Palin implicated in ethics probe

[jefferson_dem]

Source: AP

AP NewsBreak: Palin implicated in ethics probe

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An independent investigator has found evidence that Gov. Sarah Palin may have violated ethics laws by accepting private donations to pay her legal debts.

The report obtained by The Associated Press says Palin is securing unwarranted benefits and receiving improper gifts through the Alaska Fund Trust, set up by supporters.

An investigator for the state Personnel Board says in his July 14 report that there is probable cause to believe Palin used or attempted to use her official position for personal gain because she authorized the creation of the trust as the "official" legal defense fund.

The fund aims to help Palin pay off debts stemming from multiple ethics complaints against her, most of which have been dismissed. Palin says she owes more than $500,000 in legal fees.

A call seeking comment from her lawyer was not immediately returned.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090721/ap_on_re_us/us_pali...

[SharonRB]

1. No one told me today was Groundhog Day! n/t

[livetohike]

2. "We do it different up here."

[IDFbunny]

67. "We don't care how they do it in the lower 48,

we won't raise our standards for anybody".

[Steerpike]

79. It's very ironic.

In years past very little unethical behavior was examined in Alaska, becouse state laws were pretty lax. But, Palin changed all that and against the grumblings of the state legislature pushed through new ethics regulations. These same ethics regs are now being used against her. Altho, she does appoint the Personnel board and so far they have found in her favor in most of the charges that have been looked into.

[Thor_MN]

76. Has it been warmer than normal in Alaska?

Because it's been colder than normal here in MN, and often Alaska and Minnesota are opposite in direction from "normal".

[Steerpike]

78. It had been warmer for a couple of weeks.

Sunny and hot with temps up to 80 degrees. But, this last week it's cooled down. We are actually entering our "Fall". Cloudy and gray skies with temps in the lo 60's and scattered showers.

[tavalon]

77. She's just progressing her bank account!

[sfwriter]

3. She was just saving the taxpayers money!

She set this argument up in her surprise departure.

[stlsaxman]

88. yeah- saving it in her off shore checking account.

[No Elephants]

4. I am not sure I understand why asking people to help you pay for your legal fees is wrong

Scooter Libby had a defense fund.

I am no fan of either Sarah or Scooter, but I see nothing wrong with people contributing of their own free will. Couldn't her family and friends help her out if they wanted? If so, why not her fans?

[xultar]

7. Scooter wasn't elected and he didn't have a state budget for ethics complaints.

[No Elephants]

23. I don't think either of those answers the questions why it is wrong for her

friends, family or fans to donate money to help her with her legal fees. Now, if she collects more than her fees and keeps the money, that would be a problem. Or, if her fees were not really what she said they were. But, choosing her own attorney and asking people to help her pay the fees? I don't see the horror in that alone.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

33. They have laws

you might think it is wrong not to sell wine in the supermarket but in some states - you can't buy because it is against the law.

[Bette Noir]

42. An elected official can only accept money for campaign expenses,

and that only within carefully specified limits. If a crooked politician can have anybody donate for any reason, how is that different from bribery? Or, given Ms. Palin's history of vendetta against those she dislikes, extortion?

[PainPerdu]

70. Ensign's Parents are generous

Maybe they could help Sarah out....did she have an overniter on C Street,btw?

[DeSwiss]

11. Scooter Libby....

...was not an elected governor of a state who have their own lawyers already hired and paid-for, and on-staff. And whose salaries are paid for with the public's tax dollars. Sarah Palin "chose" not to utilize the Attorney General for the state of Alaska because the legislature wouldn't approve the appointment the one she picked (a racist and incompetent bastard), in addition to the fact that all legal records coming from the Attorney General's Office would ultimately be subject to public disclosure. On the other hand, if she hires her own attorneys, then any information that's released is left to her discretion.

- this is NOT something one wants in a so-called "accountable public official...."

[No Elephants]

22. In any event, choosing her own counsel was legal. So, why can't people help her pay for her fees,

if they so choose?

I do believe that, as a principle, people have a right to counsel of their own choosing, especially when charged with wrongdoing. I also believe in the attorney client privilege.

[DeSwiss]

44. Oh and I agree.

- I just don't think it's ethical. Which is always the case with Sarah though, now isn't it? Although I will say that I would also be miffed if I believed people (not from my state) ended up assisting someone financially, just so that they could subvert our laws.

[LiberalLovinLug]

75. This is the reason it should be illegal

You are equating it with pals coming over to help her move (to Washington) for a case of beer.

