Statement from Sarah Palin on Legal Fund News Report

"I find the notion that I have taken any action pertaining to the legal defense trust fund misguided and factually in error. I am informed that this fund was created by experienced attorneys in DC and was modeled after other similar funds established for senators and others. The fund itself was not created by me nor is it controlled by me. Neither I nor my lawyer has received a penny from this fund, and I am informed the Trustee was withholding any action or payment pending final resolution with the Personnel Board. This is the hallmark of legal compliance and prudent conduct.

In short, I have not 'acted' relative to the defense fund and it is misleading to say I have. I have no doubt that the Trust will welcome guidance by the Board, as do we all, but it is my understanding that this matter was not resolved and the complainant's violation of law has served to mislead the public and prejudice a fair review of this matter."

Here is Sarah’s latest tweets...

I’m signing HJR12 Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System reso;AK’s system the only operational sys defending against long range ballistics...

this records concerns w/threat of NKorea attack & questions military cuts;we must be more than baffled by Fed’s priorities; must take action

I sign HJR28 Oppose Restricting Oil/Gas Devlp;we urge President to promote US resource devlp.Pretty simple, Mr.President & Congress:choose

safe clean American energy&jobs or force our reliance on foreign countries;what more to ponder,oh wise Washington?Where’s DC’s common sense?

LOVE IT!! I am counting the minutes and seconds til Sarah is free. She is gonna rip Obama to shreds

From Conservatives4Palin.com

PLEASE READ THIS AND SPREAD THE WORD

http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2009/07/latest-ethics-nonsense-ap-gets-it-wrong.html

It is being incorrectly reported that Gov. Palin was found to have violated the Ethics Act. This is a complete lie! All you have to do is read the report:

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In addition, my role as independent counsel for the personnel board is only to decide whether there is probable cause to believe a violation of the Ethics Act has occurred – not to reach a definitive conclusion. See AS 39.52.320. The ultimate determination of whether the governor has violated the Ethics Act can only be made by the personnel board after a formal heating and a report by the hearing officer. See AS 39.52.360-370.

In sum, I find probable cause to believe that payment of the governor’s legal fees by the Alaska Fund Trust will violate the Ethics Act prohibition against a public officer accepting gifts intended to influence performance of official duties.

[...]

I can recommend that corrective action be taken to resolve this complaint without the necessity of a formal hearing on the matter. See AS 39.52.330. My recommendation is that the governor should refuse to accept payment of her legal fees and costs from the Alaska Fund Trust and withdraw her authorization for the trust to be recognized as her “official” legal defense fund. I also recommend that she seek reimbursement from the state for the cost of defending the ethics complaints that have been dismissed.

I also recommend that the legislature consider amending the Ethics Act to require the state to reimburse a public official for reasonable legal fees and costs incurred to defend against an Ethics Act complaint that is dismissed. [emphasis added]

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Did you get that? The independent investigator, Thomas Daniel, is not finding the governor in violation of the Ethics Act. Only the Personnel Board can make such a ruling, and Daniel actually recommends that no ruling is necessary. Gov. Palin has not accepted one dime of money from the legal defense fund yet. How can she be in violation of the Ethics Act for something she hasn’t even done yet? You can’t charge her with a violation for a future act! The language Daniel uses is future tense “will violate” — not violated.

Daniel recommends not accepting the funds and instead having the state pay for the legal bills incurred by the dismissed complaints (which is basically all of them). What poetic justice this is. Ordinary Americans from all over the country (and Alaska) gave money to pay these bills, but now the people of Alaska will be stiffed with the bill. Are Alaskans angry about these frivolous ethics complaints yet? Are you guys finally ready to take a stand? Enjoy paying for Andree McLeod’s hobby and obsession.

I’m not at all convinced that the Alaska Fund Trust will be forced to disband and return the money. I’m sure Gov. Palin’s attorney will counter this report. I’m sure it will be resolved. But if it does have to be disband and the money returned, then guess what? We’ll set up a new one for Sarah Palin as just a plain old citizen. And we’ll raise even more!

Congratulations once again to the nutters in Alaska who have turned the state’s Ethics Act into a joke. I sure hope that the Democrats up there fix the crazy loop holes in the Executive Branch Ethics Act before any Democrat is elected governor because anyone from anywhere can file an ethics complaint against the governor of Alaska without paying a penny, and there are a lot of people just itching for a tit for tat on this.

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