Elections Commission member Don Millis has resigned from the board because he is poised to begin lobbying the Legislature again.

Millis sent Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, who appointed him to the commission, a letter on Friday announcing his decision to resign. Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, is replacing Millis with Jodi Jensen, an attorney at Godfrey & Kahn and a former chief of staff to then-Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch.

Millis said in an interview he registered with the Ethics Commission today to resume lobbying. He said he had not lobbied while a member of the Elections Commission, but Fitzgerald knew he had lobbied in the past and may pick up that work again. Millis said he told Fitzgerald he would have to resign from the commission if that occurred, but the majority leader wanted his experience for an initial appointment to the commission.

Millis served on the old Elections Board and had appeared before the Government Accountability Board before it was replaced by the Elections and Ethics commissions.

Millis, an attorney at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, said he has lobbied in tax policy for years.

“I knew this day would probably come,” Millis said. “You never know, and it’s come now.”

In addition to working for Huebsch, Jensen has worked for the Department of Administration and legal counsel to the guv’s office.

See Jensen’s profile

See Millis’ resignation letter

See Fitzgerald’s appointment notice

Print Friendly, PDF & Email