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Mo Money, Mo Problems

By W. James Antle, III on 7.21.09 @ 7:25PM

The Associated Press is reporting that Sarah Palin may have violated Alaska's ethics laws by accepting private donations through the Alaska Fund Trust to pay her legal bills, among other purposes.

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Bill Pearce| 7.21.09 @ 8:48PM

Step 1 Target a conservative politician.
Step 2 Collect money from liberalism.
Step 3 File nonsensical ethics lawsuits.
Step 4 File a ethic lawsuit for defending against the lawsuits.
Step 5 Claim the politician is unfit for office due to the ethic lawsuits.
Step 6 Run the politician out of office.
Step 7 Live in a conservative free political world.

I wonder who will be targeted next? Any guesses anyone?

John Smith| 7.21.09 @ 10:09PM

Well, seeing how successful all the other ethics complaints against her have gone, might as well go forward and spend even more taxpayar money going through it.

Scottie| 7.22.09 @ 2:01AM

As usual, there’s more to the and it’s too bad AP didn’t feel an obligation to report it. As Sarah says, “The matter is still pending.” No doubt, it will break Mr. Antle’s heart, but the worst that will happen is she won’t be able to accept the money.

From the Anchorage Daily News

The practical effect of the ruling on Palin will be more financial than anything else. The report recommends that Palin refuse to accept payment from the defense fund, and that the complaint be resolved without a formal hearing before the board. That allows her to resolve the issue without a formal ethics reprimand.
[…]
The investigator, Thomas Daniel, sided with Palin in her frustration with having to defend herself against a barrage of ethics complaints. He suggested that Alaska lawmakers may need to create a law that reimburses public officials for legal expenses to defend complaints that end up being unfounded.
[…]
John Coale, a Washington lawyer who helped set up the fund, called the probable cause finding "crazy," adding that if upheld, it would mean that no governor could ever defend themselves against frivolous ethics complaints.

"If this complaint is true, there's no way to defend yourself" as governor, Coale said. "Anybody can keep filing ethics complaints and drive someone out of office even if you're a nut."

Coale said that unlike other states, Alaska's governor has no legal counsel's office to defend the governor from allegations brought against the governor in her official capacity.

http://www.adn.com/palin/story/871750.html

Angel| 7.22.09 @ 2:27AM

What did Palin ever do to deserve this harassment? Has any politician, ever, been subjected to this much onerous abuse for merely answering his/her party's call??

I think it's incredibly ugly for any REPUBLICAN to aid and abet the left's assault against Sarah Palin, and is done at his/her own political or professional peril.