Rep. Chuck Kopp makes bank as a private consultant with his Winfluence Strategies political consulting company that he co-owns. In fact, his biggest check comes from the AFL-CIO — up to $200,000 in the past year.
So it’s no surprise that he is also carrying water of the same union that has been pushing for the restoration of defined pensions for State of Alaska and other government workers.
Kopp’s Public Officer Financial Disclosure shows:
House Bill 78 is Kopp’s passion. It’s why he got elected over fiscal conservative Craig Johnson for the south Anchorage House seat. HB 78 would recreate a set pension for public employees — similar but not exactly like the one that the state discontinued in 2006, after it began bankrupting the state. This time, he promised it will not.
Kopp himself is a beneficiary of the former pension plan, as he is a 100% vested recipient of the Tier 2 Public Employee Retirement System.
On the floor of the House on Monday, he spoke at length about how this time, it will be different and it won’t lead the state to insolvency.
His House campaign account is filled with donations from Democrat donors like Mark Begich, Zack Fields, and soft Republicans like Sen. Lisa Murkowski, as well as major donations from unions.
