Palin Grabbed $25K in Gifts

Sarah Palin accepted gifts totaling over $25,000 during her 20 months as governor of Alaska, the Washington Post reports. The gifts to Palin, who made a crackdown on gift-giving a central plank of her reform agenda, included expensive artwork and free travel for a family member. Donors included industry execs and a cultural center whose board includes powerful mining industry officials.

Palin checked "no" on forms that asked whether she was in a position to "take official action that may affect the person who gave me the gift," although some of the gifts—such as a $2,200 ivory puffin mask—came from an Alaskan firm with pending regulatory issues before the state. The FCC has granted Palin an extension on filing her financial disclosure forms until after her debate with Joe Biden.
(More Sarah Palin stories.)