Ethics Complaint Filed – Palin Still Begging Money from the Public
8 12 2009
Those of you counting ethics complaints on your fingers and toes are about to run out soon. Yesterday another ethics complaint was filed against ex-governor Sarah Palin by her one-time political ally, Republican Andrée McLeod.
This particular complaint addresses Palin’s legal defense fund, hubristically named “The Alaska Fund Trust.” Back in July, we learned through another ethics complaint that launched an investigation, that the AFT is probably in violation of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.
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.
So what did the ex-governor and long-time friend Kristan Cole, trustee of the AFT do after they got word of this? Nothing. The Alaska Fund Trust website is unbelievably still taking donations. They’re still accepting those $5 checks from Granny in Arkansas to pay off Palin’s six-figure legal debt, while the supposed beneficiary of the money is jetting around the country promoting her best-selling book and raking in the millions. So, please… keep your donations coming.
This latest ethics complaint regards this lack of response on the part of the Trust and the ex-governor, whom the AFT website still refers to as “current governor Sarah Palin.” News flash folks! She quit five months ago, in case you weren’t paying attention.
“Palin continues to compromise the integrity of our Governor’s Office,” says McLeod. “She continues to misuse her official position even though she was told it is wrong to do. What we have is the epitome of a culture of corruption. Why do public officials permit Palin to get away with bad behavior? Why does justice not prevail on the side of the people in the follow through of what has already been established as an unscrupulous pot of money? We still don’t know how much has been collected during her term and whose been paid from the fund. Why does the administration continue to protect and defend Sarah Palin, even when she’s caught, red-handed, selling out the Office of the Governor?”
There always seem to be more questions than answers.
Read the entire document —-> Dec 09 Palin Legal Defense Fund complaint
December 8th, 2009 at 11:00 PM
I think Sarah stayed up late one night watching TV as usual (while she lied to everyone about reading of course). She saw Ron White on stage and a little bell went off in her empty head when she heard him say “You just can’t fix stupid”.
“Oy vey!”, she cried to herself (but don’t ask her to spell that ya know – she thinks it’s French anyway). “Why didn’t I think of that! The Outside is just full of stupid people and they are low hanging fruit to the likes of me!” she drooled. “All I have to do is write a fake book like my fake resume and they will be silly putty in my sweaty, bony palms! These snotty Alaskans are beginning to catch on so I’m heading off to stupid land, where I will be the Stupid Queen! If I whine and bellyache like I’ve been practicing, they’ll keep donating more money because I am the Stupid Martyr!”
Her botox laden face couldn’t quite crack an evil smile, but to give her credit where credit is due, she tried.
December 8th, 2009 at 11:38 PM
You’d think the Democrats in this state would spill the beans on $carah…..
December 8th, 2009 at 11:42 PM
Thanks, Andree.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:34 AM
@Beth – Remember who is running the sarahpac site. It’s people stupid enough to support Sarah. They can’t differentiate between “an individual” or “individuals”. Their mentor struggles to string a coherent sentence together also too! $5,000 per individual is a maximum for any pac – unfortunately, we can’t hold them accountable for being inept. I’d be more surprised if you didn’t find several more grammatical errors on the site. Poor pathetic things…
December 9th, 2009 at 1:08 AM
Wasn’t there some boast in her “book” about how $P took on the CBC (Corrupt Ba%$*&#*@ Club) and took them down? So now it looks like she has hijacked the club name, and it will become the Corrupt Bit#^&@ Club !!
December 9th, 2009 at 5:12 AM
The evaluation of ethics complaints is obviously too partisan. If you want real ethics reform, you need bi-partisan (and/or non-partisan) members who are widely respected for their objectivity and fairness, not political appointees. As a compromise, at a minimum there needs to a balance of members. It is obvious that there is a conflict of interest when a panel includes appointees of the very person being investigated — that should be an ethics violation on its face! There should be a requirement for recusal of the appointees in such cases, and an alternate process that does not have such blatant inherent conflicts of interest. Regarding the AG’s proposal to charge those filing complaints with the costs of the investigation, it would make more sense to have a bipartisan screening process which would screen out any truly frivolous complaints (thus no need for fees), and/or if any fees are levied, to assess the costs of the investigation to the (former) official under investigation (that would be you, Mrs. Palin), where there is a finding that the claim has merit.
December 9th, 2009 at 6:52 AM
Maybe the Attorney General of Alaska should ask himself what is morally and ethically required of his position and actually do something to preserve the dignity of the State of Alaska instead of finding ways to get the legal fees of Sarah Palin paid for by the taxpayers.
Funny how he isn’t concerned with the conflict of interest in having the Personnel Board investigate its own boss. No lack of potential ethical lapses there, especially with AGs of Alaska prepared to look the other way.
