Call to Action; Serial Bogus Ethics Filers Give Testimony on Ethics?
During the tenure of Governor Palin, a whirlwind of ethics complaints blew into the state of Alaska. Both Andree McLeod and Zane Henning were responsible for filing bogus complaints against her. These were an affront to tax payers and illustrated a complete disregard for the ethics system.
It would only stand to reason now that the state Legislature would take a good look at the system, hear from those who can give insight into how it can be improved, and follow through. Obviously, it would make sense to talk to the administration that has been so adversely affected by those seeking to abuse the ethic rules. Instead, in their hearings, they actually chose to receive testimony from Andree McLeod and Zane Henning, chief abusers of the system.
Lisa Demer of the ADN reports:
A legislative committee on Monday took up ethics issues that erupted during the Palin administration, but it's not clear whether the panel intends to take any action.
Attorney General Dan Sullivan has proposed state rules establishing when it's appropriate for the state to pay for the travel of family members of the governor or lieutenant governor. Another proposal sets out when the state should pay legal bills for state officials defending against ethics complaints.
Former Gov. Sarah Palin was hit with numerous ethics complaints during her 2 1/2 years in office. She said she quit in part because of what she called frivolous ethics complaints and personal legal bills amounting to an estimated $600,000.
Most of the ethics complaints against Palin were dismissed. But she settled one by reimbursing the state more than $8,000 for her children's air travel.
[...]
Oversight comes from the joint House-Senate Administrative Regulation Review Committee, which examines regulations to make sure they are allowed under state law.
The panel agreed to hold a public hearing on the ethics measures after being pushed by Palin critic Andree McLeod. House leaders also requested it, said state Rep. Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, who is the committee chairman.
Under the proposed rules, the state could cover the costs of defending a public official against ethics complaints if the official were exonerated, Assistant Attorney General Judy Bockmon told the committee.
[...]
McLeod, who filed a number of ethics complaints against Palin and her staff, urged the committee to reject the changes.
[...]
The Executive Branch Ethics Act is important, and the attorney general shouldn't be trying to change the law, another Palin critic, Zane Henning, told the committee. The Legislature should make any needed changes, he said.
[...]
The Department of Law has solicited public comment and held a hearing on the ethics changes, Bockmon said. The period for comment has ended and the department must now decide what to do. It could adopt the provisions as is or with minor changes, or let the matter drop with no action.
The committee hasn't yet decided how to proceed, Keller said.
Read the full article here.
So Andree McLeod and Zane Henning, serial complainants who cost the state thousands of tax payer dollars while they played out their hellish vendetta against Governor Palin, somehow are credible sources of information? These two Palin anklebiters, whose complaints were thrown out one after another, are taken seriously, but the legislature doesn't want to hear from the administration itself regarding how these ethics abuses can be solved? What sense does that make?
Clearly, these two can't spot a real ethics violation if it smacked them in the face, so how does their one-sided testimony equate to anything remotely helpful in bringing about true ethics reform? And why can't the legislators see what is so apparent? Allowing these two characters to have a say in ethics rules is like allowing children to decide their own punishment. Don't tell me the legislators don't recognize this. They make it hard to take them or these hearings seriously. It seems, instead, to be more of the same Juneau dog and pony show.
Perhaps legislators' approach has something to do with the fact that their own ethics laws protect them from frivolous complaints. Perhaps it's due to the fact that if a complaint is leaked to the public in the legislative branch it is automatically dismissed. No wonder Jay Ramras, chair of House Judiciary, could so flippantly scold Governor Palin for wearing an Arctic Cat coat on a cold Alaska day though he ran multiple ads for his Pike's Lodge while serving in the legislature and running for lieutenant governor. Could it not be argued that this was a political use of airtime? Could these ads not be deemed an improper in-kind contribution? Yet when the absurd Arctic Cat ethics complaint was filed, he chastised the governor for wearing a winter coat on a winter day! The hypocrisy is glaring.
We can look the other way, or we can implore legislators to do the right thing. They need to take up this issue, and we need to let them know how we feel about it. Governor Palin made the selfless decision to resign because she could no longer allow the politics of personal destruction being waged against her to continually cost the state thousands of dollars. And will legislators do nothing? Indeed, something needs to be done, and by "something" I don't mean simply hearing one-sided testimony from the anklebiters themselves.
Governor Palin fought against business as usual in the state of Alaska. Failure to act in the best interests of the state she served is unacceptable. The boneheaded decision to hear testimony on ethics from unethical boneheads makes no sense at all.
I urge you all to call and/or email these legislators and respectfully insist that they take action. Your voice does matter. I've included the contact information for you. (All phone numbers: 907 area code)
* Chair: Rep. Wes Keller - Representative_Wes_Keller@legis.state.ak.us, 465-2186
* Vice-Chair: Sen. Donald Olson - Senator_Donald_Olson@legis.state.ak.us, 465-3707
* Rep. Carl Gatto - Representative_Carl_Gatto@legis.state.ak.us, 465-3743
* Rep David Guttenberg - Representative_David_Guttenberg@legis.state.ak.us, 465-4457
* Sen. Albert Kookeesh - Senator_Albert_Kookesh@legis.state.ak.us, 465-3473
* Sen. Kevin Meyer - Senator_Kevin_Meyer@legis.state.ak.us, 465-4945
* Senate Pres.: Sen. Gary Stevens - Senator_Gary_Stevens@legis.state.ak.us, 465-4925
* Speaker of the House: Rep. Mike Chenault Representative_Mike_Chenault@legis.state.ak.us, 465-3779
* bumped
Posts
27 comments:
someone should pull Andrees hair!
