Palin’s Legal Defense Fund Isn’t. (Updated)
Today in the Hotel Captain Cook a press conference was held in the “Advenuture Room” and as I settled in to my seat I thought to myself, what a perfect location.
The purpose of the press conference was to discuss the ruling on an ethics complaint filed against Sarah Palin almost a year ago. There have been other ethics complaints that have come and gone with little more than a thumb on the nose, and wiggly fingers from Palin, her attorney Thomas Van Flein and her former spokeswoman Meg Stapleton. Then a press release saying, “See? Yet another frivolous ethics complaint showing absolutely nothing wrong, bla bla bla”. Some of these decisions I’ve agreed with, others not. And while all these other ethics complaints were dealt with, one by one… always this one remained “out there.” Now, a year later…
A press conference was held, prefaced by a mysterious Facebook announcement from Thomas Van Flein that the governor was about to “take one for the team.” The team? What team? Is this like when she quit her job for the good of the state of Alaksa so she could best use her talents and gifts to help our state from the outside? We’re still waiting on that one. And why was this conference being given by Tim Petumenos (the independent investigator who found Palin innocent of abusing her power in the Troopergate investigation the day before the 2008 election, and right after a legislative investigation had found her guilty)? What happened to Tom Daniel, the original investigator? So many questions.
For the sturdy of heart, the “Findings of Independent Counsel, Consent Decree and Settlement Agreement” are HERE.
But here are the highlights:
The independent counsel found two grounds for finding that the Alaska Fund Trust (Palin’s Legal Defense Fund) does not comply with the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.
1) The language of the website for the fund consituted using public office to obtain a private benefit.
2) The Trustee of the trust was herself a public official (Kristan Cole, Agriculture Board) and therefore her role as Trustee was “improper” because she, as a public official, would be conferring substantial benefits on another public official, the governor. Ethical issues came into play through her service as trustee, in raising funds, and that she had substantial discretion in naming others to the trust who might also be public officials.
There are two situations that could result in an accusation, according to Petumenos:
1) If it is a knowing violation
2) If the situation cannot be corrected
According to the ex-governor:
She had no idea that the Alaska Fund Trust violated anything. She just listened to “the advice of counsel.” No clue at all that anything was amiss or unethical. So since she had no idea she was doing anything wrong, she should not be found guilty of violating anything.
Petumenos made sure to point out that while it is the responsibility of every public official, according to statute, to personally make sure they are complying with the Ethics Act, it’s reasonable to assume that in cases of law, we sometimes delegate that to professionals and ask lawyers to advise us. He also said that in this case he was critical with the degree to which it was delegated to Meg Stapleton and not handled by the governor directly.
The remedy:
All the donors to the Alaska Fund Trust will be refunded the money that they donated prior to the resignation of the governor, because once she quit her job as governor, the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act ceases to apply. The total amount before her resignation gathered by the Trust is $386,856. The total amount received after her resignation (and her book deal) is $33,546. Legal and other expenses incurred by the trust come to $87,680.
The trust, the way it is worded now, could currently apply to any sitting public official. So, in order for the post-resignation fund to continue (ethically from now on), either the Trustee Kristan Cole must resign her public office, or the language must be narrowed so it could not cover any sitting public official. The other option of course, is that the trust could simply be terminated. Palin chose termination. But no worries, a new fund is already up and running. Instead of the hubristically named “Alaska Fund Trust” the new fund is now named for what it is – the Sarah Palin Legal Defense Fund.
Palin has agreed to all the conditions and has been cooperative, according to Petumenos. She has not taken any money for herself or for her attorney fees since the date the complaint was filed, as she was instructed. Some of the funds were expended on legal services and other expenses of the trust (see above), but the donors will receive a full refund of any donations made prior to the governor’s resignation. Donations made after she resigned don’t apply since the Ethics Act does not apply to private citizens.
Tim Petumenos, it turns out, took over the investigation from Tom Daniel because his law firm was somehow connected with Barack Obama. To keep the Palinbots from having an unholy fit, everything began again from square one with Petumenos. Petumenos came to the same conclusions that Daniel had come to at the point he took over, and found Daniel’s investigation to be on target.
Interestingly, Mr. Van Flein seems to have been the only one around waving red flags about the potential unethical nature of the trust, and strongly recommended that the Trust be submitted tot he Department of Law for pre-approval pursuant to Alaska Statute 39.52.210, as the governor had done twice before with respect to other ethics complaints. This would make sense considering that the other attorneys from out of state would not be as familiar with the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act as the Attorney General of the State of Alaska and its Department of Law. According to the finding:
“Governor Palin chose not to accept the advice of Mr. Van Flein, and followed instead the advice of another attorney who recommended against seeking the advice of the Governor’s ethics supervisor (the attorney general), who advised to simply contest the ‘inevitable’ complaint when it came. In retrospect the advice to seek perapproval from the ethics officer provided to the Governor under the statute seems the better course, particularly when this was the first attempt at such a trust agreement in Alaska and ethics complaints were likely. Governor Palin was nevertheless following the express advice of one of her attorneys who told her the Trust complied with all laws and was indeed unassailable. The decision not to seek prior Department of Law approval, while contraray to Mr. Van Flein’s advice, was approved by another attorney.”
The governor, when confronted with the choice of picking the outside lawyer that told her what she wanted to hear, vs. picking the one that knew state law and told her what she didn’t want to hear… Well, we all know how that went. Thomas Van Flein, whom I have often cast in the role of Snidely Whiplash in the never-ending Palin drama actually did good this time. A cookie for Snidely – I thought to myself.
And that’s that. The money goes back to the thousands of people who sent in their checks, and the ex-half-gov has signed off. Go check out her signature on the .pdf, just for fun. I think she actually may have torn through the paper while signing.
And just when you thought it was all over and done…. Let the hand-wringing hysteria, and begging for dollars begin!
Mind you, the press conference began at 2:00pm sharp, and by 2:18pm and 58 seconds, while Petumenos was still standing before the press in The Adventure Roon, a mass email went out to everyone who had donated to the suddenly moribund Alaska Fund Trust. Prepare yourself. It’s a doozy. My comments are in red.
In these trying economic times, I’m sure they’ll have dozens of people who choose to give their hard-earned discretionary income to an ethically challenged multi millionaire. You can wade through the letter, and then we’ll get back to the press conference.
