Senators quiet over no-bid contract given to Dunleavy donor’s grandson

JUNEAU — The day after Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he would do a “deep dive” into the circumstances surrounding a state agency’s decision to award a controversial no-bid contract, members of the Alaska Senate Finance Committee passed on a chance to ask questions of the agency’s boss.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Kevin Clarkson said in a brief note to two state legislators that he would open an investigation. Senior assistant attorney general Cori Mills said there is no timeline for the investigation, and the Department of Law cannot release additional details.

The Thursday morning Senate appearance of Tom Boutin, director of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, was a significant contrast from his prior appearances in front of House committees and subcommittees.

Boutin was not asked about a $441,000 contract given to Clark Penney, the grandson of Dunleavy’s largest in-state political booster during the 2018 election. Last week, political blogger Jeff Landfield published what appeared to be a draft document indicating that the office of the governor directed Penney’s hire. The Daily News has been unable to independently confirm the document’s authenticity.

Rather than ask questions about the contract directly, senators focused on the work of the Alaska Development Team, the group Penney was hired to advise and support, and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, which is paying for the contract.

Sen. Natasha von Imhof, R-Anchorage and co-chair of the finance committee, said that with the House, governor and attorney general all looking into the matter, questions from the Senate at this point would have been redundant. Furthermore, the lack of questions Thursday does not preclude questioning later.

“It’s getting hit hard, and I am concerned about it. I’m not happy that this was a sole-source contract. It’s not how I would go about doing it,” she said.