Go home Trig Truther, you're not folling anyone.
<span>Go home Trig Truther, you're not fooling anyone. </span>
I am simply stunned... where the heck are the Palin supporters in Alaska who would raise hell about this in Alaska? is Alaska so friggin liberal that the brain dead dolts run the legislature? I am even more surprised by the fact that Sarah Palin was actually able to get anything accomplished in Alaska if this is how stupid the politicians are up there.
And from the reporting, it sounds like the rules will stay the same. if that is the case, then why don't Palin supporters start filing bogus complaints against all the Democrats up there until they cry uncle and fix the law... or are these rules that need to be fixed to force filers of bogus complaints to pay if they lose only for the Governor? since the current Governor is Palin's pick Parnell, are they are leaving it as screwed up as before so these female scum of the earth can still keep filing complaints against him as well?
Go read your hand.
Fine....UP YOURS!
Ok....it says.....go to hell.
After 20+ frivolous ethics complaints, what have we learned about Governor Palin? She is guilty of loving her children, and wanting them to be with her when she travels. I say flog her. : )
Your name here: No burn the witch at the stake! :)
This was the only thing they ever got on Palin. A stable of influential legislators have been chomping at the bit to get her pretty much since she became governor. The election finally gave them a crack in the door, and they put the state on the backburner to their grudges.
Oh, so now you're picking on six-year-olds now. Classy.
Oh, so now you're picking on seven-year-old's now. Classy.
Adrienne,
i want to help but i do not write well. Would u make a petition, we will log in and write our comments. is that ok?
Ms. Ross,
I find it offensive that someone who does not live in Alaska is trying to interfere with our state's legislative process. I understand that you support Mrs. Palin wholeheartedly, but there are many, many Alaskans who believe that she did step over the ethical line in several of these complaints, whether the Personnel Board ruled in her favor or not. And in fact she was found to have done so by the independent investigator in the Alaska Fund Trust complaint. I certainly hope our legislators will clarify rules in per diem, family travel, private emails, conflicts of interest in business matters, and the use of one's elected office as a political platform so as to avoid the problems we've seen. At least half the state's residents (and most likely more by now) do not believe she made a "selfless" decision to quit, but I understand why you and your colleagues have no choice but to believe that is true.
Naturally you disagree with Alaskans who feel this way, and you're certainly entitled to your purely partisan opinion. But trying to rally your troops to weigh in on another state's laws is simply uncalled for. It smacks of a dirty tricks campaign, and it does not reflect well on your organization's ethics. I doubt whether you would appreciate it if liberal Alaskans began pummeling your legislature with testimony and opinions on your state's affairs out of a misguided sense of political righteousness. I shall attempt to say this as politely as possible by leaving out the appropriate adjectives: Please mind your own business.
Sincerely,
A Lifelong Alaskan
Nice try, Arctos, but you're very obvious.
Sincerely,
Someone who has read Going Rogue, has followed Sarah Palin, actually knows why she resigned and doesn't like it when spammers take others for fools.
Take it up with the people trying to shut down oil exploration, lumber clearcutting, shipping in the Cook inlet. The funny thing, is they don't know how disastrously they failed. She would have been content to be Governor, and just raise her family. Yet all those ludicrous charges, made her find ways of getting her message out more clearly in book, on the speaking circuit, on Fox securing her and her family's future. So as much as we loath the trolls, and their netroots sponsors, in a backhandedly way, we have to thank them for bringing her down to the lower 48.
Really? How do you feel when democrat operatives FLEW up there to your state and interferred with the Governor's affairs as well as your state's affairs, costing your state money??
Seriosuly, as polite as your letter is, I think it belong at some of the democrat/liberal sites, I am sure they will welcome you. And you can be as unpolite as you want, in fact those sites demand it.
Where are Sarah's supporters? She had an 80% approval rating, where are they? They need to step up and fight back for Sarah! These anklebiters make Alaska look very bad. They look like a bunch of idiots, that all they do it pick on her because their life is such a waste of breath, they have nothing better to do.
Let someone sue these fools and see how long they last! The only reason they are getting away with this, is because it DOES NOT COST THEM A DIME! If the legislators won't do anything, it looks like Sarah had some unfinished business in Alaska, getting these kooks out of there!
Alaska is a sad state, if they cannot step up for Sarah!
Sad!
The corrupt, lazy, selfish and vindictive legislators...
The empty-hearted and petty ankle-biters...
They have a hell of a lot of bad karma coming their way. They may not know it yet, but they are standing on sinking sand....God will be contending with them.