Dear AKM,
Sarah Palin’s enemies have scored another victory in their vicious campaign to smear, bankrupt, and force this dedicated (quitter) public servant and conservative leader out of politics!
They have successfully questioned her prior legal defense fund–a fund that mirrored John Kerry’s fund and Bill Clinton’s fund (who weren’t bound by the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act). So a new fund was necessary to make sure Sarah Palin can continue to speak the truth to Americans. (Would spending .5 million of her more than $15 million render her mute?)
As you know, Governor Palin made the painful decision to resign last summer rather than waste the good people of Alaska’s time responding to the more than 27 frivolous lawsuits filed against her and her family by left-wing extremists. (Lawsuits? Actually there were TWO lawsuits, both filed by a Republican. Lawsuits and ethics complaints are not the same thing. But you know that. And the VAST majority of ethics complaints were filed by registered Republicans.)
Now her enemies say she’s not even allowed to defend herself. (Umm. She did. And she agreed to fix what was wrong after the guy she wanted was put in charge of the investigation and STILL found the fund to be unethical.)
Alaska is perhaps the only state in the U.S. where the Attorney General does not routinely represent the governor when accusations and complaints are filed against the governor under the operative ethics statutes. (Each position has an ethics advisor and the governor’s would be the Attorney General she refused to consult abou this decision)This means that the governor has to personally pay for her or his own defense.
That means not only was Sarah Palin required by law to respond to each and every frivolous lawsuit (Ethics complaint, you mean. And remember the most expensive one is one she filed against herself!) filed against her by left-wing activists (see above), but she also had to personally foot millions of dollars in legal bills (I thought it was $500,000) to defend herself from this massive witch hunt.
My friend, that’s money Governor Palin simply didn’t have on a state salary. (She certainly has it now)
So some of Sarah’s closest friends decided to put together a trust fund to help her pay the legal fees to rebut these relentless, frivolous lawsuits.(see above)The word “official” was used to distinguish the Alaska Fund Trust from other legal defense funds that were starting to pop up and no one knew if these would comply with disclosure laws, lobbyist restrictions, etc. (And no one bothered to ask the Attorney General or the Department of Law about THIS one either)
But now – because she used the word “official” – an independent counsel decided that the Trust ”violated” the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act and now requires the Trust to send back every single donation raised by the defense fund while she was governor. (See the actual reasons for the violation above, including the ‘close friend’ who was also a public official)
The left-wing media wants you to think Governor Palin is an “ethics violator.” But they ignore the actual findings that Governor Palin acted in good faith and relied on a team of expert trust lawyers to set it up. (The “left wing” media wasn’t even out of the press conference when you sent this out! And it seems like that ‘expert’ lawyer didn’t do his homework very well.)
They ignore that Governor Palin stated one overriding principle: if the trust fund could be lawfully set up, she would support it. (And it wasn’t. But she did anyway.) That is hardly the action of a person bent on skirting the law, contrary to the hysterical commentaries. But they ignore the truth and prefer to propagate lies about Sarah Palin. (There ARE no hysterical commentaries because the press conference was STILL GOING ON! And do you mean lying like calling ethics complaints “lawsuits?” Good grief.)
AKM, this ruling is nothing but a political hatchet job designed to embarrass Governor Palin, destroy her financially (not very likely), and smear her good (ha!) name. But YOU can help restore her good name!
What they DON’T want you to know is that:
- The National Democratic Committee used its Alaska chapter, the Alaska Democratic Party (ADP), to create a web site with one stated goal: “Keep Sarah Palin Out of Public Office.” (Yay! Sign me up!) To this day, the Democrats are using this web site to publicly seek donations for funding bogus “legal challenges involving issues related to Sarah Palin.” (Here’s the website, go check it out! CLICK HERE And can you imagine using Sarah Palin as a fundraiser?! The gall.)
- The ADP’s “Keep Sarah Palin Out of Public Office” campaign has used our own legal system to sponsor over two dozen ethics complaints against Governor Palin. Yet out of 27 complaints, 26 have already been dismissed! (The website came into being long after the ethics complaints were filed and after most were resolved. Nice try.)
- Last but not least, the so-called “independent counsel” who started this investigation was an attorney from none other than President Barack Obama’s law firm. (He was replaced, and the entire process was started over again to keep you from having a hissy fit. Guess that didn’t work.)
My friend, this is a witch hunt, pure and simple.
So today we are starting over. Her legal bills are still there and growing. (Because you’re too cheap to pay them and move on) Will you please help her and give your very best gift to The Sarah Palin Legal Defense Fund today? (No.) It is urgent that we help relieve this crushing legal burden. (How much was that book deal again? How many of those $100,000 speaking engagements have there been? Crushing legal burden? Puh-leez)
Yours truly,The Sarah Palin Legal Defense Fund
Meg Stapleton
P.S. When Governor Palin complained about Barack Obama’s law firm having a conflict of interest during the investigation, they were replaced by attorney Timothy Petumenos, whose public records show repeated financial contributions to Democrats running for Alaskan office. You tell me what’s going on here! We need your help! (Tim Petumenos was the one running the investigation by the Personnel Board that said the then governor was innocent of any wrong doing in the Troopergate incident, and released the findings in her favor the day before the election… So, was he wrong then too? You can’t have it both ways. He’s brilliant in November of 2008 when you got let off the hook, but he’s a partisan hack now? )
*******************************************
Post script:
I did get to meet the infamous Thomas Van Flein today after I gave him that virtual cookie. I was packing up my laptop and I heard a voice say, “Are you growing your hair out?” I didn’t think anything of it until I stood up from my packing and realized that the only people standing in the immediate area were me, and Thomas Van Flein who was standing close by. “I’m sorry, were you talking to me?” I asked. “Yes…. Are you growing your hair out?” I have let my hair get long recently, and I was trying to figure out what the appropriate response to this strange repeated question might be, when the vague weird creepiness struck me, and I promptly took back the cookie. But you will be happy to know that I was able to refrain, and resist the temptation to say, “Yes. Are you?”
~Palin photo is mine. #2 and #3 are courtesy of Zachary Roberts #4 Linda Kellen Biegel
Of corse there is another “fund” already up and going. It doesn’t mention the millions she has made in the last year, or the fact that most of the expense was for the complaint she filed against herself.
Not only is a new fund already set up but in the text of the site she is still be referred to as , “Governor” .
