"[T]he number of ethics complaints filed against the governor and her
staff — as well as the tortured logic they contain — continue to
constitute the most disturbing trend in Alaska politics," said Palin
spokeswoman Sharon Leighow [....]
"In the past several months, we have seen an orchestrated effort by
the governor's opponents to make differences of opinion and ideology
almost criminal," said Mike Nizich, the governor's chief of staff, in
a statement. "Governor Palin has spent a considerable amount of time
and money fighting ethics complaints – and no charge has been
substantiated. I hope that the publicity-seekers will face a backlash
from Alaskans who have a sense of fair play and proportion. I served
six previous governors, and I've never seen anything like the attacks
against Gov. Palin."
....
"Over the past months it became increasingly clear that supporters of
Gov. Palin needed to help defend against the onslaught of frivolous
attacks against her," said Trustee Kristan Cole,
....
To avoid additional accusations of impropriety, the fund set an
unusually low, self-imposed cap of $150 per donation. It also
volunteered to disclose the names and dollar amounts of each donor,
leading Cole to call it "one of the most restrictive and transparent
legal funds in history."
Three days later though, another ethics complaint was filed — this
time against the legal defense fund itself.
An Eagle River resident who had recently joined a federal lawsuit
against Palin for failing to issue a proclamation commemorating the
Juneteenth emancipation holiday in 2007, complained that Palin is
misusing her office and receiving improper gifts by setting up the
fund, accusing the governor of intending to raise much more than she
needs to pay her legal debts.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22022.html
