Jackson Free Press

So much for all the mavericky "reformer" talk: the Associated Press is showing just how Gov. Sarah Palin has been bilking her own state for thousands of dollars. Lucky for Alaska that John McCain picked her; otherwise, they might not know just how un-reformish their governor really is. Gotta love the luxury hotel in New York for Bristol part. The long piece begins:

Gov. Sarah Palin charged the state for her children to travel with her, including to events where they were not invited, and later amended expense reports to specify that they were on official business. The charges included costs for hotel and commercial flights for three daughters to join Palin to watch their father in a snowmobile race, and a trip to New York, where the governor attended a five-hour conference and stayed with 17-year-old Bristol for five days and four nights in a luxury hotel. In all, Palin has charged the state $21,012 for her three daughters' 64 one-way and 12 round-trip commercial flights since she took office in December 2006. In some other cases, she has charged the state for hotel rooms for the girls.

Alaska law does not specifically address expenses for a governor's children. The law allows for payment of expenses for anyone conducting official state business.

As governor, Palin justified having the state pay for the travel of her daughters — Bristol, 17; Willow, 14; and Piper, 7 — by noting on travel forms that the girls had been invited to attend or participate in events on the governor's schedule.

But some organizers of these events said they were surprised when the Palin children showed up uninvited, or said they agreed to a request by the governor to allow the children to attend.

More, more, more ...

Previous Commentsshow

It wasn't until after McCain picked her, and someone might notice, that she went back and edited her expense reports: After Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain chose Palin his running mate and reporters asked for the records, Palin ordered changes to previously filed expense reports for her daughters' travel. In the amended reports, Palin added phrases such as "First Family attending" and "First Family invited" to explain the girls' attendance. [...] In October 2007, Palin brought daughter Bristol along on a trip to New York for a women's leadership conference. Plane tickets from Anchorage to La Guardia Airport for $1,385.11 were billed to the state, records show, and mother and daughter shared a room for four nights at the $707.29-per-night Essex House hotel, which overlooks Central Park. [...] In July, the governor charged the state $2,741.26 to take Bristol and Piper to Philadelphia for a meeting of the National Governors Association. The girls had their own room for five nights at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel for $215.46 a night, expense records show. [...] Expense forms describe the girls' official purpose as "NGA Governor's Youth Programs and family activities." But those programs were activities designed to keep children busy, a service provided by the NGA to accommodate governors and their families, NGA spokeswoman Jodi Omear said. [...] In February 2007, the three girls flew from Juneau to Anchorage on Alaska Airlines. Palin charged the state for the $519.30 round-trip ticket for each girl, and noted on the expense form that the daughters accompanied her to "open the start of the Iron Dog race." The children and their mother then watched as Todd Palin and other racers started the competition, which Todd won that year. Palin later had the relevant expense forms changed to describe the girls' business as "First Family official starter for the start of the Iron Dog race."

DonnaLadd

Oct 21 2008

Reminds me of Melton and his bodyguards on "official business" in the Bahamas. Funny: All those trips haven't brought any studios to Farish Street, yet, have they? You do get the feeling that the Palins think all this governance stuff is a game, don't you?

DonnaLadd

Oct 21 2008

Why isn't derailin' Palin being investigated and tried for great moral turpitude or great crimes against Alaska and mankind? She's very much a republican - who says one thing and does another because about half of the public is so dumb, racist and corrupt that integrity is not even expected of republicans.

Walt

Oct 22 2008