ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Arguments in a trial over Wasilla Republican Rep. David Eastman's eligibility to hold office concluded Wednesday, leaving it up to Anchorage Superior Court Judge Jack McKenna to determine whether Eastman's membership in the Oath Keepers precludes him from serving in the Alaska state House.
Mat-Su resident Randall Kowalke filed the lawsuit against Eastman earlier this year, arguing that Eastman's Oath Keepers membership violates the disloyalty clause in the Alaska Constitution, which states that a person can't hold public office if they are a member of a group that advocates the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.
This is the first lawsuit centered on the Alaska disloyalty clause. In a week's worth of testimony and arguments from Kowalke and Eastman's attorneys, the sides sparred over whether the Oath Keepers, a far-right organization, sought to overthrow the U.S. government in the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when a violent mob — including several members of the group — entered the U.S. Capitol by force and attempted to stop the certification of the electoral votes after President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
