Sarah Fights Back Over Latest Ethics Charge

I think that it will end as those other 17 or 18 have ended...with nothing. People need to let it go. This is a large part of why she resigned, because it is costing the people of Alaska money! As she said in the Today show interview, the ethics committee is paid for by Alaskans, and it has been expensive, and she has personally racked up a bill of about 500k...and for what. So far they have all been unfounded charges. What should we learn from this...that Sarah Palin is *gasp* ethical?? How odd in a politician!

Well she didn't start the fund, nor has she received a single penny from it. If there is a violation, then as far as I can tell the person at fault would be the person operating it, Kristan Cole. According to the press release from Kristan Cole. "This Trust was created by a team of expert lawyers from around the country. It was thoroughly vetted for compliance with federal and state law and trust law. So far Mr. Daniel is the only lawyer in the country who has questioned a legal defense fund despite the fact that his firm has set up legal defense funds for other office holders." She also said "I want to be clear on a point that has been misrepresented: The Governor is not and was not involved with the Trust. The Governor has never worked on or with the Trust. The Governor has not even accepted or requested one penny from the Trust or quite frankly anything of me. And I have never expected anything from her. Really it’s quite the contrary; as I, and many other caring folks across the country have only sought to help with this legal burden. The first and only time I have spoken with the Governor about the Trust was yesterday to alert her that I was responding to this violation of the law and leak of preliminary and confidential materials from the complainant." http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2009/07/trustee-kristan-cole-on-ethics.html So far I have yet to see evidence of any actions Palin has taken regarding this fund at all, much less actions that would be unethical. This really looks like another frivolous complaint which will be dismissed just like the rest.

This charge was filed by the woman who has filed 6 of the last 8 charges against the Gov. According to an ABC Report the investigator met with the lady, who filed the complaint, before the charges have been filed. "It is a clear violation of Alaska law that Mr. Daniel explicitly reviewed with Ms. Chatman prior to her illegal actions. (My words the lady is suspected of leaking the confidential report) We will be contacting the appropriate authorities for review and action," Van Flein said. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=8141347&page=2 According to the AP story posted on Yahoo News http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090721/world/us_palin_ethics_complaint_6 It appears that setting up a legal defence fund, which was done by an attorney for a friend of the Governor's, because a private citizen can do that. The question is does the governors position give her an advantage that the private citizen does not have. As pointed out in the article Alaska has no lawyer for the governor to defend her/him in their official actions. Most states have such provisions. Ms. Chatman succeed in what the lawyer, who set up the defence fund, is concerned about. That is you can run a person out of office by filing false ethics charges and the Governor has to pay out of pocket to defend him/her. You can be driven out of office because you can not afford to defend yourself. Just think no messy elections, no cost to you and you can control who stays in office.

As you say, she hasn't accessed the fund so even if they decide she can't raise funds on a website with her picture on it that also mentions she's the governor of Alaska, I say "no harm, no foul". If they rule against her, they should just return the donations. She was never in charge of it and her attorneys set it up. As far as she knew it was all perfectly legal. Lots of people, including politicians set up such defense funds. The problem is a new law in Alaska that could prohibit this, other states don't have that law. If the ethics laws prohibit her from raising funds using her image and title, then they do and the fund can't be used. As for intent, I don't think there was intent to commit an unethical act so I don't think any fines should be imposed.

My understanding of this is that she played no part in the setting up of the fund nor did she authorize it, but others did it to help her out as did Hilary and others in the political limelight. It's not a violation of Federal ethics, but apparently Alaska law doesn't allow for it, which is where the problem comes in. The people setting it up apparently didn't check local laws before doing it. I don't think she can be charged if she never made use of the money and if she didn't set up the fund. I don't recall that she ever went out soliciting for it, either. And, I'm definitely NOT a Palin fan, but I don't see this one having a lot of validity if she didn't authorize it, didn't make direct requests for it and never made use of it.

So they are not planning in letting this woman rest at all, are they? And I would like to know what's so different than any other politicians out there? And yes, please put the money that they are spending in prosecuting this woman on something else already.