Palin Billed State For Nights At Home

Washington Post: Alaska Taxpayers Also Funded Family's Travel, Documents Show

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by James V. Grimaldi and Karl Vick.

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Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.

Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.

The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel, and many of the trips were between their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show.

Gubernatorial spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said Monday that Palin's expenses are not unusual and that, under state policy, the first family could have claimed per diem expenses for each child taken on official business but has not done so.

Before she became the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee, Palin was little known outside Alaska. Now, with the campaign emphasizing her executive experience, her record as mayor of Wasilla, as a state oil-and-gas commissioner and as governor is receiving intense scrutiny.

During her speech at the Republican National Convention last week, Palin cast herself as a crusader for fiscal rectitude as Alaska's governor. She noted that she sold a state-owned plane used by the former governor. "While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for," she said to loud applause.

Speaking from Palin's Anchorage office, Leighow said Palin dealt with the plane and also trimmed other expenses, including forgoing a chef in the governor's mansion because she preferred to cook for her family. The first family's travel is an expected part of the job, she said.

"As a matter of protocol, the governor and the first family are expected to attend community events across the state," she said. "It's absolutely reasonable that the first family participates in community events."

The state finance director, Kim Garnero, said Alaska law exempts the governor's office from elaborate travel regulations. Said Leighow: "The governor is entitled to a per diem, and she claims it."

The popular governor collected the per diem allowance from April 22, four days after the birth of her fifth child, until June 3, when she flew to Juneau for two days. Palin moved her family to the capital during the legislative session last year, but prefers to stay in Wasilla and drive 45 miles to Anchorage to a state office building where she conducts most of her business, aides have said.

Palin rarely sought reimbursement for meals while staying in Anchorage or Wasilla, the reports show.

She wrote some form of "Lodging -- own residence" or "Lodging -- Wasilla residence" more than 30 times at the same time she took a per diem, according to the reports. In two dozen undated amendments to the reports, the governor deleted the reference to staying in her home but still charged the per diem.

Palin charged the state a per diem for working on Nov. 22, 2007 -- Thanksgiving Day. The reason given, according to the expense report, was the Great Alaska Shootout, an annual NCAA college basketball tournament held in Anchorage.

In separate filings, the state was billed about $25,000 for Palin's daughters' expenses and $19,000 for her husband's.

Flights topped the list for the most expensive items, and the daughter whose bill was the highest was Piper, 7, whose flights cost nearly $11,000, while Willow, 14, claimed about $6,000 and Bristol, 17, accounted for about $3,400.

One event was in New York City in October 2007, when Bristol accompanied the governor to Newsweek's third annual Women and Leadership Conference, toured the New York Stock Exchange and met local officials and business executives. The state paid for three nights in a $707-a-day hotel room. Garnero said the governor's office has the authority to approve hotel stays above $300.

Asked Monday about the official policy on charging for children's travel expenses, Garnero said: "We cover the expenses of anyone who's conducting state business. I can't imagine kids could be doing that."

But Leighow said many of the hundreds of invitations Palin receives include requests for her to bring her family, placing the definition of "state business" with the party extending the invitation.

One such invitation came in October 2007, when Willow flew to Juneau to join the Palin family on a tour of the Hub Juneau Christian Teen Center, where Palin and her family worship when they are in Juneau. The state gave the center $25,000, according to a May 2008 memo.

Leighow noted that under state policy, all of the governor's children are entitled to per diem expenses, even her infant son. "The first family declined the per diem [for] the children," Leighow said. "The amount that they had declined was $4,461, as of August 5."

The family also charged for flights around the state, including trips to Alaska events such as the start of the Iditarod dog-sled race and the Iron Dog snowmobile race, a contest that Todd Palin won.

Meanwhile, Todd Palin spent $725 to fly to Edmonton, Alberta, for "information gathering and planning meeting with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology," according to an expense report. During the three-day trip, he charged the state $291 for his per diem. A notation said "costs paid by Dept. of Labor." He also billed the state $1,371 for a flight to Washington to attend a National Governors Association meeting with his wife.

Gov. Palin has spent far less on her personal travel than her predecessor: $93,000 on airfare in 2007, compared with $463,000 spent the year before by her predecessor, Frank Murkowski. He traveled often in an executive jet that Palin called an extravagance during her campaign. She sold it after she was sworn into office.

"She flies coach and encourages her cabinet to fly coach as well," said Garnero, whose job is equivalent to state controller. "Some do, some don't."

Leighow said that the governor's staff has tallied the travel expenses charged by Murkowski's wife: $35,675 in 2006, $43,659 in 2005, $13,607 in 2004 and $29,608 in 2003. Associates of Murkowski said the former governor was moose hunting and could not be reached to comment.

In the past, per diem claims by Alaska state officials have carried political risks. In 1988, the head of the state Commerce Department was pilloried for collecting a per diem charge of $50 while staying in his Anchorage home, according to local news accounts. The commissioner, the late Tony Smith, resigned amid a series of controversies.

