U. S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski through her spokesman again declined comment Wednesday about her former fisheries aide, Arne Fuglvog. On Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Anchorage charged Fuglvog with a single, misdemeanor violation of the Lacey Act, an act that combats the illegal sale of wildlife, fish, and plants.
If a judge agrees to the terms of the plea deal, Fuglvog will spend 10 months in prison, pay a $50,000 fine and send another $100,000 — approximately the same amount he profited from the illegal fishing — to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for enhancing fisheries in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Alaska.
Murkowski's office would not comment on how long the senator had been aware of the investigation into Fuglvog's illegal fishing, and what response, if any, was taken or whether he had been taken off of fish policy issues.
Read the complete story from The Alaska Dispatch.