Palin's Latest Ethics Flap
| Tue Dec. 8, 2009 4:39 AM PST
Sarah Palin may be gone from the governor's office of Alaska, but the ethical lapses she committed there are not forgotten. Self-proclaimed Alaska watchdog Andrée McLeod, who has filed several ethics complaints against Palin, this week submitted yet another. And with this one, McLeod has a point.
In the complaint sent to the state's attorney general, McLeod notes that this past July an independent inquiry found that Palin had violated state law due to her involvement with a legal defense fund established on her behalf. Thomas Daniel, an attorney retained by the Alaska Personnel Board to investigate an ethics complaint (not filed by McLeod) about the legal defense fund, dubbed the Alaska Fund Trust, reported to the board:
In light of the evidence that the governor expressly authorized the creation of the trust ad the fact the trust website quite openly uses the governor's position to solicit donations, there is probable cause to believe that Governor Palin used, or attempted to use, her official position for personal gain in violation of Alaska Statue 39.52.120(a) [the state's ethics law].
Daniel concluded that contributions to the fund had to be disclosed; the fund was not doing so. He also stated,
I find probable cause to believe that payment of the governor's legal fees by the Alaska Fund Trust will violate the Ethics Act prohibition against a public office accepting gifts intended to influence performance of official duties.
McLeod's complaint notes that in the months since the Daniel report was filed, the state's Personnel Board has taken no action. She adds, "Meanwhile the fund still collects money with absolutely no oversight. Contributions and expenditures have never been made public, even while Palin was a public official and had to comply with public financial disclosure laws." In fact, the website for the Alaska Fund Trust still (as of today) identifies Palin as the "current" governor of Alaska.
Now that Palin is an ex-governor, it could be that the fund's current operations--and Palin's past violations--are not of pressing concern to the state's ethics officials. But her reputation still matters. Whether or not she's a contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, she remains a leader of the conservative movement. Pitching her book on Sean Hannity's Fox News show last month, Palin dismissed ethics complaints filed against her as "frivolous things that were thrown our way." But the Daniel report was unambiguous: with her legal defense fund, Palin had violated state ethics laws. As McLeod accurately points out, nothing has been done about that. So far, Palin has gotten away with it.
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Comments
Palin Ethics: So Far (Not) So Good...
Submitted by Marina Gipps on Tue Dec. 8, 2009 5:32 PM PST.
So far Palin gets away with major things (not just bits and pieces of a wardrobe). It's amusing how Palin's firing back saying that watchdog, Andree McLeod, a fellow Republican, is vindictive because Palin didn't give her a patronage job. Was blogger Shannyn Moore who was exercising her right to freedom of speech being vindictive as well? It seems that everyone who doesn't agree with this woman (including her ex brother in law) is vindictive. How very odd. The conservative press is painting McLeod as a stalker/complainer as well as a bitter person/whiner type while the rest of us are loving this. Ha...Republicans eat their own...
the freak has no morals or
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed Dec. 9, 2009 7:55 AM PST.
the freak has no morals or clue.
Palin
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed Dec. 9, 2009 9:16 AM PST.
Palin has gotten away with so many ethical breeches and most likely, out right law breaking it seems as she'll get away with these most recent complaints, also too.
It's sickening how the MSM couldn't and can't stop messing with the Clintons who are true public servants, but the Bush/Cheney/Palin's of the world do and say whatever they want to and get away with it without suffering the consequences.
I know that I and many other people are fed up. But how do you make them take responsibility for their own actions when the authorities continue to let this shit go on? What can we, as the public do?
I have pretty much stopped watching any kind of news on the TeeVee. I get most if not all of my information through various websites. It's sick that some people really believe that the MSM has a liberal bias. That, along with Palin, the Tea baggin fools and neo-cons, are the biggest joke of the 21st century.
palin
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed Dec. 9, 2009 10:15 AM PST.
The best approach may be to let Palin be Palin, should she manage to run later, there will be plenty of points of investigation to be addressed.
I would love to support Palin
Submitted by JCR (not verified) on Thu Dec. 10, 2009 12:45 PM PST.
I would love to support Palin but she seems to be a nice person. Unfortunately, she is such a government-lover that I find her repulsive.
Palin will lead the US the Obama's way. Just like the ObaBush, whe will run more fiat money to hurt the poor and enrich the people closest to the Federal Reserve. Just like ObabBush, she will engage into more wars and murders all over the US empire.
As far as her ethical flaws; I don't think anybody should care. Corruption is the very purpose of government. It is hypocritical to denounce her ethical flas and support the concept of government at the same time.
As an observer of the US political life, I think that Palin is winning the next presidential elections the "Reagan" way. Good because we won't have that warmonger / bankster Obama anymore and bad because we will have another warmonger / bankster.
She's not going to run for President
Submitted by Wirewiz (not verified) on Fri Dec. 11, 2009 8:11 AM PST.
Ms. Palin, thanks to John McCain, has become a media star and a candidate for President in 2012. But, she has no intention of running for President in 2012 and the Republican hierarchy has read her the riot act on that. She does however want to remain a media star forever. She will not say that until she has to because it means more fame and more money. Mr. McCain opened up the door for her exit out of governing. Governing is way to hard for her compared to a life of media darling. Once she announces that she is not running, the media will no longer pay attention to her political, social and policy comments. Thank God.
Domain Registration
Submitted by Patrick Shaw (not verified) on Sat Dec. 12, 2009 2:18 AM PST.
Why cannot the public now WHO registered this domain for the money grubbing Palin?
Where is the WhoIs data on the domain registration.
Registrant:
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: THEALASKAFUNDTRUST.COM
Created on: 20-Apr-09
Expires on: 20-Apr-10
Last Updated on: 22-Apr-09
Administrative Contact:
Private, Registration THEALASKAFUNDTRUST.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2598
Technical Contact:
Private, Registration THEALASKAFUNDTRUST.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2598
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.MEDIATEMPLE.NET
NS2.MEDIATEMPLE.NET
Registry Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Registry Status: clientRenewProhibited
Registry Status: clientTransferProhibited
Registry Status: clientUpdateProhibited
Come on people. We all know
Submitted by ConsLie on Sat Dec. 12, 2009 4:16 AM PST.
Come on people.
We all know that repubes dont have to follow the law. When they break the law nothing much happens because they love Jesus and America.
Now when a dem breaks the law or a rule the rightwing press puts it on the 24 hour news cycle and screams for the individual to be impeached, fired or executed.
I lived in Wasilla when she
Submitted by Cankles McCellulite (not verified) on Sat Dec. 12, 2009 6:12 AM PST.
I lived in Wasilla when she was mayor then anointed governor of Alaska...I then left and moved to Texas where i got a Rick Perry...why?...because apparently i like it rough....i think i need a 'safe word'.....any suggestions?
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