State plans to retry former Rep. LeDoux in election misconduct case after mistrial

The Alaska Department of Law is planning to retry an election misconduct case against former Anchorage Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux after a December mistrial.

LeDoux, a Republican former state legislator, in 2020 was accused by state prosecutors of encouraging people who did not live in her district to vote for her in the 2014 and 2018 primary and general elections. The charges followed a two-year state investigation that involved the FBI.

LeDoux, 76, faces 12 election misconduct charges that included five felonies. She pleaded not guilty.

The jury in LeDoux’s first trial was deadlocked on all 12 charges, which resulted in a mistrial.

A second trial has not been scheduled yet.

According to Alaska criminal law, all 12 jurors need to reach a unanimous decision on each charge to reach a guilty verdict.

Anchorage Judge Kevin Saxby on Monday scheduled a trial setting conference for Feb. 3.

Kevin Fitzgerald, LeDoux’s attorney, requested a full briefing on expert testimony he wanted heard by the court. The state on Monday filed a request to preclude that testimony, arguing that the court had rejected it multiple times.

A spokesperson for the Department of Law did not respond to a request for comment on why the state decided to retry the election misconduct case against LeDoux.

The first nine-day trial focused on two of LeDoux’s associates who each pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of voter misconduct. Lisa (Vaught) Simpson, a former campaign aide, and Simpson’s son Caden Vaught both testified against her.

LeDoux’s election misconduct trial was repeatedly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and procedural motions filed by state prosecutors and Fitzgerald.