"It was quite the little scandal," said Tony Knowles, the Democratic governor from 1994 to 2000. "I gave a direction to all my commissioners if they were ever in their house, whether it was Juneau or elsewhere, they were not to get a per diem because, clearly, it is and it looks like a scam -- you pay yourself to live at home," he said.

Knowles, whose children were school-age at the start of his first term, said that his wife sometimes accompanied him to conferences overseas but that he could "count on one hand" the number of times his children accompanied him.

"And the policy was not to reimburse for family travel on commercial airlines, because there is no direct public benefit to schlepping kids around the state," he said. The rules were articulated by Mike Nizich, then director of administrative services in the governor's office, said Knowles and an aide to another former governor, Walter Hickel.

Nizich is now Palin's chief of staff. He did not return a phone call seeking comment. The rules governing family travel on state-owned aircraft appear less clear. Knowles said he operated under the understanding that immediate family could accompany the governor without charge.

But during the Murkowski years, that practice was questioned, and the state attorney general's office produced an opinion saying laws then in effect required reimbursement for spousal travel.

Research editor Alice Crites in Washington contributed to this report.

[trudem1]

Palin is a pig.

Questionable reimbursements - $700 hotel rooms - takes the whole family along
Religous Crackpot - Speaks in tounges
Family history of irresponsible pregnancies
Creationist
Does not "follow Iraq much" but says its Gods will.
Tried to ban library books
Supported the "Bridge to Nowhere" - loves earmarks
Hires lobbyists to get pork
Does not believe in global warming
Under investigation for questionable ethics in state police firing
Says terrorism against Jews is part of "Gods plan" because they refuse to accept Jesus.
Thinks Alaska is the promised land for the Rapture
Asks church to "Pray for the Pipeline"
refers regularly to Alaska%u2019s Aboriginal people as %u201CArctic Arabs%u201D

Palin is a joke.

[libsluv2spit]

the washington post..suprise suprise..

[miles1967-2009]

She is a thief and should be put in jail. How do the Alaskan taxpayers feel about this?!?!?!?

Palin is an incredibly scary, inexperienced, ignorant, intolerant woman.

Time reported last week, for example, that Palin asked the Wasilla librarian, Mary Ellen Baker, about the process for banning books. Baker was reportedly "aghast" at the question. Soon after taking office, Palin, according to a New York Times report, fired Baker, and news reports from the time indicate that Palin thought Baker hadn''t done enough to give her "full support" to the mayor.

[jonesforch]

Check factcheck.org before we going jumping on the band wagon.

[o_emptysuit]

I know this article is a joke, cause Joe Bidden spend $97.00 each way to work on Amtrak. That''s on the taxpayers dime $200 a day for Joe Bidden to travel. Oh and his son is the head LOBBIST for AMTRAK, oh and BIDDEN sits on the transportation committee. This liberal media is going to have to do better than this considering Alaska is twice the size of Texas, morons!

[o_emptysuit]

I know this article is a joke, cause Joe Bidden spend $97.00 each way to work on Amtrak. That''s on the taxpayers dime $200 a day for Joe Bidden to travel. Oh and his son is the head LOBBIST for AMTRAK, oh and BIDDEN sits on the transportation committee. This liberal media is going to have to do better than this considering Alaska is twice the size of Texas, morons!

[o_emptysuit]

I know this article is a joke, cause Joe Bidden spend $97.00 each way to work on Amtrak. That''s on the taxpayers dime $200 a day for Joe Bidden to travel. Oh and his son is the head LOBBIST for AMTRAK, oh and BIDDEN sits on the transportation committee. This liberal media is going to have to do better than this considering Alaska is twice the size of Texas, morons!

[mtngurl8]

Palin has repeatedly lied about selling the private jet on ebay. Sounds so cool and no nonsense right? well in reality she sold it to a aviation charter co. and no it wasn''t on ebay.

[tryhonesty]

Palin. Beware of the wolf in sheeps clothing...

[DashRIPRockIII]

Why wasn''t the title of this article "Palin Saves State $370,000 in travel expenses."? You might have also considered "Palin Cuts Governor''s Travel Expenses by 80%."
The headline implies that she had broken the law. The first paragraph also implies that the per diem was not allowed under Alaska State Law. It isn''t until the third paragraph that we learned officials agreed the expenses were allowable. Maybe you can get US Magazine to do a cover story on this.

[DashRIPRockIII]

Why wasn''t the title of this article "Palin Saves State $370,000 in travel expenses."? You might have also considered "Palin Cuts Governor''s Travel Expenses by 80%."
The headline implies that she had broken the law. The first paragraph also implies that the per diem was not allowed under Alaska State Law. It isn''t until the third paragraph that we learned officials agreed the expenses were allowable. Maybe you can get US Magazine to do a cover story on this.

