EMail The Networks NOW!!!..Palins KidsTravelGate

[rsmith6621]

http://www.komonews.com/news/32105184.html

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - 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.


I believe if this would hit the TV Network news cycle HARD today it would be the final blow that would put McSham boat at the bottom the political ocean

[WCGreen]

1. Again, here in Ohio, the campaign would pay for that...

That would be prefectly legal...

[riqster]

5. These expenses were incurred before she got the Veep Nom nt

[WCGreen]

9. She can still raise money for her re-election...

That is where that money would come from...

[chelsea0011]

2. If Alaska has no set laws against it, I see this story going nowhere

[TheDonkey]

6. she deceptively tried to cover up the fact that she was flying her kids across the US on tax $!

Ethics anyone!?

[jberryhill]

12. She's already been dinged with an ethics violation - you saw how far that's gone

This one will be played as a "working mom" issue.

[ericgtr]

3. I just read about this on CNN so it's out there n/t

[jberryhill]

4. Over $20K? pffft.... She'll play it as a "working mom" issue /nt

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

10. It's not going to work... from the article

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.

Several other organizers said the children merely accompanied their mother and did not participate. The trips enabled Palin, whose main state office is in the capital of Juneau, to spend more time with her children.

[wvbygod]

7. I first ask myself...Would I mind if my candidate did this?

And being honest, I would not mind if Obama or Biden did this. It's a good experience
for family members. Part of the perks for being an elected official. Now, if it was
illegal then it would be another story.

[Thorandmjolnir]

8. This is not about being illegal or not.

She is running on a ticket that wants to cut government waste. Remember, earmarks are not illegal either. Yet, her and the old man are describing earmarks as the devil's invention.

What this show, is that she is in government for herself. She is just another pig at the trough. (With lipstick).

So, it might not be illegal, just like it was not illegal for AIG to spend $400.000 on a retreat after the bailout. But it is highly immoral considering the economic times. Especially in a state like Alaska, where there still are communities without running water, medical services etc. (Like the island from which you can actually see Russia).

[Blue Diadem]

11. .

:applause:

Great post!

[CADEMOCRAT7]

13. It points out a pattern of abuse of power and ethics.

In the AP article, it stated that after the records were requested, she went back and altered them.

"On Aug. 6, three weeks before Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain chose Palin his running mate, and after Alaska reporters asked for the records, Palin ordered changes to previously filed expense reports for her daughters' travel." (AP)

"In the amended reports, Palin added phrases such as "First Family attending" and "First Family invited" to explain the girls' attendance.

"The governor said, 'I want the purpose and the reason for this travel to be clear,'" said Linda Perez, state director of administrative services.

When Palin released her family's tax records as part of her vice presidential campaign, some tax experts questioned why she did not report the children's state travel reimbursements as income." (AP)