Ethics Investigator Rules Against Gov. Palin

In a copyright story in today's Anchorage Daily News, "An independent investigator has found evidence that Gov. Sarah Palin may have violated ethics laws by trading on her position in seeking money for legal fees, in the latest legal distraction for the former vice presidential candidate as she prepares to leave office this week."

The investigator points out that the public would be unlikely to contribute funds to Gov. Palin if she weren't a public figure.

I'd like to point out that if she weren't a public figure, there wouldn't have been 19 ethics complaints filed against her. Or is that too logical?

The article goes on to say, "The investigator, Thomas Daniel, sided with Palin in her frustration with having to defend herself against a barrage of ethics complaints. He suggested that Alaska lawmakers may need to create a law that reimburses public officials for legal expenses to defend complaints that end up being unfounded.

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John Coale, a Washington lawyer who helped set up the fund, called the probable cause finding "crazy," adding that if upheld, it would mean that no governor could ever defend themselves against frivolous ethics complaints.

"If this complaint is true, there's no way to defend yourself" as governor, Coale said. "Anybody can keep filing ethics complaints and drive someone out of office even if you're a nut."

Coale said that unlike other states, Alaska's governor has no legal counsel's office to defend the governor from allegations brought against the governor in her official capacity."

UPDATE: For a MUCH more complete take on the issue, see this article.

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I'd also like to point out that the investigator's recommendation isn't an official "finding," and whoever leaked it to the Associated Press may have violated the law.

To quote a friend, "The intent is to harm Sarah's reputation, not to expose unethical behavior, otherwise why was the report released?"
Indeed.