In a short, two-paragraph statement published on her Facebook page, the governor said:
"I find the notion that I have taken any action pertaining to the legal defense trust fund misguided and factually in error. I am informed that this fund was created by experienced attorneys in DC and was modeled after other similar funds established for senators and others. The fund itself was not created by me nor is it controlled by me. Neither I nor my lawyer has received a penny from this fund, and I am informed the Trustee was withholding any action or payment pending final resolution with the Personnel Board. This is the hallmark of legal compliance and prudent conduct."According to Anchorage television station KTUU, Kirsten Cole, the legal defense fund's trustee, stated in an e-mail:
"In short, I have not 'acted' relative to the defense fund and it is misleading to say I have. I have no doubt that the Trust will welcome guidance by the Board, as do we all, but it is my understanding that this matter was not resolved and the complainant's violation of law has served to mislead the public and prejudice a fair review of this matter."
Sarah Palin
"I haven't seen any report and as a matter of fact was just asked for additional information as of yesterday, July 20, 2009. Just a reminder that this legal expense fund was thoroughly vetted by numerous attorneys from Alaska to the East Coast. The purpose of the Trust is to help the Governor with the crushing legal fees she has incurred solely because of her public service."As we reported last night, Gov. Palin's attorney Thomas van Flein also published statements on the governor's Facebook page here and here:
"All options are open in terms of legal remedies. It is a clear violation of Alaska law that Mr. Daniel explicitly reviewed with Ms. Chatman prior to her illegal actions. We will be contacting the appropriate authorities for review and action."As we also reported last night, Randy Evans, the attorney who helped set up the legal defense fund, released a statement dismissing the implication of D'Oro's hit piece that there was any impropriety in its founding as "absolutely untrue":
"The resolution of the Trust Fund is not final. I have been working with the investigator regarding supplemental information. The matter is still pending. Whatever you have seen was released in violation of law. There has been no Board finding of an ethics violation and there is a detailed legal process to follow before there is a final resolution."
Thomas Van Flein
Private Attorney for Sarah Palin
"It was specifically patterned after well recognized trusts of prior Presidential candidates as well as high profile public servants. As with other public servants, there is no impropriety in the creation or operation of such a trust and any suggestion to the contrary is candidly absurd."And John Coale, another lawyer who helped set up the fund, called Daniel's probable cause finding "crazy." Coale said that if upheld by the personnel board, then no governors could ever defend themselves against frivolous ethics complaints:
"If this complaint is true, there's no way to defend yourself" as governor, Coale said. "Anybody can keep filing ethics complaints and drive someone out of office even if you're a nut."D'Oro's story has been rewritten several times as each new statement was released and content added, which is standard AP practice. She has a history of biased and negative reporting on Gov. Palin as is documented here, here and here. Among D'Oro's "friends" on her Facebook page is virulent anti-Palin blogger Linda Kellen Biegel.
Coale said that unlike other states, Alaska's governor has no legal counsel's office to defend the governor from allegations brought against the governor in her official capacity.
Update: Reaction from Terry Crowley at the OJB, Daniel Blatt at Right Wing News and from The Point Rider Republican -- to whom we tip our Stetson for the link.
- JP
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