Wha Teh Eff , I say.
She’s a flaming narcissist. I’m surprised she hasn’t set it up as POTUS.
no way she is going to let that money go back to the donors…and those clueless donors will demand she keep the money.
Of course I can’t spell.
There is another fund going already? Didn’t know that. I only heard about the AFT and SarahPac. What’s the other one called?
Go to: http://www.sarahpalinlegaldefensefund.org/faq.php
Also, you will love the info and comments to a prior posting today here on The Mudflats: Voices from the Flats – Will Palin Be Hit With Another Abuse of Power Finding? by Geoffrey Dunn. The info there will astound you.
Amazing. It still sounds like a convoluted mess. Can’t figure out why Petumenos is involved either, and of course, SP2 won’t have anything to say about it, I bet. I hope they disband the damn thing after the money is repaid. I’d like to assume that there will be a full accounting of monies received and disbursed, but I won’t hold my breath. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next.
Separately, a previous post mentioned that Andree McLeod was going further on the Todd email charges. Can you write something later about what that means? An appeal? Something else? Thanks AKM.
Not being a lawyer there is not much that anyone in that class can contribute except to say my goodness what IS that smell?
I was always taught that ignorance of the law is no excuse for violating the law, regardless of how much ‘adivce’ one might have received to the contrary. One would think actually, that upon the counsel of numbers of lawyers if one still transgressed, the logical interpretation would be that such transgression was willful and in disdain of the law, not ignorance. The claim seems contradictory on its face.
Why am I not surprised?
Yeah, we got that speech from the Sheriff in grammar school, around 3rd grade. What grade is P:per in now? Grifting or Advanced Grifting?
If she’s being home-schooled, it’s definitely Advanced Grifting, bless her heart.
Let me understand this: because Sarah says she didn’t know she was doing anything wrong, therefore she cannot be held guilty. So they take her word for it, without any real investigation? If they did any kind of rigorous investigation of her “word,” why didn’t they discuss that because right now it just seems as if whatever Sarah says is accepted as The Truth.
Does that same principle apply to all crimes of intent? If the alleged defendant says, “oh, gosh, I didn’t know I did anything wrong, I should not be held accountable,” we should let them alone. What about “ignorance of the law is no excuse? What about evidence?
Golly, gee, it must be nice to one of the privileged elites like Sarah to whom basic principles do not apply. No one makes her prove her anything. The media doesn’t yet seem engaged enough to do anything other than (1) accept her perspective without question, or (2) laugh and ridicule her. I look forward to some real journalists doing some real investigative footwork and revealing the real truth behind these constructed truths. The books Dunn and McGinnis are working on may not tell all the story, may not damage the myth of the Great Sarah, and may not bring her reign of lies to an end, but surely they can do a better job at delving into these bizarre stories than these pro-Palin investigators have done.
read the report AKM linked…
she waived attorney-client privilege and the attorneys were interviewed…
she chose what she wanted to hear, not what was smart…
so she’s still our whatzername…
sucky buttercup
blamey whinehouse…
fruitlooparama…
“Blamey Whinehouse” – nice one!
A mudpup came up with that one a year or so ago… can’t remember who now but have always thought it one of the best
I thought Jon Stewart of The Daily Show came up with that.
nswfm-
you are correct!
I don’t have TV and was on dial-up until recently so had never seen this:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-13-2009/blamey-whinehouse
I simply remembered seeing the all-too-appropriate name mentioned here on the ‘flats
and while I wish I was that clever didn’t want to take credit for some one else’s idea…
Thank heavens for high speed internet!
Its the defense Reagan used during the Iran Contra hearings. Plausible Deniability it was called.
KS Sunflower, we need a KSMuckraker to help sort out that disastrous Kobach fellow. And Brownback.
Agreed. How many people, mostly celebrities try to hide behind what their lawyer supposedly told them, or what their accountants suggested, when trying to dodge something they are ultimately responsible for, like tax evasion. Your accountant could screw up your finances but you are the one the IRS is coming after. And to say she did anything in good faith, is laughable.
This thought just crossed my mind so I am throwing it out here for others to muse upon.
In the past year, the Palins have pulled down some major money from Murdoch, to the tune
of about $12 million. That is chump change of course to Murdoch and the oil corporations.
But what if, upon the sage advice of their army of lawyers, the Palins invested a huge portion
of their new found wealth in the husband’s old company? BP? After all, nobody can buy $12
million worth of clothes in one shopping spree. So suppose they dumped $10 million into BP
shares on the assumption that they would be safe and solid and now golly gosh, they are only
worth $5 million.
Can anyone here outline what running for election requires in terms of financial disclosures?
Does anyone here want to bet that if Palin was to run for election in 2012 she would try to stonewall on financial disclosures?
Just thinking out loud.
I agree; I think she would try and stonewall. I suspect she hasn’t given much thought to all the stuff that is going to kick-in once she declares. I may be hoping against hope here, but I think even the mainstream media will finally start taking all these long-standing allegations seriously. Surely some reporter will see it as an opportunity to make his or her name by exposing things that have been glossed over or purposely buried.
All goes into the “Pie in the Sky” fund. What has happened with that? Anyone ever figure out just what sort of shenanigan she pulled there?
You do have a point. When I worked for Big Oil employees were able to buy shares at discounted prices. Todd Palin quit his job around the time the manuscript for ‘Going Rogue’ would have been delivered and paid for. He could well have bought discounted shares before he quit. After all, what could go wrong?
That would be the sweetest karma ever. Drill,Baby,Drill loses all her assets by investing in BP.
Wow, how I wish I could be at that speech at CSU tomorrow. Somebody is going to be seriously medicated.
If the students protest, she will turn that into another episode of her saga: Everyone Is Being Mean to Me.
I wonder if she will follow her usual script or finally try to do something new. New isn’t good for Sarah. Like GWB, if she tries to ad lib, she sticks her little pointy shoes into her mouth. I bet she’s not sleeping well tonight.
If she does intend to declare, I wonder if we will be treated to yet another pregnancy to distract from her lack of substance.
The simple fact is, everyone *should* be mean to her. She doesn’t merit any more attention than a carney barker.
I still think that she will not show… she will become “ill,” or Trig will get sick, or the plane will develop “mechanical problems…”. I could go on and on, but I think you get my drift.
