The only right thing is for Treadwell to resign

Now that Mead Treadwell has thrown his hat in the ring for the U.S. Senate election as a GOP candidate, it’s time for him to step down as Alaska’s lieutenant governor.

The inherent conflicts of interest between his obligations as a GOP U.S. Senate candidate in the 2014 race and his constitutionally charged responsibilities to control and supervise Alaska’s elections as lieutenant governor are simply too great to overcome. As it stands, Treadwell’s incompatible roles compromise the integrity of our elections and electoral process. Treadwell needs to do the right thing and resign.

Recent rulings from Washington, D.C., regarding the Voting Rights Act demonstrate the fluid nature of our electoral process. Treadwell’s candidacy throws a monkey wrench into the works. As the public official charged with statewide elections responsibilities and oversight by the Alaska Constitution, it’s imperative the lieutenant governor provide Alaskans a fair, impartial, legal and, most importantly in this case, unbiased electoral process. Treadwell can’t do that and run in one of the most hotly contested U.S. Senate races in the nation at the same time without casting a long shadow of doubt over every decision he makes as lieutenant governor.

Already, systemic prejudice at the Division of Elections, which Treadwell controls and supervises, has revealed itself when his direct subordinate sent an unprecedented nasty letter to U.S. Sen. Mark Begich for views he expressed to legislators on our election laws last March. If Treadwell truly cared about Alaska and its residents, he’d resign and prevent all this confusion, chaos and disorder.

Treadwell took an oath of office and solemnly swore to faithfully discharge his duties as lieutenant governor to the best of his ability, not a fraction of the best of his ability. He needs to do the right thing and resign.

We need a lieutenant governor who is 100 percent committed and focused on his duties. Treadwell has acknowledged that full-time obligation on his Public Official Financial Disclosure report where he claimed time worked as lieutenant governor is 12 months/on call 24 hours a day. Clearly, he understands that his Senate run cuts into what he was elected to do. It doesn’t leave much room to campaign, so Treadwell must do the right thing for everybody and resign.

Treadwell can’t deny that his senate campaign will take up most of his time and focus. Alaskans are short-changed with a part-time lieutenant governor in charge of elections who’s off on a lark and preoccupied with sowing his personal partisan political oats. That’s just not right.

On the other hand, if he is serious about winning the U.S. Senate race, the right thing to do is to resign and give his campaign and supporters the full and complete attention they deserve.

The Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act addresses the prohibitions that relate to partisan political activities on the state’s dime and time and misuse of official position. Since Treadwell has announced his candidacy, he’s described plans he has in the works to change the electoral process, such as how he will continue to work on making Alaska elections more accessible, etc.

But, the Ethics Act prohibits public officials from working on matters that provide personal benefit or gain. Either he still doesn’t understand the Ethics Act or he understands it but flaunts it. Whichever, it speaks to his lack of integrity as he continues to control and supervise Alaska’s electoral process as lieutenant governor while he runs for the U.S. Senate. Clearly, he can’t reconcile the conflict by himself. The conflicts disappear when Treadwell resigns.

Alaskans have been embarrassed enough by the circus-like romps of their public officials these last few years. Between Sarah Palin and Sean ‘Earth-is-6,000-years-old’ Parnell, Alaskans have become a laughing stock.

All hands are on deck to take Mark Begich out. But with Treadwell as his opponent, a lieutenant governor in charge of elections and up to his eyeballs in GOP machinations of the electoral process, Alaska’s shameful bearing as one of the most ineptly corrupt of our United States is prolonged.

If Treadwell wants to maintain some semblance of dignity and decorum, he can do everyone a good turn — resign immediately and avoid the embarrassment that his U.S. Senate candidacy poses.

If Treadwell wants to win the senate race, he must resign in order to give it his all.

More importantly, Alaskans deserve better. He took an oath. If he honestly meant it, Treadwell would tender his resignation post haste.

Legal questions aside, Treadwell must do the right thing. He has to resign.

Andrée McLeod is a political activist

who lives in Anchorage.