Palin leaves Alaska with a mountain of ethics issues

[n2doc]

The raft of ethics complaints against Palin has lawmakers mulling changes to the law, and Palin herself still needs to report a 'garage full' of gifts.

By Yereth Rosen | Correspondent/ August 11, 2009 edition

Sarah Palin is no longer governor, but Alaska is still trying to tie up the loose ends of her time in office.

A host of ethics issues tied to her term as governor remain unresolved. They range from proposed changes to the state’s ethics laws to gifts to Ms. Palin piling up in her garage, still unreported to the Alaska Public Office Commission.

It is the aftermath of an extraordinary time in Alaska politics, as Palin burst beyond the bounds of state politics and became a national – and intensely controversial – figure. Now, the state is struggling to cope with the challenges amplified by her notoriety. Ms. Palin’s representatives say she has incurred a legal bill of over $500,000 for almost two dozen ethics complaints that she and her supporters have characterized as false and politically motivated.

Her financial burden is unfair, agrees State Attorney General Daniel Sullivan, who was appointed by Palin in June. He issued a 19-page analysis last week urging statutory and regulatory changes to the ethics act. Among the significant proposals:

more:

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/08/11/palin-leaves-alaska-with-a-mountain-of-ethics-issues/

[Blue_In_AK]

1. There's something very ironic about all of this.

The ethics law that unconfirmed Attorney General Dan Sullivan says needs to be retooled was actually one of Sarah's so-called "accomplishments" that she used to try to brag about all the time when she was talking about what a great governor she was. There were three things: AGIA, the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, that famous pipeline that many people believe will never happen; ACES, Alaska's Clear and Equitable Share, which increased state tax revenue from the oil companies; and the executive ethics act, which was supposed to close loopholes and remedy some of the abuses of the Murkowski administration, which we had thought was one of the most corrupt administrations Alaska had ever seen. I would have to say that Sarah left old Frank in the dust as far as finding creative ways of circumventing the law ... :rofl: And how convenient for her that the personnel board that reviewed all these complaints were executive appointees that she could fire at will. It's little wonder that so many were dismissed.

[BOSSHOG]

2. lil bobby jindal

is pulling similar crap in Louisiana. "Ethics reform" and strangely all his ethics reforms stops at the governors door. Everyone should have oversight except him and his staff. And he's taken large checks to communities around the state giving them to local officials in photo ops. Its been federal stimulus dollars. The republicans governors association could have their meetings in a cesspool.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I agree, they're two of a kind,

although it appears that Jindal may at least have a bit of intelligence.