Accountability is not her strong suit, her forte`, her THING.
.
She hasn’t been able to use Trig in months, so perhaps this is her opportunity to remind everyone about him.
My patience with this woman is wearing thin. She stinks. So does her husband. It’s time to out him and his past associations, and stick the nail in the coffin on Mrs. Palin’s other lies and obfuscations. Everything and all at once is the way to go. Kick her while she’s down, I say.
I’m with you.
I so hope that students ask her questions. Many, many questions. All the questions that she HASN’T answered, all the questions that she will refuse to answer, and I want it all recorded and transcribed and broadcast.
Particularly how SHE can possibly get away with “I didn’t know!” when all of us little people DO know that ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Then let’s move on to Trig’s birth certificate (just for fun). Let’s not forget asking what kind of incompetent boob lives with a leak for TWO YEARS rather than getting it fixed (or “fixed” by Todd [the man without a level]), thus contributing to the deterioration of the governor’s mansion. You know, the mansion that belongs to the citizens of Alaska…
Leave my kids alone! Trig’s appearance fee is in the toilet after the Family Guy scandal.
Yeah, Trig has outgrown his usefulness — he’s a bit too large to haul around like a sack of flour any more.
LImo driver. They are just so unreliable and don’t know how to read maps or road signs, don’cha know?
…she’ll show… she’s gotta make up the money that’s been spent… wonder if she’ll have to show cancelled checks to prove she sent all the money back… wanna bet there’s “a fire at in the accounting department” and all the records are gone ????
Quitting, lying and grifting is her thing.
I agree that people, especially those in CA, a net donor state in terms of taxes, should be mean to her because of her lying, grifting, incompetent ways.
The report is interesting reading.
Petumenos is not quite as as doormatty as I thought…
And van Flein gave whatzername the best advice at one point…
Hmmm, and the list of all donors from then til now must be made public…
Yes, the list of donors must be made known…
Thinking of the donor list for $carahPAC, I wonder how many donors are from Alaska with this legal tin cup collection?
Petemunos makes mention that most donors were from Outside…
We shall see.
$arah Palin proves once again that she is without an ounce of class in her entire being. Another fund being set up to replace the money she has to return? I imagine the great majority who contributed made far less than 10% of the money she has made in the last several months. If she was the wonderful mother she claims to be and actually cared about children with special needs, in particular Down Syndrome, she’d ask that rather than donate money to a legal defense fund for her, if someone was so inclined to do so, she suggest that they donate to the DSF. We all remember her generous $1,000 donation from $arahpac, right? She gave less to the foundation, allegedly near and dear to her heart, than she did to the batsh*t crazy Michele Bachmann!
This woman is a disgrace to real women around the world, women with decency, compassion and the ability to admit wrongdoing. Hey $arah, do you ever take responsibility for anything you do???
When are people who ask about DS gonna get it? She doesn’t care about Tr:g–just look at her behavior toward him! He’s a useful prop, that’s it. I’ve seen boys be more caring towards their pet snake than she is to that kid. Notice I said THAT kid.
In the quiet of night, I can imagine how much those dollar figures in legal fees piling up worried at Sarah and her husband. In that regard, many of us have been humbled by debt.
However, Sarah, no matter the situation – of her own making or exploited for her own purposes, loses every chance to win over critics by her casual acquaintance with the truth, her marginal and spotty record or her score-settling MO. She heaped a huge portion of that debt on her own grand-standing ethics complaint against herself, all the others, which she used the power of office to dub as ‘frivolous’ therefore tainting the citizen’s only means to check and balance (as good ol Meg has returned to refer) of the State’s Chief Executive – were brought on by her continued questionable actions.
As Sarah says, there should be consequences for bad behavior, but with all these limp wristed rulings, Alaskans and donors continue to be victimized by a nefarious and egoist petsonality that again, should never have grown beyond the Valley.
this serves to remind us, her pals, her enablers, are still in the show, in the highest reaches of State Government. Sean Parnell will win unless Ethan backs out, the Dems unite behind Hollis, and / or Poe endorses one of the strongest GOP challengers. Don’t let Parnell skate into his own, it’s as non-secular, resource and sportsmen dominated as ever and riddled with Sarah and Todd’s rediculous underqualified appointees from high school.
I was worried when I heard that Tom Daniel had been replaced by TP, that once again like his last “investigation”, he would find that she had done nothing wrong. Despite the ruling, I still want to know why he was brought in. I do want to know what Sarah had to promise Meg Stapletongue to have her do a post on Sarah’s facebook page (if indeed that was the Meggers). And for all those people who are going to donate to the new defense fund even though this woman is raking in the cash faster than Joe Barton can backpeda, I leave you with one of my favorite South Park lines “Remember there no stupid questions, just stupid people”.
Grifter yesterday, grifter today and grifter tomorrow.
Soooo. . . all she has to do is say she didn’t know what she was doing was wrong? Why won’t that work for anyone else? Is there a dollar figure yet on how much was donated while she was still governor? I think I heard something once, but don’t recall it now.
At least one thing is evident. Sarah is throwing all her advisers under the bus and she finally told the truth about something – she’s clueless. But we knew that part already.
Highlights of the settlement- which concludes that Palin violated the ethics law, include:
1. After receiving a $100,000 contract from the state to defend Palin, “No invoices were submitted to the State by Mr. Van Flein’s law firm, pursuant to this state contract, due to the decision by Governor Palin and her attorneys that it would be too difficult to separate the functions of representing Governor Palin in her official capacity in the pending state-related matters, and representing her in other related campaign or partisan matters beyond the scope of the state contract.”
In other words, Van Flein wanted to do more than defend her on these charges; he wanted to make even more money by getting into partisan politics and legal work that had nothing to do with the defense against the ethics complaint. And Stapleton’s claim that Palin was on her own to pay for defense is nothing but a BOLDFACED LIE.
2. “The person charged with responsibility for determining how to defray the legal defense obligations and to oversee the project was Meghan Stapleton.”
No doubt her experience as a “journalist” helped her here.
3. Palin “was also briefed by Ms. Stapleton on the substance of the legal advice being given by the various attorneys.”
So Palin can’t really claim that she didn’t know that the attorneys had a difference of opinion, and that she chose to ignore the advice of the Alaskan attorney.
4. “The payments authorized by the Trust may be payments to reduce private debts, payment of private income taxes and, theoretically at least, are subject to withdrawal demand for any purpose.”
