Lawmakers reject board nominee with ghost-hunting past

JUNEAU, Alaska – An Alaska man with a ghost-hunting history has scared off lawmakers, who rejected his nomination to a compensation board for crime victims.

The Legislature late Wednesday voted 9-48 to reject Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s nomination of John Francis to the Violent Crimes Compensation Board.

Opponents of his nomination brought up his ghost-hunting activities and questioned whether he accurately portrayed what he does and whether he’s cut out to serve on a board that sometimes deals with vulnerable individuals. Rep. Matt Claman and Sen. Jesse Kiehl also suggested Francis was not as forthcoming as he should have been about his criminal history.

But supporters, including Sen. Shelley Hughes and Rep. David Eastman, said Francis was an example of turning one’s life around.