But once you are a big shot politician you shouldn't be accepting any money for anything outside of legal campaign donations.
The reason is that say you are a big shot bridge builder and you want the state to help finance your bridge to nowhere. Too bad there isn't any campaign going on at the moment so you can grease a few wheels. Then you hear about poor Sarah's legal problems, and voila! you make a nice big noticeable donation. For the sake of argument we could assume Mr. Bridgebuilder did not know about her impending resignation. Of course she has still 3 weeks sign a few papers. Sarah remembers her friends as well as her enemies.

[BR_Parkway]

87. Because if she wasn't resigning, then the people paying in would be

in a position to ask her for favors as Governor (or any other elected official).

[Steerpike]

89. the reason it may be illegal

is becouse she declared it the "official" fund. She hasn't even taken any money out of the fund. And, apparently she never will. The money will probobly be returned. These were donations made by individuals with a cap of 150 dollars. In fact if she does all thease things she will just have to pay a fine and all of this will go away. She will pay a fine and by this time next year she will be rolling in the dough to the tune of millions of dollars. After she dissolves this fund and resigns she can turn around and start another fund and this time keep the money.

[Taverner]

37. Dude, you just wrote the REAL story here

Once again, the GOP uses security by obscurity...

[DeSwiss]

58. What's so bad about it though....

...is that it still works at all.

[pnwmom]

34. I don't understand why she needed it, since the state was paying to defend her. nt

[Raspberry]

48. I don't understand either

Bill Clinton had a legal defense fund. Was that legal? If so, what's the difference with Palin?

[rhett o rick]

91. Palin is an idiot. Bill Clinton was a Rhodes scholar. Typical comparison.

Right wingers are uneducated idiots, immoral and just plain fucked up. They should be kicked out of the county, like you.

[jhrobbins]

69. It's not a matter of whether or not you understand it or even think it wrong or Ok-

it is agin Alaska law and that's the dealio.

[Steerpike]

80. Good Question

The finding to the Personnel board is that there is probable cause to proceed with an investigation. Sarah has not been found guilty of anything yet. The board has yet to examine the findings and then determine if an investigation is even warranted.
This preliminary finding was illegally leaked. But, there is no mechanism to punish people who leak these preliminary documents. And, so, people get the mistaken impression that there is something here...when in reality it's just smoke and mirrors.

[Soylent Brice]

5. is this the other shoe???

[tularetom]

16. My guess is that there is a whole Mrs Marcos closet full of "other shoes"

Palin stepped on a ton of people on the way up. The way down is gonna be a bumpy ride/

[Andy823]

28. I agree.

Who really knows how much more of these kind of things will come up in the future.

[PSzymeczek]

62. The upstairs neighbor is a millipede. n/t

[hamsterjill]

19. I hope it's a big boot!!!

I hope they actually have something and it's not just a headline. But then again, I still say she resigned for some specific reason, and not for the vague reasons that she gave.

[Twinguard]

6. I'm shocked!

Shocked, I tell you, shocked! A reichpublican (allegedly) bypassing those pesky rules and laws for personal gain??

SHOCKED!

[xultar]

8. How can she occur personal debts if the state has a budget for this stuff?

[No Elephants]

24. Why would having a state budget for something mean that she cannot pay herself, if she chooses?

If state law says she can't have her own lawyer and/or she can't use any funds for her defense other than the state funds, then she broke the law. But that's not the charge.

And if paying for it herself would be fine, I don't see the problem with letting people help her out, if they choose.

[Bette Noir]

43. Campaign finance laws. Anti corruption laws.

Public officials, members of the government, aren't supposed to ask people for money for random purposes.

[tabasco]

47. Hard to believe you don't understand graft and bribery.

Stop making yourself look stupid, if you can.

[Steerpike]

81. The state does not cover her legal fees.

No matter if they are found to be unfounded or frivolous, if she wants to have legal counsel, she has to pay. There are some legislators right now suggesting that we change that to avoid future problems.

[TygrBright]

9. Well, strike me purple and call me Wilberforce! Who EVER would-a thunk it?!? n/t

[sutz12]

10. "Again" or "still" Just askin'

[plcdude]

12. Well

that sounds like a good reason to resign from your governorship doesn't it?

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. So she violated ethics law by asking for money to fight ethics violations?

So the more unethical she is, the more money she gets?

Damn ! that girl is creative, in a crooked sorta way.

[luvspeas]

14. It's just the Gotcha Personnel Board playin politics agin...

oh where is Tina Fey when you really need her?