<p><span><span><span><span>Well-done Adrienne.<span> </span></span></span></span></span>
</p><p><span><span><span><span>I also have a bone to pick with the ADN.<span> </span>The following sentence just pisses me off - pardon my language. </span></span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span>
</p><p><span><span><span><span>“</span></span>Most of the ethics complaints against Palin were dismissed. But she settled one by reimbursing the state more than $8,000 for her children's air travel.”</span></span>
</p><p><span>This is shoddy journalism at its absolute worst. To begin with, the sentence makes it seem to the casual reader that there was an ethics violation when in fact the Alaska Personal Board explicitly stated there was nothing in the agreement to reimburse the state that constituted a violation of the ethics act.</span>
</p><p><span>As the Alaska Personal Board noted </span><span>here:</span>
</p><p><span><span>5. Nothing in this agreement constitutes an admission of wrongdoing, and none has been found, nor may any inference of wrongdoing be inferred by virtue of the execution of this agreement in any other proceeding.</span></span>
</p><p><span>And yet, the ADN goes right on ahead in the sentence and infers that there was wrongdoing.</span>
</p><p><span>Indeed, Sarah’s attorney Thomas Van Flein noted in an interview with Eddie Burke, in part:</span>
</p><p><span><span><span>There's been no violation of the law, as you noted, on the per diem issue and there's no violation of the Ethics Act on this travel issue. That's the news that was released today, that there's a settlement agreement between the Governor's office, the Governor rather, and the Personnel Board, and it expressly cleared the Governor of any ethics violation. This is regarding what is called Protocol Travel, and that's travel involving the First Family essentially.</span></span></span>
</p><p><span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span>Well-done Adrienne.<span> </span></span></span></span></span>
</p><p><span><span><span><span>I also have a bone to pick with the ADN.<span> </span>The following sentence just pisses me off - pardon my language. </span></span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span>
</p><p><span><span><span><span>“</span></span>Most of the ethics complaints against Palin were dismissed. But she settled one by reimbursing the state more than $8,000 for her children's air travel.”</span></span>
</p><p><span>This is shoddy journalism at its absolute worst. To begin with, the sentence makes it seem to the casual reader that there was an ethics violation when in fact the Alaska Personal Board explicitly stated there was nothing in the agreement to reimburse the state that constituted a violation of the ethics act.</span>
</p><p><span>As the Alaska Personal Board noted </span><span>here:</span>
</p><p><span><span>5. Nothing in this agreement constitutes an admission of wrongdoing, and none has been found, nor may any inference of wrongdoing be inferred by virtue of the execution of this agreement in any other proceeding.</span></span>
</p><p><span>And yet, the ADN goes right on ahead in the sentence and infers that there was wrongdoing.</span>
</p><p><span>Indeed, Sarah’s attorney Thomas Van Flein noted in an interview with Eddie Burke, in part:</span>
</p><p><span><span><span>There's been no violation of the law, as you noted, on the per diem issue and there's no violation of the Ethics Act on this travel issue. That's the news that was released today, that there's a settlement agreement between the Governor's office, the Governor rather, and the Personnel Board, and it expressly cleared the Governor of any ethics violation. This is regarding what is called Protocol Travel, and that's travel involving the First Family essentially.</span></span></span>
<span>Continued…</span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Continued from above…</span></span></span>
</p><p><span><span><span>The Personnel Board cleared Sarah of any ethics violation with respect to Protocol Travel.<span> </span></span>To date, <span>all </span>not “most”, but <span>all </span>of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. <span>Back in June of last year, RAM had a complete rundown of Sarah’s agreement with the Alaska Personal Board that can be read <span>here</span>.</span></span></span>
<span>As far as <span>Andree McLeod and Zane Henning being credible sources of information, it is apparent the legislature is living in</span> <span>Bizzarro World</span> and is not really serious about any meaningful reform of the ethics law. </span></p>
There are those who are supportive of Sarah in Alaska, but the haters have even come after them too.
This is a matter of Alinsky tactics coupled with a law that needs to be tightened up. Sarah could not address this law while governor because it is not her place to do so while in office as it relates specifically to her, kind of like the most recent Constitutional amendment states that legislators cannot approve pay raises that take affect during that term.
The AK legislature needs to step up and improve the law so that loser pays and broken confidentiality means that the case is thrown out. Judging by the fact that the likes of Andree McLeod are brought in to testify and legislators like Ramras are on the judiciary committee doesn't help the process.
Nothing's better than a phone call. I'm calling and following it up with an e-mail, fax, snail mail and anything else I can think of.
Thanks Adrienne. It's nice to be able to actually DO something in a somewhat organized way for a change.
MarkRNY,
Thanks for your action!
I look forward to the day "Jaybird" becomes "JAIL-bird" Ramras.....
;-)
We Alaskan conservatives are too ethical and moral (unfortunately?) to lower ourselves to the level of the tactics of the loony Left..... WE do not want to hamstring and cripple the functioning of government to satisfy petty vindictive urges to the detriment of our fellow citizens, even the sociopathic ones.....
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