Sarah Palin's Governorship In Part Prompted New Ethics Rules Set To Take Effect In Alaska

New ethics rules are set to take effect in Alaska later this month and come as a byproduct of Sarah Palin's tenure as governor of the state.

The AP reports:

These include allowing for the state to pay legal costs for officials cleared of ethics violations; allowing for a family member of the governor or lieutenant governor to travel at state cost in certain circumstances and allowing an immediate family member to use an official's state-issued cell phone or BlackBerry if the usage is limited or under monthly or unlimited plans.

Palin, who sent shockwaves across the political spectrum with her decision to step down as governor midway through her tenure in the summer of 2009, addressed the numerous ethics complaints that had been made against her in her resignation speech:

Every one - all 15 of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. We've won! But it hasn't been cheap - the State has wasted THOUSANDS of hours of YOUR time and shelled out some two million of YOUR dollars to respond to "opposition research" - that's money NOT going to fund teachers or troopers - or safer roads. And this political absurdity, the "politics of personal destruction" ... Todd and I are looking at more than half a million dollars in legal bills in order to set the record straight. And what about the people who offer up these silly accusations? It doesn't cost them a dime so they're not going to stop draining public resources - spending other peoples' money in their game.

It's pretty insane - my staff and I spend most of our day dealing with THIS instead of progressing our state now. I know I promised no more "politics as usual," but THIS isn't what anyone had in mind for ALASKA.

In the end, while Palin was cleared of many of the allegations she faced, according to the Associated Press, the conservative politician's term was nonetheless tarnished by all of the controversy.

New executive branch ethics rules are now scheduled to take effect in the Last Frontier on December 22.

Comments

[Matt Layo]

03:49 AM on 12/11/2010

not cleared of "many" Cleared of ALL.

[ButchManowski]

09:51 PM on 12/09/2010

So, Something good comes from her "service to the people of Alaska" Ethics rules.

Being an example of what not to be isn't much, but it's something.
My grandmother told me that.

[binq56]

02:58 PM on 12/09/2010

PLEASE stop responding to these posts about Sarah Palin. I know it is hard not to say something snarky, but WE are keeping her in the news cycle. Ignore her and maybe she will go away. Or at least the press will stop covering her so much.

[rshrink]

04:07 PM on 12/09/2010

That is wishful thinking my friend. The repubs need another puppet like Reagan and Bush. If they can get a puppet elected, they will. The billionaires have been backing Palin or she would have gone away. They control the media now, so she will be in it. Due to that, there has to be push back or she will just coast on in. That is how I see it.

[RockyMissouri]

08:15 PM on 12/09/2010

No matter how sick I am of her, you are right....we need to maintain a strong pushback & stay vigilent..!

[coco51]

01:22 PM on 12/09/2010

So now the Alaskan will pay for non-elected family members cell phones and the subsequent bills? Alaskans got it like that?

[HowdyDoody]

11:37 AM on 12/09/2010

Now maybe Wasilla can update their ethics rules and laws to make it ok to build million dollar houses at taxpayers' expense.

[dragonladywaltham]

08:43 AM on 12/09/2010

He corruption was training for higher political office.

[kcin]

07:20 AM on 12/09/2010

Seems like she invested $0.5 million to make $12 million. It takes money to make money, and frankly, that's a pretty good return on her investment.

I also find it quite ironic that she is lambasting people who make false accusations. Isn't her entire political image based on making false accusations?

[conservativelady]

02:37 AM on 12/09/2010

I wonder why Alaska felt the need to make Palin's illegal actions legal? What kind of a person is Palin that others bend over backwards to enable their wrong doing? What kind of a statement are they trying to make by making Palin's illegal actions legal? What's the point? Could it be that someone like Bill Kristol is behind this, being that he is hell bent on getting Palin the Presidency?

[Cuds]

01:36 AM on 12/09/2010

Sarah Palin is not news. Will the media please stop enabling this woman.

[Cat Scanner]

12:09 AM on 12/09/2010

Are these labeled as the "Grift is Good" laws?

[CML96]

12:00 AM on 12/09/2010

So new rules are enacted due to her actions. Does that not indicate she violated the old rules?

[silent echo]

01:12 AM on 12/09/2010

Your right..

[kiksadi50]

11:55 PM on 12/08/2010

Sara must be very, very proud of this legacy.This is what will be recorded in the history books on Palin's half term as Gov. of Alaska.The Gov. can now share her (his) cell phone with family,& the Gov.'s family can travel on the tax payers dime.Very impressive.If this doesn't elect her president, than nothing will.It's a good day for Alaskans, I might weep.

[Susanmg]

08:17 AM on 12/09/2010

They missed the part about collecting per diems when you stay in our own house...is that still un- ethical too?

[Mydian01]

11:33 PM on 12/08/2010

this is hysterical.

the state already retains a team of lawyers for these complaints, and 500k is set aside each year to pay for these lawyers to do what sarah is claiming she is paying for herself, which she is not.

as for the last two items, well these are just perks for her family to abuse tax-payers money, and the state is making it legal retroactively.

must be nice to be rich, powerful and corrupt.

[dzent1]

01:18 AM on 12/09/2010

Good ol' oil money...

[TheNitewatch]

07:18 AM on 12/09/2010

And the biggest welfare state in the country.

[jerryatthebeach]

09:27 PM on 12/08/2010

There must be a bisexual scandal in your past.....

[onionboy]

07:52 PM on 12/08/2010

She'll include this on her CV as new legislation that she was responsible for enacting.