There was speculation that Sarah Palin decided to step down as governor in the hopes of avoiding investigations for ethics violation and possible impeachment. The Associated Press reports that Sarah Palin has now been implicated in yet another ethics probe:
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.
Mudflats comments:
The release of this information raises some interesting questions. First of all, how did the Associated Press get this information? Normally the findings of an investigation by the Personnel Board would not be available to the public. Ironically, in 2004 when Palin herself was told that the findings of a complaint that she filed would not be made public, she stated that she wanted to find a “hero” in the legislature who could change that law.
Will the governor have to pay back those who donated to the legal defense fund? The fund has actively been raising funds for months, and reporting tremendous success in their goal of paying off the governor’s sizable legal debt, which has been reported as high as $600,000.
The report, dated July 14, means that the governor has known about the finding for a full week. Why is the Alaska Fund Trust still continuing to solicit donations?
The governor delivered a rambling “I’m not a quitter, I’m just leading in another direction” speech on the third of July, leaving the media and Alaskans wondering about the “real” reason she resigned the governorship. What, if anything did this finding have to do with it?
Suddenly the meme of “frivolous ethics complaints” has lost its sting.