Its people like that who enable the Sarah Palins of the world.
December 9th, 2009 at 6:56 AM
Daisydem @ 8…. unfortunately, that’s what’s called free speech.
December 9th, 2009 at 10:49 AM
I seem to remember, when the AK Trust Fund was first started, there was much congratulatory chest-thumping by SP et.al about how above-board and legal and all, it was.
So much so, as a matter of pride-full fact, that they were going to prove it each and every quarter by issuing a FULL report of monies collected, monies expended/disbursed (AND on what those monies were expended/disbursed), and on monies remaining in the Fund.
In other words, they were going to make a PUBLIC declaration of ALL the Fund’s activities: Full Disclosure. If I’m not mistaken, that specific provision was even written up as part of their guidelines/bylaws/regulations.
Yes; that quarterly disclosure thingie is definitely one of the bits I seem to remember about the Fund from when it started up. So, that being the case, I’ve a couple of questions:
1) Did I remember correctly that there was to be full, on-going, quarterly disclosure of the Alaska Trust Fund’s finances? [Or am I confusing it with some other SP-connected 'fund'?]
2) Has there been any accounting made (to the public and/or to any non-ATF personnel) of where those ATF-collected monies have been used?
‘They’ say the mind is the first thing to go…but I’m really baffled that I would remember something so clearly about the ATF if it weren’t the case. Any one have any idea about what might have gotten me so confused about the public accounting of its in-coming and (more importantly) out-going finances? beth.
December 9th, 2009 at 10:53 AM
that should be Alaska Fund Trust, Trust’s, and AFT. Hate when that happens… beth.
December 9th, 2009 at 5:33 PM
twain12 said:
Why do public officials permit Palin to get away with bad behavior?
yup, that’s the million dollar question.
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It appears that the going price for Alaska public officials is well under $10,000.
December 9th, 2009 at 7:12 PM
Since Huff Post blocked this I’ll try posting here.
Sarah has no moral code and no moral compass. She will continue to make up her own amoral rules and live by them, while condemning those acts in others, even if the basis of the condemnation is only her own hate filled attitude toward anyone who she disagrees with.
As long as she has Murdoch and other wealthy supporters and she can get paid to continue to lie and cheat she will be perfectly happy to do so.
She is in fact the perfect political automaton.
No brains.
No thoughts of her own.
A sieve like memory for facts.
No morals.
No scruples.
No regrets.
She’ll do and say anything for money and a place in the spot light.
Even if it is the opposite of what she said yesterday.
She is a pluperfect political parrot who repeats outrageous political lies and can embellish them.
She is the first person to be convinced by her own lies.
She is mean spirited.
She is spiteful.
She is vengeful and is tenacious in her vengeance.
She uses whatever power she can muster to harm and belittle former friends and supporters.
And loves doing it.
December 12th, 2009 at 1:12 PM
WTF??? She should be paying her OWN legal bills now that she’s a multimillionaire.
I can’t believe there are still suckers who donate to her. I guess there aren’t enough psychiatrists available to examine everyone’s head.
December 12th, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Tawddy and S’cara deserve to be in jail for their crimes. He, for ignoring subpeonas, and she for all we all know she’s done. If they were “plain-o” people, they’d be languishing in their own wing of the jail.
December 14th, 2009 at 4:51 PM
You go Andree! I hope she gets somewhere this time.
Didn’t EXGOV $arah get a $7million advance for her book? Perhaps that’s where the money came from for her new house.
The AFT is in violation of their OWN working documents that states a quarterly report shall be produced and made available. I’m still waiting to see the first one. It’s apparently does not exist. I’ve even resorted to emailing you fine (snark) new Governor, Sean Parnell about it. He’s blown me off and to date, hasn’t responded to me. Not that I expected him to hop straight on it, but still…it’s been months.
$arah is all about the dollars. She is opportunistic and cares only about what will benefit her. She is smug and narcissistic to the core. If she believes something to be true or false in her own mind, then regardless if the facts, she must be right at all cost. That’s a scary trait to have. I have the utmost respect for someone who makes a mistake and does everything they can to rectify it. I’ve never seen her admit her shortcomings. It’s always somebody’s fault in her sick, twisted mind.
This will hopefully all catch up with her soon and she will be made to take responsibility for all her misdeeds. I truly believe in Karma and she can’t go on much longer without getting her much deserved spanking.
Helen, from MargaretandHelen.com is reading and writing chapter reviews of Going Rogue, just like she did on Ann Coulter’s book. (Bess you Helen) The first installment is up already and Helen is spot on.
As long as all of you Alaskan’s that know the truth stay strong and remain persistent, eventually the powers that be will have no choice but to listen. I would love to see this complaint taken to the higher ups if they don’t properly investigate this by UNBIASED people.
Good luck.