The intent was to scam money from hard working patriotic Americans to support the Palin lifestyle; despite the whining that continues through today, the fund was set up as a Palin Family and Friend Sush Fund. Lear jets and all.
5. “One of the attorneys, Mr. Van Flein, strongly advised that the Trust be submitted to the Department of Law for pre-approval pursuant to A S 39.52.210, as had been done twice before by Governor Palin with respect to other ethics matters, resulting in her ultimate conduct being found to be lawful. Governor Palin chose not to accept the advice of Mr. Van Flein, and followed instead the advice of another attorney who recommended against seeking the advice of the Governor’s ethics supervisor (the attorney general).”
Palin followed the advice of slick DC lawyers, not the Alaska attorney most familiar with Alaska Statutes.
6. Lying meg Stapleton says: “Thus, to this very moment, the money received was frozen and no one, not the Palins, not the Palins’ attorney, no one ever received a penny from the Trust on the Palins’ behalf. ”
So what exactly was the $87,000 from the fund spent on?
7. Stapleton also says: ” When Governor Palin complained about Barack Obama’s law firm having a conflict of interest during the investigation, they were replaced by attorney Timothy Petumenos, whose public records show repeated financial contributions to Democrats running for Alaskan office.”
This is the same Timothy Petumenos who, on behalf of Palin’s Personnel Board, found she did not violate the ethics law in the Troopergate matter- despite lots of evidence to the contrary. I wonder what he thinks of these personnel attacks after Palin signs a settlement that provides for her to carry out its terms in good faith.
The bottom line is that Palin and Stapleton set out to skirt the law, hiring Beltway attorneys who are not licensed to practice in Alaska- and got caught with their pants down violating the law.
I have a thought on the $87K — wouldn’t that have been spent about the time Willow and pals had their little party???
Just a thought.
It’s a shame there’s no way of knowing exactly how much Van Flein has billed Palin. It’s odd that any lawyer would be so patient in seeking payment if the bills really were “in excess of $500,000″.
Interesting now that she’s claiming the attorneys gave her bad advice, that she had a team of 7 lawyers set it up. Remember that when the complaint was first filed, she claimed she had no idea that the trust had been set up for her by her friends & supporters. Both she & Stapletongue said she had NO part in setting it up. I’m too lazy to look up the links right now, but it was a big deal at the time.
Here’s one. Relevant quote from BFF Kristan:
“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.”
http://tinyurl.com/34ogp5v
They must have a Finishing School for Liars out there in Wasilla. Geez. They don’t even pretend to tell the truth anymore.
Did I miss La Diva’s “I’ve been exonerated” twitter? Perhaps she’s still trying to figure out how to twitter-ize the spelling.
Yup, our half-assed, half-term, so-called guv. Bimbo Barbie at her best.
Since the ever-humerous, always good for a laugh, Personnel Board has determined she WAS advised by lawyer-types to run the idea of the fund past AKs Dept of *Law* before she trotted it out, and since the ever-humorous, always good for a laugh, Personnel Board *also* determined she chose to *ignore* that advise, how in the hell can they then say her “intent” was *NOT* to be underhanded, unethical, and/or to pull a fast one in hopes no one would notice. The evidence doesn’t support that conclusion. At all.
It is probably time for the ever-humorous, always good for a laugh, Personnel Board of Alaska to step aside and let the ‘big guys’ do their investigative work.
The fund was set up *with* her knowledge, her approval, *and* her blessing.
From the get-go, the money that’s been solicited (and collected) has been ‘held’ for *her* AND *for her family* to ostensibly pay for the cost of any (current and/or future) legal defense for any Palin family member…(possibly Heath, too? the wording is not too clear on ‘who’ constitutes ‘family’). BUT…
I don’t recall anywhere in the papers/info of the fund, though, that unequivocally states ‘legal’ was/is the ONLY reason money could be disbursed. And with the ONE and only ‘trustee’ –a good friend of hers– having *SOLE* power to release/disburse the monies, sounds to me like it was –and is– nothing more than a tax-free slush fund *for* $Ps exclusive use…for herself and her family.
If I’m not mistaken, the ‘big guys’, the IRS, frowns on such shenannigans. Mayhap they should pick up from where the AK Personnel Board first started to wander out of the world of sanity and reality, and into the world of Palin-think in the investigation. I have a feeling IRS agents would have a field day with the ‘project’. beth.
Didn’t the Blattmachers set up this trust? If so, the “we used out of town lawyers” excuse hardly holds, given Jonathan Blattmacher’s involvement in the State of Alaska. He is also known as being very aggressive in the trust area of the law. This is an area of investigation for Dunn and Guinness.
That stuff in red made me laugh pretty hard! And the “Yes, are you?” pushed me off the chair.
Ditto Martha Ditto!
All I can say, is if Flea Trap wanted to have a conversation with a normal thinking woman, a comment about her looks just doesn’t cut the dust. Think about it… Flea Trap had to say or ask his hair question a couple times before a normal thinking woman (AKM) knew he was talking to her.
If you want to speak to me, a opening line or question on my looks, doesn’t cut the dust. Unless i’m at a bar and putting my looks out there… But this is a press conference…
I am aware of 2 former clients of Flea Traps… It is about how they look to men and the world. Beyond that, not too much else.
Yuppers, AKM’s response was perfect.
Flea Trap is used to dealing with beauty before brains people. Not beauty AND brains.
LMAO! Your update letter from “Meg”, or ummm… Sarah Palin Legal Defense Fund? is absolutely hilarious and spot on by the way. Very clever and funny. I heart you AKM!
Take a look at Palin’s signature on the ethics report. Its like she is way too important to bother trying to fit it on the line provided. Maybe it is just a reflex action that comes after signing all those copies of the book she “wrote”. Looks more like how you sign the T-shirt of a fat NRA member…nice and big so everyone can see it.
It will be interesting to see how much of the original Trust Fund donations that have to be returned now will be re-donated to the new “legal” trust fund. Even for the Palinbots, some semblance of common sense should creep in when they compare SP’s current economic status in contrast to the economic condition of so many, undoubtedly including Palinbots, nowdays.
I posted downthread at #38 as to how I think these “refunds” may happen. Palinbots that don’t return their notice for refunds may find their money diverted to the new fund – quite easily.
