Strategies 360, a political strategy and lobbying company with an office in Alaska and 12 other states, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday after its co-owners became embroiled in a financial dispute after what was described as a hostile takeover by one business partner.
The company was hired by candidate for Congress Mary Peltola to raise money for her 2022 congressional campaign, but today is paying lawyers to fight it out in King County Bankruptcy Court in Washington State.
According to The Oregonian, which first reported the bankruptcy filing, Eric Sorenson, a former business partner of Strategies 360’s CEO Ron Dotzauer, was executing the takeover of the company, and the two men started feuding over $6 million that Sorenson said he is owed. The dispute has been simmering for years. The newspaper reported that Sorenson claims Dotzauer and the firm have defaulted on payments promised as part of the buyout. Sorenson filed a motion to get a receiver appointed to replace Dotzauer, who is a Democrat consultant, as the top executive during the proceedings.
Charles Fedullo, senior vice president for the Alaska office, told Must Read Alaska, “The Chapter 11 filing was initiated to resolve an equity dispute with a former minority shareholder in the firm. It ensures S360’s operations will continue to operate at full strength and our clients will continue to get the same service.”
At one point in the company’s history, former Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz was a senior vice president with Strategies 360, “a positioning firm that serves clients at the intersection of business and politics,” according to Berkowitz’ online biography.
The employees listed by the company in Alaska include Fedullo, who is a former press secretary to Gov. Sarah Palin; Elwood Brehmer, former editor and reporter; Chanda File, formerly with the University of Alaska and an aide in the Alaska Legislature to former Democrat Rep. Adam Wool; Tatum Buss; and Chris Munroe. Former Alaskan Taylor Bickford is a senior executive at the company, which employs about 140 people in 13 states and Washington, D.C.
In Alaska, clients have included Bristol Bay Native Corporation, the University of Alaska, the push to legalize marijuana, and occasionally political candidates, including Rep. Mary Peltola.
“In Alaska, our teams collaborated closely across multiple states and practice areas with the Alaska Native community to promote Alaska Native voter turnout and registration efforts. This was a critically important year for the Get Out the Native Vote effort, given the challenges of voter access in rural Alaska and the implementation of a new ranked choice voting system,” the company wrote on its website.
Strategies 360 was also hired by the campaign of Democrat Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii and for Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs of Arizona.
