Dunleavy budget road show sponsored by Koch Brothers group requires secrecy pledge

It’s not clear there is a dividing line between Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Americans for Prosperity, the primary political action arm of the Koch Brothers.

It turns out that Americans for Prosperity claims to be hosting the budget meetings that Dunleavy and key members of his administration plan to hold starting next week. The governor’s office claims that Dunleavy is in charge.

The first reporting I’ve seen on this was a Tweet by blogger Jeff Landfield of the Alaska Landmine.

The governor claims the meetings are public events called “Statewide Discussion for a Permanent Fiscal Plan.” The Koch Brothers group claims the meetings are private events called “Fortifying Alaska’s Future.”

“Join Americans for Prosperity-Alaska as they host guest speakers and a panel discussion on why Alaska must face its fiscal reality and implement reforms to curb government’s habit of overspending. Speakers will include experts from the governor’s administration to explain his budget proposal, as well as panelists that will explain how a spending cap and a Taxpayer Bill of Rights amendment can help put Alaska on the path to prosperity!” the Koch group says on its promotional blurb.

The list of attendees is different too. The Koch group claims that Jeff Crank, regional director of AFP, will participate, along with Bethany Marcum, head of the Alaska Policy Forum. The governor’s office did not include them as speakers.

“Governor Dunleavy and members of his team will embark upon a journey across the state to provide Alaskans the opportunity to hear directly the governor’s proposal for a permanent fiscal plan,” the announcement from the Dunleavy communications staff says.

One of these versions of reality is false.

Jeremy Price, a deputy chief of staff to Dunleavy, is former head of the Alaska chapter of the Koch group.

I think what happened here is that the governor’s office did not want to announce the sponsorship by the Koch group, but is fine with it because that is likely to help attract a crowd more favorable to Dunleavy. I don’t know that this will be successful.

I think that forcing people to sign in and perhaps show ID is government overreach.

What is particularly egregious about all this are the rules of admission and secrecy demanded by the Koch group. These rules should be withdrawn by Dunleavy, if he has any say in the matter.

This is a private, policy focused event dedicated to discussing Americans for Prosperity’s issues.

As an express condition of admittance to the event, attendees are required to abide by and agree to the following terms: All attendees must register themselves and any guests they may be registering for in their real and true name and may be asked to present valid identification to verify the identity of registrant and their guests. No signage will be allowed or bags larger than a purse will be allowed into the event.

No candidate stickers, pins, t-shirts, or other materials may be worn, displayed, or otherwise visible by members of the audience. By attending this Americans for Prosperity (AFP) event, you irrevocably consent and authorize AFP and its affiliates, employees, related companies, and contractors, to record, film, photograph, broadcast, or otherwise capture during the event and related events your likeness, image, voice, or any other indicia of identity in any media whatsoever and to distribute, use, broadcast, or disseminate into perpetuity such media for any purpose whatsoever without any further approval from or any compensation of any kind to you.

The images in all media will constitute AFP’s sole property, and AFP will have the right to use your likeness, image, voice, or other indicia of identity, including, but not limited to, the right to produce, publicly perform, transmit, exhibit, publicly display, print, reproduce, televise, broadcast, transfer, modify, distribute, create derivative works of, and otherwise use for any lawful purpose, in whole or in part, in any location throughout the world through any means or medium or format without limitation, any Subject Matter, all without prior inspection or further consent or approval by the undersigned of the finished product(s) or of such use, together with irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide and royalty-free rights, title and interest in and to any and all results and proceeds from any such use.

You further agree that you will not record, reproduce, or transmit from the place of performance, in any manner or by any means whatsoever, any portion of, or the entirety of, any AFP event in the absence of the specific written permission of AFP. AFP retains the exclusive copyright to all materials that may be distributed at the event, unless otherwise noted, and all video or audio recordings of all AFP events. If you or your guests are unwilling or unable to comply with the aforementioned terms and conditions, you may be denied admission to or be asked to leave the event.