Attorney General Nominee Faced Tough Questioning

Legislative committees have been putting Attorney General nominee Craig Richards through the wringer. Richards has stood up to it, however, deftly answering tough questions. Gov. Bill Walker appointed Richards, his former law partner, as Attorney General, but like all cabinet appointments Richards must be confirmed by the Legislature.

Most of Walker’s appointments including Richards are likely to be confirmed but Richards is being roughed up partly because of his close professional association over several years with the governor in the law partnership and with current Walker chief of staff Jim Whitaker, who was chairman of the Alaska Gasline Port Authority, a municipal gas development group, when Walker was also involved and Richards was handling legal matters for the authority.

Rep. Max Guenberg, D-Anchorage, a veteran legislator with extensive legal experience, questioned Richards closely on the extent of his experience in law. “How much experience have you had in the nuts-and-bolts of legal practice. How many times have you been in front of a jury? Are you familiar with the rules of evidence?” Gruenberg asked.

Richards said his strong suit was experience in complex litigation, such as Trans-Alaska Pipeline System property tax valuation, in which he was deeply engaged while representing the city of Valdez. “I had a lot of good people both working with me and against me,” he said.

Four high-profile lawsuits involving the state, including one representing Walker over the Point Thomson settlement (now withdrawn), have been delegated to Martin Schultz, head of the Department of Law’s resources section, to avoid conflicts of interest, Richards said.

On the duty-to-produce concept, House Judiciary co-chair Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux and several other committee members wanted to pin Richards down on the “duty to produce.” Legislators said the governor has implied he would enforce the concept, and asked Richards’ view.

“It is really a decision for the Department of Natural Resources in context of DNR’s review of lessee’s plans of development. I would take a role if the DNR asked me to be involved,” Richards said.

Committee members went on to grill Richards about Walker’s campaign statements that he had sympathy for the Ketchikan Borough in its lawsuit challenging a local contribution for school funding. As Attorney General, he would have to oppose Ketchikan and defend the current state law requiring a minimum local contribution.

Richards said he would defend state law as it exists, and that he had no knowledge of a campaign statement or what the governor’s position is on the Ketchikan case.

After the questioning the Judiciary Committee sent Richards’ nomination on to the full House for a vote during a joint-session.

Via alaskajournal.com

image credit KTVA.com