Without mom and dad`s Ohio money he wouldn`t have beaten Begich,  perhaps wouldn`t have spent some time as an ineffective commissioner of natural resources trying, along with Cathy Giessel,  to wrest sovereignty and any veto rights from coastal Alaskan communities when it came to development off their coasts (HB44 or HB77--during his hitch as commissioner).   
When money like that seeks influence..it can buy lies.
Remember without thirty million in oil-money-bought media lies about "a million barrels a day", the referendum to "toss and replace" SB21 would have succeeded.  You see a common thread?....the corporate money?