Former Alaska legislator’s voter misconduct trial postponed, again

Former Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux speaks pinch her attorney, Kevin Fitzgerald, astatine nan Nesbett Courthouse successful Anchorage connected July 24, 2024. LeDoux’s proceedings was postponed until November, nan latest successful a agelong drawstring of delays. (Barbara Norton/Alaska Beacon)

On Wednesday, erstwhile Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux’s elector misconduct proceedings was postponed until November because of caller grounds submitted by prosecution nan time prior. The proceedings was scheduled to statesman Thursday. 

The proceedings has been rescheduled astatine slightest 4 times since LeDoux and 2 associates were first accused of elector misconduct and unlawful interference pinch voting successful 2020, which includes 5 felonies. LeDoux is accused of encouraging group who lived extracurricular her territory to ballot for her successful nan 2018 superior and wide elections for State House. 

In an evidentiary hearing at nan Nesbett Courthouse connected Tuesday, authorities charismatic Jenna Gruenstein apologized to LeDoux’s attorney, Kevin Fitzgerald, and to nan tribunal for failing to taxable audio grounds of rule enforcement interviews until earlier that day. The grounds was noted successful a report, she said, but acknowledged that “obviously that’s not nan aforesaid arsenic nan audios themselves.” She described nan business arsenic an oversight and an correction by nan prosecution. 

In tribunal connected Wednesday, Fitzgerald said that while immoderate of nan caller materials were duplicative aliases related to a anterior investigation involving nan FBI, he plans to telephone connected immoderate of nan witnesses progressive successful nan caller material. The defense past requested a continuance. 

“I haven’t travel to this determination lightly. I cognize this matter has dragged connected for a very agelong play of time,” Fitzgerald said to nan court. “Were it not that I didn’t deliberation that I could needfully do justness to Ms. LeDoux’s owed process rights, aliases person immoderate concerns successful that respect, I would proceed forward.” 

In an question and reply connected Wednesday, Fitzgerald said that he was wished to debar a continuance earlier successful nan period erstwhile Lisa Simpson, LeDoux’s erstwhile main of staff, signed a plea agreement. Simpson was accused of being portion of LeDoux’s elector misconduct strategy and agreed to perchance attest against LeDoux.

Despite nan statement being a “big event” successful this case, “at that point, I said ‘no, we’re going to plow forward, and nan logic we’re going to plow guardant — contempt that move of events — is because Gabrielle has been waiting a very agelong clip to get this done,’” said Fitzgerald.  

Superior Court Judge Kevin Saxby said that continuance seemed for illustration nan due consequence to nan caller material, and rescheduled nan proceedings for Nov. 18, 2024. 

Outside of nan courtroom connected Wednesday, Fitzgerald said that LeDoux was “disappointed” by nan postponement. 

“She wanted this done,” Fitzgerald said.