[Bleacher Creature]

15. OMG. Did the sun also rise in the east this morining????

[PainPerdu]

72. Phoenix Rising

That was Palin,rising from the asses this A.M.

I could see her from my front yard!

[TheCowsCameHome]

17. I'm stunned. Just stunned.

[mitchum]

18. This is Latest and Breaking, but it is hardly News

What is the nature of a corrupt grifter?

[DainBramaged]

20. I can see jail from my front yard

[Steerpike]

83. Good Day!

Even if she were to be found guilty the maximum punishement would be a fine. And, then she would have a finding that would allow her to set a new fund legally. Although I believe once her resignation is final she can set up a fund that is outside the jurisdiction of Alaska State law.

Also, I've been referring to the Personnel Board as the Ethics Board. But, I hope you all know what I mean.

[Botany]

21. But she said that the money for the lawyers was coming from the taxpayers ...

.... of Alaska and that is why she was going to step down because she didn't want their money to
be spent?





I still think her getting her lake house built for free as they were building the Wasilla hockey
rink is gonna come up.

[No Elephants]

27. Charging her with violations and investigating costs money; and the

taxpayers of Alaska pay for that, no matter who pays for Sarah to defend herself.


Not that I believe she gave a rat's tail how much it was costing Alaska to investigate. She sure didn't care when she asked for one of the investigations during her campaign because she thought it would clear her name. (It didn't, but she still claims it did.)

[Steerpike]

82. The money

The Alaskan citizens saw state money used to cover the cost of the PersonnelBoard investigation and the FOA requests. The Taxpayer has not paid for her legal defense or her personal lawyer's fees.

As for her house being built with city funds and resources. Ha, that's not beyond the realm of possibility. But, it is unlikely. I remember Sarah when she was first elected Mayor of Wasilla. The Sheriff thought he would become the de facto Mayor (he viewed her as an inexperianced little girl who could be easily manipulated). He had a good part of the population behind him too! After some very public and vocal head butting, Sarah fired the Sheriff (much to his shock and disbelief). And since that day, she has accrued a whole army of political enemies. If she had done anything illegal or unethical, her enemies would have dug it up and used it against her in a heartbeat. The FBI recently stated that they have no investigations and have to reason to believe that there will be any investigations on the Palins now or in the near future.

[valerief]

25. It's Jesus Plus Nothing for this broad. SHE obviously makes the rules, not the legislature. nt

[earth mom]

26. Can't wait to see how this all plays out. Is jail in Palins future?

Couldn't happen to a nastier person.

[Crowman1979]

60. Jailin Palin?

Great now I'm thinkin of her in a lesbo porn, thanks a freakin lot! LOL

[PainPerdu]

74. Jailin' n' Nailin' Palin

[peacetalksforall]

71. When she announced her resignation, the speculation was that there were mulitple

legal problems looming. Two? more?

[meow2u3]

29. No wonder Palin is resigning

I know something was fishy with her. She didn't want the door opened to her closet; that was where she kept her skeleton stash.

[Joey Liberal]

30. She's the gift that keeps on giving:)................. nt

[PatrynXX]

31. Fairly sure she quit because of something big

of course her spin machine says all these are frivolous and that she's never been guilty of any of them. Which is false. Think she forgets troopergate.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

35. I think that there is more and this is just the tip of the iceberg

[PainPerdu]

73. Get that mojo workin',girl..

Hope she's got that witchdoctor pastor on speed dial!!!!!!

[Steerpike]

84. Spin is as spin does.

The Personnel Board has found in her favor in all the charges examined so far. Of course, ultimately none of these are jailable offenses. And most are pretty petty on their face.

[truthisfreedom]

32. What a trainwreck that bitch is.

You heard me. Bitch.

[wryter2000]

36. Palin implicated in ethics probe

*Yawn* Again?

[Kingofalldems]

38. Didn't she basically call Obama a terrorist while

the crowd shouted, "Kill him!"? I seem to remember that. And she has a pal here who wants Democrats to socialize with her.

[Steerpike]

85. well

I don't advocate voting for her. I didn't...nor do I care if you socialize with her....I don't...but a certain amount of facts and civility would be nice. Hoping she gets homosexually raped in prison is just one of the many statements made in this thread that I find uncalled for.
I know she did some crazy ass shit during the last campaign and sure we should all call her on that. I just feel compelled to show her a little fairness, which I would do for anyone regardless of their race, creed, religion, sexual orientation or national origin.

well...now that I've alienated everyone here....

