Alaska Rep. Peltola Missed Votes, Spent Taxpayer Funds on Hawaii Trip
Alaska’s highest-paid legislator missed votes and used public funds for a Hawaii retreat, sparking controversy.
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Democrat Mary Peltola, Alaska’s highest-paid state house representative, missed over 18.6 percent of votes during her five terms in office, yet she used taxpayer funds for a corporate retreat in Hawaii. In 2008, her final year in the legislature, Peltola received a salary of $77,884 while missing nearly one-fifth of votes.
Controversial Policies and Public Spending
Peltola’s tenure was marked by leading Alaska’s ‘tolerance commission’ to implement woke DEI policies and advocating for reintroducing a state income tax to ‘protect the rich.’ The commission recommended banning state employees from asking the immigration status of people seeking taxpayer-funded services, providing health care for sex offenders, and diversity training for state employees and law enforcement.
Peltola also established a pattern of running for office and missing large stretches of votes before transitioning into lobbying. In 2006, the Anchorage Daily News reported that lawmakers billed the state for more than just plane tickets, including per diems, meals, and hotel rooms, which included $1,525.06 to Peltola.
City Council and Lobbying Work
In 2011, she was elected to the Bethel City Council in western Alaska, where she missed over a third of the city’s official meetings. She later became a lobbyist for the city, earning at least $144,999.66 from 2015 to 2017, according to records from the Alaska Office of Public Commission.
Peltola was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022, where she missed stretches of votes and saw no legislation signed into law. Her tenure was marked by one of the highest staff turnover rates in Congress.
Outbursts and Post-Congress Work
More concerning, she is described as having a pattern of angry outbursts, physical abuse, and slurs including the n-word. After losing her re-election in 2024, Peltola joined a lobbying firm, earning a salary of $342,400.16 from a Washington law firm, with one Alaska outlet writing her ‘lucrative post-Congress lobbying work raises concerns.’
Peltola faces Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in November. President Trump has praised Sullivan and will be in the state on Tuesday for a rally.
Source: Breitbart
