APOC rejects Kraft's ethics complaint against Palin

A second ethics complaint against Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was rejected today. This complaint had claimed that Gov. Palin broke the law last year when she took a position on a controversial ballot initiative on mining.

Brian Kraft’s complaint charged that it was wrong and illegal for Palin to answer a reporter’s question six days before the election in front of TV cameras by saying that she would vote against the measure.

The Alaska Public Offices Commission issued a written order Friday saying that it is concerned with the free speech implications of a ruling that attempts to regulate what the Governor can say:

"Here, the Governor’s statement was made in response to a question at a press conference, and we presume, absent contrary evidence, that she spoke as part of her usual and customary duties — not to influence the outcome of the election."

Measure 4, the "Clean Water" initiative, was an attempt to create tougher pollution discharge requirements for large mines, but Alaskans voted down the proposed law August 26.

- JP