Posted on 06/23/2009 3:53:46 PM PDT by DJ Republica
Here's the governor's press release:
Fifteenth Ethics Complaint Dismissed
June 23, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – The 15th ethics complaint filed against the governor or one of her staff has been dismissed. The complaint, filed by Andree McLeod against Anchorage Office Director Kris Perry, alleged Perry used her official position for personal gain by traveling with the governor on three occasions.
The complaint was filed even after Perry obtained an opinion from her ethics supervisor, Linda Perez. In the opinion, dated September 28, 2008, Perez concluded, “By officially staffing the governor, you will be providing a more efficient means for direct communication between the state and the governor. It is in the best interest of the state at this time to have a state employee provide that staff function to ensure that information is provided timely to the governor and any decisions, questions or directions relayed back to the state.”
“It is outrageous to file an ethics complaint against a state employee who sought and obtained ethics guidance in advance,” Mike Nizich, the governor’s chief of staff, said. “This is not about ethics. This is not about holding the governor or state employees accountable. This is pure harassment.”
In dismissing the complaint on June 5, 2009, Acting Attorney General Richard Svobodny concurred with the conclusions of the investigator that “[t]he evidence reviewed does not support the alleged violations of the Ethics Act or suggest the need for further investigation. Under these circumstances, Ms. Perry was not using her official position for her own personal gain or to provide an unwarranted benefit to Governor Palin in violation of AS 39.52.120 (a) because Ms. Perry was traveling on authorized state business.”
The investigator continued: “We would also be remiss in not stating for the record that for the highly unusual situation of the vice presidential campaign, and even the two other trips, the record clearly shows that Ms. Perry gave far more of her personal time to the state of Alaska than she may have used state time, if any, for non-state-related or unavoidable personal activities.”
“While asserting false accusations of ethics law violations, the complainant simultaneously violates the same ethics law by publicizing her malicious accusations," Perry said. “These improper actions benefit no one, waste state money and resources, and only seek to damage reputations.”
In the past two years, the state of Alaska has spent millions of dollars processing ethics complaints, public records requests, and related lawsuits.
We'll try to get a copy of the Personnel Board report as soon as it's available.
In the meantime, donate to the Alaska Fund Trust to retire her legal debt racked up because of these frivolous complaints.
Don’t bother us with the facts, let us deal with the issues!! SARC//
An idea for Alaska - change the law so that the state of Alaska is responsible for all legals fees for ethics complaints against the Governor that are dismissed. Only make the Governor pay for ethics complaints where she’s found guilty of misconduct. Then, the folks who file these malicious complaints will have to answer to the taxpayers of Alaska when the legal fees start piling up.
Make them pay for any and all fees on both side when they loose!!
Or, alternatively, they can reinstate the Code Duello ~ Andree McLeod would undoubtedly be among the LAST to complain with that piece of law in place.
‘Make them pay for any and all fees on both side when they loose!!’
I don’t think the complaintant should pay unless it can be PROVEN that they proceeded with a complaint that they knew was frivolous. Holding citizens liable would keep people from filing legitimate complaints simply because they couldn’t afford the cost of a possible loss. Everyone should have a right to complain against the government. I just think that since it appears some Alaskans are abusing the system, they should be forced to foot the legal bills if the complaints are dismissed.
Bingo. The Personnel Board has even stated that the ethics code is being abused for political purposes.
It's up to the people and their legislature to fix this.
Andree Mcleod appears to be a stalker, using the ethics complaint system as her tool to torture her victim(s)- Governorn Palin and her staff and family..
When will the legal system shut her down? When will she start being held financially liable for failed investigations?
one more defeat and you can call him the “Detroit Lion” of Alaska
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