House Judiciary Committee interviews four governor appointees; public witness urges rejection of judicial-conduct nominee

The Alaska House Judiciary Committee met March 23, 2026, in the Gruenberg Room to consider four of the governor’s appointees to state oversight bodies, including a contested nomination to the Commission on Judicial Conduct and nominees to the Violent Crimes Compensation Board and the Alaska Police Standards Council.

Representative Gray, chair of the committee, opened the session and read the agenda, which listed Donald McClintock III for the Commission on Judicial Conduct; Anna Cametta and Joel Hard for the Violent Crimes Compensation Board; and Veronica Lambertson for the Alaska Police Standards Council. No confirmation votes were held during the hearing; the committee said it would sign paperwork after the meeting.

Donald McClintock, who told the committee he is seeking a third term on the Commission on Judicial Conduct, described the commission’s role overseeing misconduct and disability matters for Alaska judges and justices and said the commission is currently searching for a new executive director after the director’s announced retirement. "This would be actually my third term on the commission," McClintock said, adding that the commission aims to both oversee disciplinary matters and communicate its work to the public. He told members that investigations are confidential and stressed the importance of public education about the commission’s mission.

During public testimony, Ed Martin of Kenai urged the committee to recommend against McClintock’s confirmation. "I recommend a no return for this man to the commission on judicial conduct," Martin said, adding that he had filed complaints that he says were dismissed and that he had submitted supporting documents to the committee. Martin alleged corruption in the commission and asked the committee to review recent meetings and the staff transition; the nominee did not directly rebut those allegations on the record during the hearing.

Anna Cametta, the governor’s nominee to the Violent Crimes Compensation Board, told the committee she is an Anchorage attorney and former magistrate and that this would be her second term on the board. Cametta said the board has modernized access — including moving applications online — but faces two key challenges: statutory limits that may bar some victims, particularly those who were minors when crimes were reported, from filing claims under the current two-year filing window, and fiscal pressure that she described as a potential "fiscal cliff" for the program. "We are asking to add a reasonable exception" for late-filed claims by those who were minors, Cametta said, and she noted that the Department of Public Safety is advancing legislative initiatives to address statutory and funding barriers.

Joel Hard, also nominated to the Violent Crimes Compensation Board, described a lengthy career in state and federal law enforcement, including service with the Alaska State Troopers and a 2022 assignment to reform the Village Public Safety Officer program. Hard said his experience responding to crimes in Alaska’s regions and his recent work with Department of Public Safety leadership shaped his interest in serving victims through the board.

The chair introduced the governor’s appointee to the Alaska Police Standards Council as Veronica Lambertson. The person who spoke identified themself as Rob Lambert and described decades of small-business ownership and attendance at council meetings, and said they were interested in supporting evolving statewide training standards for peace officers. Committee members asked about training challenges; the speaker said they looked forward to helping move training efforts forward across the state. The record contains a discrepancy between the name used by the committee and the name the speaker used; the committee transcript shows both names in the hearing record.

Committee members praised the nominees’ experience, asked them about the practical challenges each board faces, and opened the record to public testimony; aside from the objection during McClintock’s item, the committee heard no other public comments. Committee staff read a statute into the record governing confirmation procedures, and members noted that signing the committee report does not indicate how they will vote on confirmations in a later session. The committee previewed several bills for upcoming meetings and adjourned at 1:41 p.m.

The committee did not take floor confirmation votes during the March 23 hearing; the nominees’ files and the committee report will be completed and signed after the meeting, and additional proceedings or votes may follow according to the committee’s schedule.