Native corporation CIRI joins voices for Dunleavy recall

Alaska gubernatorial candidate Mike Dunleavy answers questions during a candidate forum Friday, Oct. 19, 2019, at the Alaska Federation of Natives in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo by Tripp J Crouse/KNBA)

The board of directors of Cook Inlet Region Incorporated, or CIRI, announced Thursday that they would support the effort to recall Governor Mike Dunleavy.

The Anchorage-based Alaska Native corporation made its announcement in an email message to shareholders and on its website.

Ethan Tyler is the director of corporate affairs for CIRI. He says the Recall Dunleavy campaign outlined four points in their messaging that CIRI supports.

“In looking at those four points CIRI believes that the fact of those four actions or those four points or actions that the governor has taken negatively impacts our business here in the state of Alaska and ultimately our shareholders,” Tyler said.

According to the post online, CIRI breaks down those four points: “The governor has repeatedly violated Alaska law and the state constitution, and demonstrated his unfitness for office by refusing to appoint a judge within the legal time frame; misusing state funds for political ad campaigns; violating the separation of powers; and incompetently vetoing state funds.”

Tyler says the last time CIRI entered into political waters was in support of Lisa Murkowski’s write-in campaign for U.S. Senate.

“CIRI rarely wades into the political realm,” he said. “We thought that this presented a credible threat to our ability to fulfill our mission and that is why CIRI is supporting the recall effort. “

According to its website, CIRI has about 8,800 shareholders.