Palin Besieged by Ethics Complaints

She revels in acting insulted

(NEWSER) - The driving force behind Sarah Palin’s political career is victimization, writes Thomas Frank in the Wall Street Journal: She’s “a collector of grievances” who “runs for high office by griping.” The complaining appeals to those who see a “trampling of Middle America by the ‘elites,’” and she’s been doing it since she became a national figure. In fact, “the template was apparently set even before her big roll-out.” More»

Report has lawyer costing $30K per hour

(NEWSER) - A spreadsheet from Sarah Palin's office detailing spending on ethics complaints and lawsuits is riddled with discrepancies, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The administrative director of Palin's office says accidental double-counting added $26,849 to the $1.9 million total. She plans to make inquiries about other parts of the spreadsheet, including a line in which 0.3 hours of an attorney's time seems to have cost more than $10,000. More»

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin says she's drowning in a rising tide of frivolous ethics complaints, the AP reports. Most of the 18 complaints have been dismissed, but Palin's office says she's $500,000 in legal debt and facing accusations that "have been politically or personally motivated." Rallying to her side, supporters have raised $109,000 in a week-long Webathon to bankroll her legal defenses. More»

(NEWSER) - Backers of Sarah Palin are creating a legal fund to help her pay off her approximately $500,000 in legal bills, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Alaska governor racked up the bills defending herself against a slew of ethics complaints and charges that she improperly fired her former brother-in-law as a state trooper. Donations will be capped at $150, and all names will be made public. More»

Guv may start a legal fund to handle costs

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin has racked up more than $500,000 in lawyers' bills defending herself against ethics complaints and may create a legal fund to help pay them off, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The Alaska governor calls the complaints “baseless” and chalks them up to "political blood sport." Six of 10 have been dismissed, one was "resolved," and three are pending, she said. More»