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Alaska GOP Files Complaint Against Libertarian Joe Miller

Miller is accused of using for-profit website in campaign

Joe Miller, who defeated Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the 2010 Republican primary before losing to her in the general election, is running on the Libertarian Party line this year. (John Moore/Getty Images file photo)
Joe Miller, who defeated Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the 2010 Republican primary before losing to her in the general election, is running on the Libertarian Party line this year. (John Moore/Getty Images file photo)

The Alaska Republican party claimed Monday that Libertarian candidate Joe Miller broke federal campaign finance laws by using his for-profit website as a part of his campaign.

In a news conference on Monday, Miller, who won the state’s 2010 GOP Senate primary, said he has done nothing wrong, the Alaska Dispatch News reported. He said he is allowed to make unlimited personal contributions to his own campaign which is what he does through the website that he controls.

It is illegal for candidates to accept corporate donations and Alaska GOP chairman Tuckerman Babcock said Miller broke the rule by relying on the website and its links to social media accounts during his campaign. 

The complaint also said Miller had errors on his most recent federal campaign finance report, according to the newspaper. The report said Miller received $4,500 worth of brochures from the Alaska Republican Party but Babcock denied it. 

[Joe Miller Mounts General Election Challenge to Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski]

The brochures, which accused incumbent Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of “bailing out Wall Street” and “sending Alaskans the bill,” were printed by the Alaska GOP for his 2010 Senate run, Miller said. 

Miller defeated Murkowski in the 2010 Republican primary but then Murkowski mounted a successful write-in campaign to beat Miller and Democratic challenger Scott McAdams. 

This year, The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report/Roll Call rates the race as Safe Republican for Murkowski. 

Miller said the GOP and Murkowski were using the attacks to distract voters from her record. 

“They try to change the public focus away from the issues on to things that aren’t true,” he said.

As the Federal Election Commission gives subjects 15 days to respond to a complaint, there will likely be no resolution before the Nov. 8 election, the newspaper reported. 

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