ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
WHILE IN ANCHORAGE
1500 W BENSON BLVD
ANCHORAGE, AK 99503
(907) 269-0170

WHILE IN SESSION
STATE CAPITOL
JUNEAU, AK 99801
(907) 465-3704

February 1, 2019
Governor Michael J. Dunleavy
State Capitol, 3rd Floor
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Dear Governor Dunleavy,
Prior to release of the Office of Management and Budget’s proposal, we are writing to request
clarification on Donna Arduin’s business interests. News reports indicate that Ms. Arduin
developed budget proposals for other states, including to privatize prisons, that directly benefited
companies (including the GEO Group and related firms) for which she worked as a lobbyist and
as a corporate board member.
Ms. Arduin’s POFD does not provide sufficient detail to ascertain whether her consulting firm
Arduin Laffer Moore currently holds or recently held contracts with private prisons or private
mental health hospital firms.
According to the Department of Corrections—whose budget is directly controlled by Ms.
Arduin—the state is examining prison privatization. Although evidence from other states
indicate prison privatization does not reduce costs, it does transfer wealth to firms such as those
that retained Ms. Arduin to advocate for prison privatization in other states such as Florida and
California.
Please provide additional details on Ms. Arduin’s consulting clients currently and over the last
three years, whether she acted as a lobbyist, consultant, board member, or served any other role
for private prison and private mental health firms.
In these challenging fiscal circumstances, it is critical that legislators and the public have faith in
the budgetary process.

Sincerely,

Sen. Tom Begich

Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson

Sen. Scott Kawasaki

 

ilson Sen. Bill Wieleehowski

   

Qak'f

Sen. Jesse Kiehl . onny



Rep. Zack Fields Rep. Ivy Spohnholz