Alaska Democratic Party v. Rice

934 P.2d 1313 (1997)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Rice (P) worked for the Party (D) in one capacity or another from 1987-1991. In 1991, P was fired from her position as executive director and then began to work for the Maryland Democratic Party. Greg Wakefield then contacted her about the possibility of her serving as executive director in Alaska. Wakefield was elected to the Party Chair, and P claimed that Wakefield offered her a job as the executive director for two-years at $36,000 per year, four thousand in fringe benefits per year and if reelected another two-years. In August 1992, Nathan Landau, the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, resigned and asked P to come work for him in his new capacity as co-finance chair of the Gore vice-presidential campaign. She accepted this offer. Later in September or October of 1992, P accepted Wakefield’s offer and moved to Alaska resigning her position with Landau, which P claims could have continued indefinitely. No written contract was entered into between P and Wakefield or between P and D. The Executive committee then advised Wakefield that he could not hire P. Even after that meeting, P claims that Wakefield assured her she had the job. By February 15, 1993, P was informed she would not get the job and then P filed suit. P was awarded $28,864 in damages under promissory estoppel and $1,558 for misrepresentation. Motions for directed verdicts and judgment n.o.v. were denied and D appealed. D claims that the alleged contract was barred by the one-year provision of the statute of frauds.