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Unsurprisingly Palin could not resist tweeting her feelings about this latest charge.
AKGovSarahPalinRe inaccurate story floating re:ethics violation/Legal Defense Fund;matter is still pending;new info was just requested even;no final report
However Thomas Daniel said the report was final.
Here is the pdf courtesy of KTUU.
So here is my take on this story after a number of e-mails ping ponged back and forth between the progressive bloggers.
Sarah had this document a WEEK AGO and did nothing to stop her supporters from continuing to donate to the Defense Fund. Since she has had this for a week she knows damn good and well that it is indeed FINAL.
So why would she suggest that there is any question on whether or not she violated Alaska's ethics laws? Because she was hoping the Personnel Board would dismiss the charge (you know like usual) that's why!
It is pretty obvious that Palin NEVER expected this report to become public. And I believe that the reason it was leaked is because somebody on the inside was afraid it would never see the light of day if it was left up to the Personnel Board.
In my opinion that was some smart thinking on our mysterious benefactor's part.
By the way Daniel's suggestion that Sarah Palin refuse the money is an indication that he knows NOTHING about Sarah Palin. There is no way in hell she is rejecting this money!
But here is a further thought. John Coale, the man behind the Defense Fund, said that it is "well on its way" to paying off the $500,000 that Sarah Palin incurred in legal charges. (These charges it is important to note were accrued BEFORE Sarah Palin returned from the campaign trail. So they are not the result of the any ethics charges except perhaps from the one she filed against herself.) So does that mean he has ALREADY paid these costs? Or that he was so sure that the Personnel Board would reject the findings of this report that Sarah could receive this money?
It sounds to me like he has already paid most of them, but not quite all of them. So where did that money come from and isn't THAT a gift? I find myself a little confused by Coale's statements and those made by Margaret Carlson on Countdown back on July 9 where she claims that Coals said that most of the money for the children's travel and the legal expenses were ALREADY paid for by the legal defense fund.
Something just does not smell right here..