SITKA - An Alaska businessman is suing a Sitka Assembly member, seeking repayment of more than $135,000 in loans and vendor payments related to a marijuana business.
Connor Nelson filed a lawsuit earlier this year, claiming assembly member Aaron Bean has refused to pay down loans Nelson has given since February 2016 to Bean’s company Green Leaf, which operates out of Sitka buildings owned by Nelson, the Daily Sitka Sentinel reported.
"Despite the repeated demand for payment, Bean refuses to enter into a written loan repayment arrangement or make consistent payments to pay back the debt," Nelson said in the complaint.
In court filings in response to the suit, Bean claims Nelson breached their contract. Nelson had agreed to provide cash and in-kind contributions to Green Leaf and to sell Bean the two buildings where the company grows marijuana. The company agreed to make cash payments to Nelson for the buildings and transfer 10 percent of Green Leaf capital stock to Nelson, according to the filings.
Bean claims he has met the terms of his obligations, but Nelson has not.
Nelson claims Bean has not fulfilled his obligations as stipulated.
Bean is running for Sitka mayor. Nelson is married to Valorie Nelson, who is running for an assembly seat in the election this week.
"I'm not the first person these people have sued, and I'm probably not the last," Bean said.
Valorie Nelson and Bean both said the lawsuit would not interfere with their ability to work together in the assembly.