In January 2019, Hoffman became the longest-serving member in the history of the Alaska Legislature, surpassing the tenure of Jay Kerttula, the previous record holder.[1]
Partisan affiliation
Hoffman was the only registered Democrat to caucus with the Republicans in the Senate from 2015 to 2023.[2] He endorsed Republican nominee Dan Sullivan over Senator Mark Begich during the 2014 U.S. Senate race.[3] From 2007 to 2013 and again since 2023, Hoffman has been a member of a bipartisan majority coalition of Democrats and Republicans.
Controversy
On May 1, 2004, Hoffman was arrested for erratic driving and for striking a home with his car. He refused to take a breathalyzer test and later pled guilty to the charges. He was sentenced to three days in jail by Judge Peter Froehlich, which began on July 6. Hoffman also had his driver's license revoked for 90 days, was placed on probation for one year, and was fined $1,500.[4][5]
In 2013, Hoffman was found guilty of violating financial disclosure laws by the Senate Committee on Legislative Ethics. Between 2008 and 2010, Hoffman hid between "$311,000 and $690,000" in income from his business interests in a company that primarily contracts with a state-funded agency. From Alaska Public Media, "The committee found that Senator Hoffman "knowingly" prepared and filed incomplete disclosures, leaving out a "substantial" amount of income."[6][when?]
In 2016, Hoffman was the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, whose plan to address the state's fiscal crisis focused on cutting services and capping the Permanent Fund Dividend.[7] Critics note that the hardest hit areas from slashing the PFD are in Hoffman's district.[8] However, Hoffman has also called the dividend the "first call" on revenue from Permanent Fund earnings.[9]
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