Hot on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

'First Dude' or Shadow Governor?

Todd Palin's role is scrutinized as he's thrust into spotlight

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 3, 2008 11:14 AM CDT

(Newser) – Todd Palin likes the title "first dude," but some Alaskan critics of his wife have dubbed the apparently unassuming husband the state's "shadow governor," the Wall Street Journal reports. The oilfield worker and champion snowmobiler is copied on some official correspondence and is accused of playing a key role in the "Troopergate" scandal that triggered an investigation into Sarah and Todd Palin's role in firing an official who refused to ax a state cop who divorced Sarah's sister.

Palin's press secretary said Todd passes along some correspondence he receives but doesn't attend meetings or play an executive role. Todd often appears at public events and has helped promote vocational education. He's part Yupik Eskimo and his pet cause has been getting more native Alaskans trained to work in the state's industries.

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (1)]

Todd Palin drives his wife, Alaska's Gov. Sarah Palin, to the staring line of the Iron Dog snowmobile race last year. (AP Photo/Al Grillo, File)

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin talks with her husband, Todd Palin, during a speech by the state revenue commissioner in Anchorage last spring. (AP Photo/Al Grillo, file)

Republican vice presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, waves to the crowd next to her husband, Todd, at a campaign rally Sunday. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and husband, Todd Palin. (AP Photo/Al Grillo, file)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

One question keeps surfacing over and over again; Why does the governor's husband, Todd Palin, appear to hold so much power? - Andrew Halcro, exec who challenged Palin in the 2006 gubernatorial primary

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Todd Palin: Email Flap Just a Misunderstanding

Says he got his 'wires crossed' with Joe Miller

(NEWSER) - Todd Palin acknowledged today that he sent angry emails to Alaska Senate candidate Joe Miller, but he brushed it off as a misunderstanding being exaggerated by the media. "My family has worked hard in supporting Joe Miller, so when I heard he'd said something less than supportive of my wife's efforts, I responded," Todd Palin tells the Weekly Standard . "But it turns out we'd gotten our wires crossed and Joe hadn't said anything like what I'd been told." More»

Todd Palin: 'Creepy' Neighbor Has Ruined Summer

Family thinking of moving to escape Joe McGinniss

(NEWSER) - The Palin family summer has been spoiled, thanks to author Joe McGinniss moving in next door, and Todd Palin called Kathleen Parker to talk about it. Parker writes in a Washington Post blog that the Palins are considering moving the family elsewhere rather than live with "big brother" watching when they step outdoors. “It’s very creepy," Palin says. "Knowing that someone is going to be writing a hit piece, and he’s 15 feet away from you.” More»

Todd Palin & Partner Drop Out of Iron Dog Race

Partner's Injury, brutal conditions force out former 'First Dude'

(NEWSER) - Todd Palin won't be picking up his fifth Iron Dog victory in this year's 2,000-mile snowmobile race: Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's husband has dropped out of the competition because of an injury to his partner. A crash broke the handlebars and springs on Scott Davis's snowmobile and exacerbated a back problem. Conditions on the route from Big Lake to Nome and Fairbanks were brutal, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The weather has been unseasonably warm, resulting in deep ruts and killer bumps, reports the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman . More»

Emails Reveal Todd Palin's Power

'First Dude' had say in virtually every aspect of Sarah Palin's administration

(NEWSER) - Todd Palin had a massive amount of power in his wife’s administration in Alaska, recently released emails confirm. The missives, obtained by NBC through the state’s public records law, show the “first dude” was heavily involved in judicial appointments, contract negotiations with public employees, and state board appointments. He also received background checks on a corporate CEO, and passed financial information marked “confidential” from the oil company that employed him to a state attorney. More»

Palins Won't Split Up: Biographer

Sarah and Todd are building a 'summer White House'

(NEWSER) - Some oracles read tea leaves; Sarah Palin's biographer tells the future from home construction. "They're building another house and an airplane hangar," author Joe McGinniss, just back from Wasilla, tells Rush & Molloy of the Daily News . "Just based on the size of the compound, I'd say Sarah and Todd are staying together." More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

'First Dude' or Shadow Governor?