The 2024 financial disclosure reports of Rep. Mary Peltola and Republican Nick Begich the Third were due a month before the primary election, but the clerk’s office of the U.S. House claims they were not filed.

It makes little difference, however, as there is a $200 token penalty for candidates who do not file in a timely manner. This deserves some public discussion.

Both candidates requested a 90-day extension after failing to meet the original May 15 disclosure deadline for their 2024 reports.

Here are the disclosure rules.

Both candidates should not have received the 90-day extension for which they applied.

The U.S. House says “in all cases, the extension must result in a due date that is at least 30 days before an election in which they are a candidate.”

Peltola and Begich were both on the ballot for the August 20 primary election, so their reports should have been filed in the third week of July.

On May 7, Begich applied for a 90-day extension, pledging to file by August 13, a week before the primary.

Peltola filed for an extension on May 10, asking for an extension until the same day as Begich, August 13.

Neither candidate met the revised August 13 deadline.

Here is a copy of the form requesting an extension. The form asks for the date of the primary election and makes it clear that the financial statement is due 30 days in advance.

Peltola and Begich should explain what happened and why they failed to meet the deadline.

Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who finished third in the race and dropped out under pressure from Begich and the Alaska Republican Party, filed her financial disclosure statement in April, meeting the deadline.

Begich last filed a detailed financial disclosure report in November. Here is that document.

Among his assets, he lists a loan of between $250,000 and $500,000 to FarShore Partners LLC. He also reports a 69 percent ownership in FarShore Partners LLC, which he values at between $1 million and $5. million. Begich reported that his 69 percent piece of FarShore Partners LLC was worth between $5 million and $25 million in 2022.

One of his other assets is his share of a Begich family business owned mainly by his father, Nick Begich Jr., that has long promoted conspiracy theories and peddled pseudoscience. Here is a blog post from August with more details.

Begich Jr. is the brother of former Sen. Mark Begich and former state Sen. Tom Begich. They are sons of the late Rep. Nick Begich.

Nick Begich Jr., claims to be a “subject matter expert in the area of mind control.”

In the most recent financial report available, Begich III says his biggest source of income in 2023 was from Earthpulse Press, the company founded by his father, Begich Jr.

Your contributions help support independent analysis and political commentary by Alaska reporter and author Dermot Cole. Thank you for reading and for your support. Either click here to use PayPal or send checks to: Dermot Cole, Box 10673, Fairbanks, AK 99710-0673.

Write me at dermotmcole@gmail.com