Colver probe sent to state

Oct. 6, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

PALMER - A criminal investigation into alleged misconduct by a Mat-Su Borough Assembly member has officially been turned over to the state by the Palmer Police Department.

Kelly Turney, the Palmer police detective investigating assembly member Jim Colver, who was elected to the school board in Tuesday's election, said he sent his report to the state Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals this week.

Turney took his investigation as far as he could as he tried to determine whether Colver, a professional surveyor, used his assembly position to steer government construction work to his own company, he said. Allegations surfaced in June that Colver used confidential information available to him as a member of the assembly for his personal gain.

Greg Waisanen, owner of Collins Construction in Wasilla, said he felt Colver pressured him to award Colver Surveying a subcontract in May, and that Colver used his assembly position to access design information not available to the general public about the borough's vocational school construction project.

The police investigation focused on two possible misdemeanor charges, official misconduct and misuse of confidential information.

Turney said he had unanswered time-line questions about the career center - basically, what Colver knew and when Colver knew it.

Colver hired Wasilla attorney Scott Sterling and refused to speak with the detective or answer questions from a Frontiersman reporter.

He had claimed the charges were politically motivated during his tentative run for borough mayor and his successful campaign for a seat on the school board.

Colver did not return phone calls for this story.

In September, the borough's Board of Ethics met for the third time to consider the complaint against Colver.

When the borough makes the Board of Ethics' findings public, the information could answer or supplement some of Turney's questions.

&#8220Obviously he told … almost every news agency,” Turney said. &#8220But he wouldn't talk to me. This could have been a much more direct route, but this is his right.”

Turney sent the results of his work on to OSPA because any time public officials or law enforcement officers are involved in an investigation, OSPA removes any hint of a conflict of interest with the local district attorney's office, he said.

If OSPA requests it, Turney will follow up with more interviews.

&#8220I did the best I could with what I was provided,” he said. &#8220I spoke with all the people except the one who doesn't want to talk to me.”

Contact Mary Ames at 352-2284 or mary.ames@frontiersman.com.