Alaska Native corporation sues over whistleblower case costs

An Alaska Native corporation has filed a lawsuit seeking to have an insurance company pay for its defense in a case brought by a whistleblower.

The Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Thursday that Afognak Native Corp. filed the lawsuit against National Union Fire Insurance Company last week.

The Kodiak-based corporation is seeking $650,000 from National Union to cover legal costs in the whistleblower case the company has allegedly failed to pay for since October 2015.

The corporation also wants to make sure it won’t have to pay back another nearly $2 million in defense costs since the lawsuit began in 2013.

Afognak’s chief compliance officer, Ben Ferris, filed the lawsuit over allegations that the corporation took advantage of a federal government contracting program.

Afognak Executive Vice President Alisha Drabek declined to comment on Ferris’ complaint because the lawsuit is still pending.

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