[Steerpike]

86. hmmmmmm....

Kind of quiet in here...

hey do you know the difference between God and Sarah Palin?

God, doesn't think he's Sarah Palin...

One of my concerns about sarah leaving is the resurgance of the Corporatists. No one knows exactly what is coming and that is kind of unnerving.
As far as the state goes, we are going back to square one. The new Governor will be Sean Parnell, a former oil lobbyist, is a party line Republican. I can see the days of Frank Murkowski making a big comeback. Randy Ruidrich (The Head corporatist...the leader or the Republican Party of Alaska and chief clone of big oil in the state) and Parnell are probobly in a backroom right now smoking cigars and plotting Big Oils reclamation of Alaska. We are pretty much fucked. Unless you are a corporatist, in which case you are probobly dancing on your tiptoes and singing "happy days are here again" interspersed with a chorus of "We're in the Money!" .
As to Sarah Palin; I assume she will take her show nationwide and make a tubload of money in speaking fees and of course after this month she can legally profit from her book to the tune of a couple of million. She will reposition herself as the new Ralph Reed. Eventually becoming a leader of the religious right, her strengths will be magnified exponentially. Although the religious right only encompasses a few million you will find that they love Sarah. She's like a cross of the Virgin Mary and Joan of Arc. Their "passion" for her will be limitless.
I think her enemies will find that their big mistake was that they did not kill her (metaphorically). Couse now she is only going to get stronger. And she'll be rich too!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

39. A Republican scandal that doesn't involve sex?

Palin may have her Republican membership revoked.

[Optical.Catalyst]

40. Palin is dirty, Palin is guilty, let's watch the Republican blow up doll go to jail

Good riddance to evil.

Not just evil, but stupid evil.

I hope she rots.

[Bette Noir]

41. I knew it. When she announced her resignation,

I figured there was a 10% chance that she was pregnant, and a 90%chance that there was an ethics problem that would stick.

Even a small-county sheriff (Orange County, California) knows that you have to quit your official position before you can accept money or donated services to defend against an ethics charge.

[Corey_Baker08]

45. K&R n/t

[Yavin4]

46. It's Unethical Because She'd Be Indebted To Those Private Interests

Some shady organization(s) could pay her fees, and then they'd have influence over her.

[Vidar]

49. No great surprise.

[tabatha]

50. Here is the complaint in PDF

http://news.bnonews.com/j9hp

[berni_mccoy]

51. What's that smiley I'm looking for.... OH YEAH

[The Backlash Cometh]

52. This is referred to as the other shoe.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

53. No, no, no, no, NO!

It's another attack by her enemies! Whoever they may be. And by attacking her, they are showing themselves to be lesser Alaskans and Americans, dontcha know?

just for cma purposes k.

For the record, I'm just glad it wasn't health related. Not a wisher of that on anyone.

That being said, Grill Sarah Grill!

[AllyCat]

54. You don't say? Wow, well that is out of left-field. Oh wait, you mean Palin?

shock over. Illegality was predicted by more than one person in her stepping down as Guv, but this seems small potatoes compared to what govs usually do. Wonder what else is coming...

[MissDeeds]

55. She's a Republican

That's an ethical violation in my book.

[davidpdx]

56. Hey Sarah, there's still time to file a complain against yourself

get a favorable ruling and then say you had nothing to do with it. LOL

[DCBob]

57. Many Repubs probably won't see any problem with this -- business as usual..

But this will be the last straw for most. If she wasn't finished before, she is now.

[waiting for hope]

59. Wait! Do I hear something?

Clunk.

[Spazito]

61. I think the breach of ethics is because of the way the fund was set up...

rather than there was a fund at all. It still isn't that clear but this sentence from the article:

"An investigator for the state Personnel Board says in his July 14 report that there is probable cause to believe Palin used or attempted to use her official position for personal gain because she authorized the creation of the trust as the "official" legal defense fund."

The word "official" being in quotes is what is leading me to believe it is the how that is the problem not the existence of the fund itself.

[Gman]

63. LOL!

[Dappleganger]

64. Repost!

Oh, wait.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

65. *YAWN*

How many of these fucking stories have their been? She's like Reagan, teflon. Call me when something sticks.

[fascisthunter]

66. This is why she stepped down

I have a hunch she is in bigger trouble than this...

[superconnected]

68. She has ethics?

[sellitman]

90. Stop picking on this poor Good Christian Woman.

Just kidding..

Have at it.