If at first you don't succeed, there is no ethics violation

It looks like Palin's lawyer's are taking a page from the OJ murder trial playbook:

"I disagree," Palin attorney Thomas Van Flein said. "In order to violate the ethics law, there has to be some personal gain, usually financial. Mr. Branchflower has failed to identify any financial gain."

The statute says "any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that [public] trust." INKY

In other words, it sounds like the Palinista's are admitting to everything she allowed those in her friends & family plan to do but are defending her actions as moral, appropriate and not an ethical violation because she had no great financial payout at the end of the day. Nice to know that the "sweeter" side of the McCain-Palin administration thinks it's A-OK for them to follow through with personal vendettas & advance the agendas of extremist cronies, among other things. Heck, Palin even gave us a preview of the McCain-Palin health plan for those their administration considers to be a threat and it's all legit courtesy of Jesus.

UPDATE: Palin has further defended herself by saying the report has cleared her.

"If you read the report, you will see that there was nothing unlawful or unethical about replacing a cabinet member," Palin said as boarded her campaign bus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "You got to read the report."

Except - I know you'll be shocked by this - that's not the whole story. The report does indicate that Alaska is an at will state and that you were allowed to fire pretty much anyone for almost any reason, but it also notes that you abused the power and authority of the Governor's office. As a matter of fact, Finding Number One (page 8) of the report unanimously adopted by the bipartisan legislative council clearly states

". . .Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a)..."

Also noted on page 8 is Finding Number Three, that Harbor Adjustment Service of Anchorage handled the workers' comp claim of Gov. Palin's brother-out-law, Trooper Mike Wooten, properly despite the attempt of the Governor's Office (a director in the Dept. of Administration Risk Management division) to pressure the company to deny Wooten's claim (pp 46 - 47 of the report).

Yeah Sarah, I read the report. The actual report, I did not limit my reading to the one the McShame campaign put out in advance of what they knew would air some of your dirty laundry.


Tags: Sarah Palin politics conservatism trooper gate corruption McShame

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