REP. KEVIN MCCABE LAWFARE ATTACKS ON ALASKA RIGHT TO LIFE
REP. MCCABE’S ATTACKS ON
ALASKA RIGHT TO LIFE
REP. MCCABE’S ATTACKS
ON
ALASKA RIGHT TO LIFE
April 6, 2022: Alaska Right to Life Allies Reps Kurka and Eastman advanced a pair of amendments that would prohibit abortion funding.
The two amendments were part of a strategy to:
- Set a $0.00 budget for abortions.
- Penalize DHSS Commissioners who might violate the abortion spending prohibition.
Before the Abortion Lobby in the House could act, Representative McCabe rushed to table (kill) one of the amendments, removing the deterrent to abortion funding.
“A vote to table is a vote to kill”
Senator Shelley Hughes
“A vote to table
is a vote to KILL”
Senator Shelley Hughes
If a vote to table kills an amendment, how much more egregious is the motion to table?
After Alaska Right to Life notified our members, Representative McCabe retaliated with a number of anti-life actions to include what’s called ‘Lawfare.’
LAWFARE is the use of legal systems and institutions to damage or delegitimize an opponent, or to deter an individual’s usage of their legal rights.” – Wikipedia
When his retaliations against Alaska Right to Life failed, Representative McCabe waged Lawfare against Representatives Eastman and Kurka to punish and delegitimize them.
Representatives Eastman and Kurka were under investigation from April 2022 to December 2023, preventing them and Alaska Right to Life from telling this story.
On April 25, 2022, Representative McCabe retaliated against Alaska Right to Life by accusing Representatives Eastman and Kurka of violating Legislative Ethics Law.
Their crime: welcoming Alaska Right to Life into the Capital while Mr. McCabe was away on a trip.
Mr. McCabe’s evidence: NONE. He wasn’t even in Juneau at the time.
The accusations against Representatives Eastman, Kurka, and Alaska Right to Life were found to be baseless and false.
Weaponizing any authority like the Legislative Ethics Committee that can impose fines, sanctions, and even removal from the Legislature is a perfect example of ‘Lawfare.’
Below are the series of events:
4/6/2022: Representative McCabe tabled (killed) a Pro-Life amendment meant to prohibit abortion funding.
4/6/2022: Representative McCabe led the abortion lobby in opposing the amendment’s reconsideration.
4/8/2022: Alaska Right to Life alerted members via email and Facebook.
4/14/2022: Alaska Right to Life delivered 5,000 petitions opposing abortion funding in the 2023 budget to the State Capital.
Representative McCabe was not in the Capital. He was on a trip much of that week.
4/20/2022: Upon return from his trip, Rep. McCabe excoriated Alaska Right to Life on the House Floor, calling Alaska Right to Life Members “corrupt” and “perverse” in a speech that left him red faced and shaking with anger.
4/25/2022: Representative McCabe initiated Lawfare against Alaska Right to Life and our allies Representatives Eastman and Kurka attacking our 1st Amendment Rights to petition our government on behalf of Alaskan babies.
Mr. McCabe’s Lawfare was a brazen attempt to silence Alaska Right to Life Members by falsely accusing Alaska Right to Life of breaking several laws.
2/16/2024: Representative McCabe defended his Lawfare attacks in a Legislative Ethics Committee hearing.
Representative McCabe accused Alaska Right to Life and Representatives Eastman and Kurka of 11 different violations, though only 2 were directed at Eastman and Kurka.
Representative McCabe accused Representatives Eastman and Kurka of breaking the law because they:
- Were “present every moment” during Alaska Right to Life’s visit to the Capital.
- Allowed Alaska Right to Life access to their offices.
After 18 months, the Legislative Committee on Select Ethics finally dismissed the case, the charges against Eastman and Kurka having no merit.
Representative Kevin McCabe repeatedly slandered thousands of Alaska Right to Life members.
Representative Kevin McCabe wasted tens of thousands of dollars in a fraudulent political retaliation against Representatives Eastman and Kurka.
Representative Kevin McCabe’s actions forced Representatives Eastman and Kurka to waste countless hours over 18 months and over $6,000 in legal fees to defend themselves and their staff from his baseless accusations.
Representative Kevin McCabe must be held accountable for filing fraudulent charges against other legislators, slandering thousands of Alaskans, and weaponizing the Legislative Committee on Select Ethics in retaliation for Alaska Right to Life reporting his anti-life actions and votes.
Send your message to Representative McCabe telling him that slandering and falsely accusing Alaska Right to Life and Representatives Eastman and Kurka of breaking the law is unacceptable and beneath the office of an elected representative in the State of Alaska.