I thought I read where it would go to a non profit if it was not reclaimed,the donation I mean
Thanks, AKM.
Idiocracy rules. Too bad there, also, and therefore also too.
I seem to have missed the whole “Barack Obama’s law firm” brou-ha-ha.
Did POTUS, himself, assign someone –from *his* law firm (I didn’t even know he had one!)– specifically to investigate and argue this ethics complaint against $P before the Personnel Board of Alaska?
Can someone please fill me in? beth.
I know….can you believe it? I missed it too. In their world the dreaded Obama is so afraid of her that he had his personal lawyers go to Alaska and push those ethics peeps into making that lame decision that the fund was illegal (but she was ok because she didn’t do it….her lawyers (or friends) set it up and she didn’t know what was going on.). Yeah…right. I bet Obama is sleeping “rill” good tonight. **Sarcasm off now!
What a f*(#King crock.
That law firm has over 700 lawyers! Apparently they have represented Obama in the eligibility lawsuits (the birth certificate nonsense). This hardly gives them a conflict with this matter. But in an excess of caution, the lawyer was replaced with someone who had previously ruled for Sarah.
Laurel and Hardy, Attorneys at Law. If they don’t work in Alaska, what state let them pass a BAR exam?
Outstanding review as usual, AKM! It should be required reading for the lunatics who believe that Palin is a helpless martyred victim of the ethics complaint system!
I don’t know what makes me more disgusted:
1-Palin’s lies about her role and responsibility in the setting up of the trust.
2-Palin’s lies in her new solicitation letter for donations.
3-The fact that Palin CHOSE to go with the attorney’s advice which didn’t require scrutiny by her OWN state’s “Governor’s ethics supervisor (the attorney general).”…… Palin made that decision. Why does this not demonstrate willful culpability to get around the laws in Alaska, Mr. Petumenos??
Since when does willfully cherry-picking legal advice to influence a favorable personal outcome become a reasonable defense against culpability?
Don’t get the legal result you want?……Just blame the bought-and-paid-for personal lawyer?
Is that why Palin retained personal lawyers instead of seeking her own state’s attorney general’s opinion? Looks like it to me. It wouldn’t have been near as convenient to blame the Alaskan attorney general as it was to blame a paid chump. This whole affair stinks as much as Troopergate….
I’m having way too much fun tweeting her back…I need to go to sleep…
A couple of WTFs I have with the email:
“So some of Sarah’s closest friends decided to put together a trust fund. [...] The word “official” was used to distinguish the Alaska Fund Trust from other legal defense funds that were starting to pop up”.
OK – so her *friends* set it up and *they* used the word “official”.
But wait! The *next* paragraph says, plain as day: “But now – because she used the word “official” – …”
I’m confused… who used “official” for the fund? $Ps friends — as the email plainly says, or $P, as the email *also* plainly says? WTF?
“““““““““““
“So a new fund was necessary to make sure Sarah Palin can continue to speak the truth to Americans.” – from the email
Two possibilities:
1. So a new fund is necessary to make sure Sarah Palin can continue to speak the truth to Americans.
OR,
2. So a new fund was necessary to make sure Sarah Palin could continue to speak the truth to Americans.
Either way, though, the line is bs. The fund was ‘necessary’ ONLY to give $P and her family a tax-free slush fund.
“““““““““““
“AKM, this ruling is nothing but a political hatchet job designed to embarrass Governor Palin, …”
I’m pretty sure AKM will agree with me that $P is embarrassing herself all BY herself… every time she opens her mouth, tweets, gives an ‘interview’, and/or posts on FB, she just gets more and more embarrassing. She really should knock it off — it’d save us all a whole lot of grief. beth.
Lastly, regarding Palin’s deluded apologists:
On the one hand, they are led to believe that Palin is such a savvy politician and “CEO,” but on the other hand, they are asked to ignore her repeated mistakes and poor judgment by blaming these mistakes on her lawyers, her handlers, her advisors….
Don’t these poor schmucks ever consider that the above two narratives they are asked to swallow about Palin are mutually exclusive?
A savvy leader or CEO knows how to make appropriate decisions on staffing or other issues with a minimum of mistakes….and knows how to take personal responsibility for poor decisions or occasional mistakes. Palin never has. She’s a lame fraud whose resume is rife with gaffes, ethical misconduct, and flat-out mistakes…..and it’s always someone else’s fault. That’s not “savvy.” ……That’s just garden variety lack of integrity and brains with a dose of cunning selfishness thrown in for good measure.
[ just delated a lot of other stuff, these last lines seemed to really make my point. Please copy and paste them everywhere you can. I suspect they'll be especially appreciated at Pro-Palin sites across the USA ... ]
A donation to any Sarah Palin fund now, before she announces a candidacy, is just that much less you’ll have to donate to her when the time comes to really step up to the plate.
Save your money! Make it count! Only donate to Sarah Palin WHEN AND IF she announces that she is going to run for President.
Oh AKM you are the best my dear….Nothing but Love to you…I hope this is going to end up on the Huffington Post..
The sad thing is that the ding-dongs who comprise her “base” won’t care about any of this, if they even notice it. Sarah, Queen of Twit, can do no wrong.
The one thing that might be a little different, though, is that no matter how persuasive Meg’s blandishments may be (hork — excuse me), some of the fish may have become vaguely aware of the fact that Sarah-poo is now a medium-rich celebrity, and they may have a somewhat reduced impulse to throw money at her just for the hell of it.
Wow. What a cocktail of propaganda. Thanks AKM for taking a whack at it. And still, there’s so much more debunking one could do. I’ve picked one egregious sentence, the “last but not least” bullet, and tried to wipe the smears off it.
Here’s just one single phrase: “so-called ‘independent counsel’ who started this investigation”.
The way this is worded is rather devilishly clever and deserves to be further rebutted. This implies to a casual reader that this person was the force instigating the investigation. Even more subliminally, it creates a vague sense that somehow this whole thing was the result of an organized, illegitimate campaign. Thomas Daniel was the first Personnel Board counsel to be hired on the case, so he “started the investigation” in that sense but he was in no way the cause of it. A citizen, exercising their prerogative under the law, was. Nice subliminal obfuscation. They get points for that one.
