The News-Miner weighs in on ethics complaints

The editorial concludes that most of the ethics complaints which have been filed against Gov. Palin are indeed frivolous.

The ones in the the editors' view that merited investigation have, for the most part, been investigated. No ethics laws have been violated.

Looking ahead to a possible future complain regarding the governor's book deal, the News-Miner says:

The ethics law defines compensation as “any money, thing of value or economic benefit ... in return for services.” The book contract clearly fits that definition, while the PAC does not.

Regardless, neither a book contract nor a PAC could be called "employment." The obvious intent of the act is to prevent the governor from being "employed" by someone other than the state and thus compromising her independence. In writing a book and forming a PAC, she is working for herself and no one else.

As the editorial states, whether one like Gov. Palin's choices, they are choices a governor should be free to make.

One good thing to come out of this failed attempt by the governor's enemies, both personal and political, is that the next legislative session should see legislation introduced to reform Alaska's ethics laws so that those who file frivolous ethics complaints should have to bear all of the costs the state incurs in dealing with them once they are dismissed.

- JP