Andrew Warwick an act of “political retribution.”
Warwick said he may have run afoul of Murkowski in the last election.
“I’ve supported Frank Murkowski for some 25 years, but I supported John Binkley in the primary and that probably had something to do with it,” said Warwick, of Fairbanks.
Murkowski is traveling and could not be reached for comment. However, Clark said he is confident politics were not in play.
“I don’t see where this administration has had retribution against anybody for anything, probably to a fault,” Clark said. “Andy is owed a big debt of gratitude for his service.”
Murkowski named Clark and Richard Schok Jr. of Fairbanks to seats held by Warwick and David Cuddy of Anchorage. Their terms expired six months ago although they have continued to serve since then at the request of ANGDA Chief Executive Officer Harold Heinze. Murkowski also reappointed Robert Favretto of Kenai.
Murkowski also ended his term as he began it, with the appointment of a family member. He named his son-in-law, Leon Van Whye, to the board of the Alaska Railroad.
Van Whye is married to Murkowski’s daughter Eileen.
Frank Murkowski opened his administration in 2002 by naming another daughter, Lisa, to the U.S. Senate seat he vacated after winning the governor’s office.