Moving on to “so-called” independent counsel: Daniel was selected properly according to Personnel Board procedure for procuring investigators, the same PB that the governor controls through appointments. Mr. Daniel had actually found in favor of Palin on several of the earlier high profile ethics complaints, notably the Arctic Cat episode and the establishment of SarahPAC. No one in the Palin camp had any problems with his work or his law firm affiliation at that time. In fact, they issued press releases praising his findings, and the citizens (including Celtic Diva) who filed the ethics complaints gnashed their teeth over the results. So Daniel had a proven track record of not conducting political gotcha investigations, even when he presumably had the chance. In any case, he stepped aside when Palin attorneys requested he do so, and Petumenos took over.
And let’s look at the swipe at Perkins Coie, a firm with over 700 lawyers, which has nothing to do with the citizen complaint that initiated the proceeding, and beyond that, had nothing to do with the subsequent investigator, Mr. Petumenos, his fact finding, and his ultimate resolution here. It’s just used to channel anti-Obama feeling conveniently into the fundraising pitch and to instill general distrust. Now, this firm’s Anchorage office “focuses on traditional and renewable energy, hard rock and coal mining, oil and gas, timber, heavy construction, and related industries.” Draw your own conclusions, but that doesn’t exactly demonstrate that all 700 attorneys are somehow politically suspect, and so is everything they touch.
And that’s just one sentence! You could go on for pages dealing with this one screed. It really gives you insight into the magnitude of Geoffrey Dunn’s task….
Excellent post.
Oh, I did not mean to imply that the earlier ethics filings that TD reviewed weren’t well founded. It might have come across that way, by mistake. Was just trying to make the point that he did his job as a neutral reviewer in those cases. Sorry about that.
Thanks for the update. I can’t believe they had the gall to send out that email before the meeting even finished. I’m just waiting to get a forward of it from some of my relatives who still think SP is the best thing ever.
If I get the email from someone, can I please send it back with your comments? Or maybe I should just send a link to this whole post.
AKM, so what did you actually answer to the hair growing question? I think I would have asked “why do you want to know?”
Wouldn’t an ethical person say something along the lines of “hey I messed up, I really appreciate your donation but I’m returning all donations and because my book sales did so well, I’ll be able to pay my legal fees w/o help.”
I cannot believe how low she goes!
A few weeks ago, I was watching Keith O. He was interviewing some guy and Sarah came up in the conversation. The guy had said something like, “Well, she had purchased her own vook w/her sarahpac, which was for personal gain”. Am waiting to hear of her ethics coming from Scarahpac.
Great post AKM.
Wow, the whole thing is full of Palin and Stapleton lies. Remember, Kristen Cole said Palin knew nothing about the Defense Fund and it was posted on Sarah’s FB page. Here is an excert from that.
“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.”
From the PDF it is clear that Palin was involved…..she appointed Meg to set it up and she had lawyers advising her!
If Palin didn’t take the $87,000, then who did? Was this used to pay her legal bills?
The state of Alaska offered her $100,000 for her expenses and she refused.
She was clearly up to her neck in shady dealings. I hope the MSM picks up on all these inconsistencies, but I won’t be holding my breath.
Haven’t read all the comments yet. But I wonder if the rush to ALREADY set up the ‘new trust fund’ kind of parallels an experience I had a couple years ago.
“Bureau of Land Management
On December 19, 2008, a BLM land drilling auction was disrupted when a University of Utah student, Tim DeChristopher, successfully outbid other organizations for thousands of acres of land.”
Young pup start waving his bidding paddle for all these permits while he didn’t have a cent to his name. Many of us on liberal blogs were donating money to pay his initial downpaymt so his cute little butt didn’t land in jail! Yes, I donated 2-3 times, think it was via Paypal, I personally bought 1/2 acre of pristine Utah wilderness permits (so PROUD, 1st time in my life I was a bigtime landowner, nevermind that I had no clue WHERE in Utah it was and would never see the place!).
Since Tim disrupted the whole auction, the BLM voided ALL permits from that auction – then, shortly after, Obama became President.
So, I got a couple of very gracious letters from Mr. Christopher saying pph Thanks for keeping my butt out of jail. I have chosen “XXX” nature fund to be a recipient to divert all the funds to, if you don’t mind, which is not a tax exempt fund. Here’s a postcard to return if you want your money back because you need a tax refund, – - – if you don’t return the postcard then your payment will automatically go to “XXX” nature fund.
Call me cheap but I sent back the postcards (with my name & email address to acct for Paypal). A month later I recvd a single check for ALL my donations from the accountant at “XXX” nature fund. I was happy to keep him out of jail, but I’ve got my own charities & like the tax writeoffs. They were gracious, upfront, nicely done!
Anyways, I think in the case of Palin’s phony trust fund, they’re setting it up to do similar. Like, “if you don’t send the postcard back, it is assumed that you wish your money be diverted to this NEW trust fund.
Just my take on this situation. Kath
A NEW defence fund?
The TIn Cup Grifter strikes again!
To the people who stood in line and bought Palin’s book without her signature because she left the venue without fullfilling her agreement (again), you know have a copy of her signature on the “Findings of Independent Counsel, Consent Decree and Settlement Agreement”.
If you did not buy a book and waited, you just got a free copy of her signature. This signature, the infamous Palin was forced to sign, is not a silly mass produced sticker.
If this case is SP’s best in being informed and responsible, imagine what would have happened had she been VP, or President? If she can’t take care of her own affairs, how could she take care of national affairs?
These bots are enabling her to the extent that they appear to help her find all loopholes to dodge the laws. She must actually believe she is completely innocent. If a 3 year-old child is told she can do no wrong, and it’s everyone else’s fault, the child permanently loses her ethical compass, later her conscience. IMO, this is a case of a woman who could always get away with making any excuses, without accountability. IMO, this is a case of an entourage of people who have had their consciences seared, or their eyes blinded by some force. It’s a phenomenon that should be studied and never allowed to happen again.
This could be why Stapletongue left her position February, looks like she had plenty to do with this fund. And also explains why she is the one to write that plea for more money. Palin said she had nothing to do with this fund but her spokesperson was the one in charge of researching it?
When you are given a choice, check on the legality or wait to be accused of an ethical violation, which one would a well meaning person do?
As far as the hair comment goes, that is very strange. Maybe it is his way of saying, I am paying close attention to you AKM (you and your hair!)
that was some great editing on the letter. it both baffles and frustrates me the way they lie and lie and lie.
