State plans to retry former Rep. LeDoux in election misconduct case after mistrial

Updated: 23 seconds ago Published: 5 minutes ago

The Alaska Department of Law plans to retry an election misconduct case against former Anchorage Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux after a Mistrial in December.

LeDoux, a former Republican state legislator, in 2020 was charged by state prosecutors of encouraging people who did not live in her district to vote for her in the 2014 and 2018 primary and general elections. The charges arose after a two-year state investigation involving the FBI.

LeDoux, 76, faces 12 counts of election misconduct including five felonies. She pleaded not guilty.

The jury in LeDoux’s first trial was deadlocked on all 12 counts, resulting in a mistrial.

A second trial has not yet been scheduled.

According alaska criminal lawAll 12 jurors must reach a unanimous decision on each charge to reach a guilty verdict.

Anchorage Judge Kevin Saxby on Monday scheduled a conference to set the trial for Feb. 3.

Kevin Fitzgerald, LeDoux’s attorney, requested a full report on the expert testimony he wanted the court to hear. The status on Monday submitted an application to prevent that testimony, arguing that the court had rejected it multiple times.

A Department of Law spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on why the state decided to retry the election misconduct case against LeDoux.

The first nine-day trial focused on two of LeDoux’s associates, each of whom pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of voter misconduct. Lisa (Vaught) Simpson, a former campaign aide, and Simpson’s son, Caden Vaught, testified against him.

LeDoux’s election misconduct trial was repeatedly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and procedural motions filed by state attorneys and Fitzgerald.