Hum, didn’t she say last year that she had no deaings with the fund being set up? Seems like I remember that she said she had nothing to do with it and the lady who was running said the same…. Now she was involved and she relied on attorney’s advise.
Can’t she keep up with her own lies?
No, she can’t. She’s counting on her fan base not to notice or care that she constantly lies. So far, it’s working for her. Pity.
Reading through the other comments now, I see that others brought up the same issue about Mrs. Cole saying Palin wasn’t involved. Now was she under oath at any point saying this? Was Palin ever under oath while talking to the board?
There are plently of people who live on SS and will send this millionaire the few dollars they have left at the end of the month and she will gladly take it. It is disgraceful. She is kind of like the preachers on tv, living in luxury and begging for money from poor souls who barely get by. Come on, $10, $20, $100. whatever you can give to the “cause”…
Just like Jim and Tammy Faye Baker, begging for money for their ministry and seeing later that their dogs ate steaks….
Way to go Palin…good company, bilk the uniformed with promises of prayers and afterlife.
That’s it? “Are you growing your hair out?”??? That’s just weird.
Given his proximity to Palin maybe he just wanted to be sure it wasn’t a bump-it.
If AKM was sporting a bump-it perhaps there is a legal action that could be taken, a cease-and-desist, from making fun of Palin’s own bump-it due to hypocrisy.
I would say he was letting AKM know he knows who she is by sight and most likely reads the blog.
Hey, maybe I can set up a website and have people donate to me to help make my rent payments every month, you think????
I find it amazing that those who follow her, know she has millions but are still willing to pay her bills, when I bet half of them can hardly afford their own bills.
What a grifter!!!!
MSNBC asking why Palin is asking for money after making 12 million herself. More to come.
Oh good. I think this is what is going to stick in everyone’s craw and hopefully turn more people off her.
Guests says it is not uncommon for these funds to exist for politicians but that it is crazy to immediately set up another fund after she’s become a millionaire. So mixed message, but I loved when she said it was crazy! Yes, we’ve been saying it all along. She’s crazy!
Another Palin ethics violation spun to make her look like the victim.
I have to agree – she IS a victim! Of her own greed, selfishness and utter disregard for the truth.
AKM, does the fact that you got this letter from the new Sarah Palin Legal Defense Fund mean that you contributed to the AFT? Did you send in $1, and, if so, will you be asking for a refund?
He didn’t even address you by name? Just “Are you growing your hair out?” And, does he always look like he has a stick up his backside in real life, too?
I simply LOVE that SP didn’t follow the advice of her own attorney and she STILL gets to claim that she followed the advice of an attorney. This clearly shows how she is able to get away with stuff so easily–just get two opposing opinions, follow whichever one sounds the shadiest (yeah, let’s go with “just start the fund and if it’s illegal we’ll fight it when someone complains” rather than “ooh, we’d better do what Van Flein suggests and get pre-approval since that makes the most ethical sense”.)
Someone needs to explain to her that is NOT illegal for her to use her speech money to pay her legal fees. Or maybe we can tell her it ‘might’ be illegal, nay, ‘probably’ illegal, thus causing her to use the money! Bwaaahaa haaaa…….
Thanks for the translation, AKM! To Palin, I would say, “Me thinks thou dost protest too much.”
Wouldn’t any sincere person in the same situation simply say, “I’m sorry. I was ill advised, but that is no excuse. I accept responsibility for the problem. I am going to do whatever I have to do to make this right and do my best to keep my future actions unquestionably ethical and legal.” Since that will never happen, I will never have any respect for that woman.
There you’ve hit on the problem. Sincerity. The only thing SP sincerely does is to hope she doesn’t get caught when she’s doing something that her lawyers told her she shouldn’t but she does anyway.
�Are you growing your hair out?� I didn�t think anything of it until I stood up from my packing and realized that the only people standing in the immediate area were me, and Thomas Van Flein who was standing close by. �I�m sorry, were you talking to me?� I asked. �Yes�. Are you growing your hair out?�
Proper response would have been, “Yes! Jealous?”
“but she also had to personally foot millions of dollars in legal bills (I thought it was $500,000) to defend herself from this massive witch hunt.”
It’s simply portentous.
Don’t ever let up, those who count themselves as reasonable freedom loving “Real Americans” (or civic minded people of the world) hell bent on destroying the conservative spokesmodel without a title, Sarah Palin.
It’s really astounding, to watch this spin machine progressin – yet remain in arrested development, to not mature, grow or learn from a system designed to keep arrogant personalities in check and within ethical and legal boundaries.
It’s curious but not at all surprising that Meg has not tempered in her respite, in pursuit of the more noble goal of commonsense parenting. Van Flein remains out of his depth.
Even though the Palin camp has amassed a cadre of national issue-based advisors, they are all as walleyed, paranoid and contemptuous of the “im”moral majority that kept her out, and drove her out of, office. How do they expect to win over undecideds with this tripe? This angle won’t expand her base.
But we know better, we didn’t drive her out, Don Mitchell summed it up perfectly: Governing became too much hard work and we all know how Sarah feels about that, and accountability. She smelled a financial opportunity and took the quitter’s way out to follow the yellow brick road to riches.
I found it verrrrry interesting that when I went to..read about the new site..my comp. virus-scam programs warned that (when I clicked to see what would have been required to do/say/offer)..the information as to the ‘legally listed site info.’..was false. To moi..that says..’cloaked’..which says…..MUCH!
Excellent post and yet another fascinating glimpse into the shadowy world of the Alaskan Grifting Granny’s financial malfeasance. For those seeking to unravel the many mysteries surrounding Team Palin and see beyond the fantasy narrative of this pseudo-evangelical, winking GOP jukebox of folksy fear-based rhetoric…ck out how deep Team Palin rabbit hole goes…Anatomy of Sarah L. Palin
http://intheknow7.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/anatomy-of-sarah-l-palin-re-post/
Be Well
I just sent the following email to this bogus fund thingy:
” Please tell me why you think I should contribute to a fund that will benefit a woman too dumb to realize she’s wrong, too narcissistic to take any blame for anything, too much of a liar to be trusted with anything other than maybe a plastic spoon at meals, and rich enough to pay her own damned legal fees, which she racked up on her own by being to dumb, too narcissistic and too much of a liar.
I await your reply.”
I can’t wait to see if they answer.