[DashRIPRockIII]

Why wasn''t the title of this article "Palin Saves State $370,000 in travel expenses."? You might have also considered "Palin Cuts Governor''s Travel Expenses by 80%."
I read the title of this article in horror thinking Palin had broken a law in her state. The first paragraph also implies that the per diem was not allowed under Alaska State Law. It isn''t until the third paragraph that we learn officials agreed the expenses were allowable. I think that the rest of the article was fair and balanced. Finally, we see an article that doesn''t mention abortion, or Bristol Palin, Troopergate or the bridge to nowhere. Good work.
It hasn''t changed my mind on voting for the McCain/Palin ticket, but I did find it interesting. Then again, I''m a bit of a softy. White Water, Monica Lewinsky, and the accusations surrounding Vince Foster''s death never stopped me from liking the Clintons.

[ragnar30066]

Wow, I wonder which of the three dozen lawyers dispatched by the democrat party to find dirt on Palin dug this up. I also wonder if it will take more than a day to be show that there is no more substance to it than to all the other sliming the Obamatoids are trying to do.

Al Capone was always trying to portray Eliot Ness as a really bad guy.

[DashRIPRockIII]

Why wasn''t the title of this article "Palin Saves State $370,000 in travel expenses."? You might have also considered "Palin Cuts Governor''s Travel Expenses by 80%."
I read the title of this article in horror thinking Palin had broken a law in her state. The first paragraph also implies that the per diem was not allowed under Alaska State Law. It isn''t until the third paragraph that we learn officials agreed the expenses were allowable. I think that the rest of the article was fair and balanced. Finally, we see an article that doesn''t mention abortion, or Bristol Palin, Troopergate or the bridge to nowhere. Good work.
It hasn''t changed my mind on voting for the McCain/Palin ticket, but I did find it interesting. Then again, I''m a bit of a softy. White Water, Monica Lewinsky, and the accusations surrounding Vince Foster''s death never stopped me from liking the Clintons.

[DashRIPRockIII]

Why wasn''t the title of this article "Palin Saves State $370,000 in travel expenses."? You might have also considered "Palin Cuts Governor''s Travel Expenses by 80%."
I read the title of this article in horror thinking Palin had broken a law in her state. The first paragraph also implies that the per diem was not allowed under Alaska State Law. It isn''t until the third paragraph that we learn officials agreed the expenses were allowable. I think that the rest of the article was fair and balanced. Finally, we see an article that doesn''t mention abortion, or Bristol Palin, Troopergate or the bridge to nowhere. Good work.
It hasn''t changed my mind on voting for the McCain/Palin ticket, but I did find it interesting. Then again, I''m a bit of a softy. White Water, Monica Lewinsky, and the accusations surrounding Vince Foster''s death never stopped me from liking the Clintons.

[DashRIPRockIII]

Why wasn''t the title of this article "Palin Saves State $370,000 in travel expenses."? You might have also considered "Palin Cuts Governor''s Travel Expenses by 80%."
I read the title of this article in horror thinking Palin had broken a law in her state. The first paragraph also implies that the per diem was not allowed under Alaska State Law. It isn''t until the third paragraph that we learn officials agreed the expenses were allowable. I think that the rest of the article was fair and balanced. Finally, we see an article that doesn''t mention abortion, or Bristol Palin, Troopergate or the bridge to nowhere. Good work.
It hasn''t changed my mind on voting for the McCain/Palin ticket, but I did find it interesting. Then again, I''m a bit of a softy. White Water, Monica Lewinsky, and the accusations surrounding Vince Foster''s death never stopped me from liking the Clintons.

[DashRIPRockIII]

Why wasn''t the title of this article "Palin Saves State $370,000 in travel expenses."? You might have also considered "Palin Cuts Governor''s Travel Expenses by 80%."
I read the title of this article in horror thinking Palin had broken a law in her state. The first paragraph also implies that the per diem was not allowed under Alaska State Law. It isn''t until the third paragraph that we learn officials agreed the expenses were allowable. I think that the rest of the article was fair and balanced. Finally, we see an article that doesn''t mention abortion, or Bristol Palin, Troopergate or the bridge to nowhere. Good work.
It hasn''t changed my mind on voting for the McCain/Palin ticket, but I did find it interesting. Then again, I''m a bit of a softy. White Water, Monica Lewinsky, and the accusations surrounding Vince Foster''s death never stopped me from liking the Clintons.

[DashRIPRockIII]

Why wasn''t the title of this article "Palin Saves State $370,000 in travel expenses."? You might have also considered "Palin Cuts Governor''s Travel Expenses by 80%."
I read the title of this article in horror thinking Palin had broken a law in her state. The first paragraph also implies that the per diem was not allowed under Alaska State Law. It isn''t until the third paragraph that we learn officials agreed the expenses were allowable. I think that the rest of the article was fair and balanced. Finally, we see an article that doesn''t mention abortion, or Bristol Palin, Troopergate or the bridge to nowhere. Good work.
It hasn''t changed my mind on voting for the McCain/Palin ticket, but I did find it interesting. Then again, I''m a bit of a softy. White Water, Monica Lewinsky, and the accusations surrounding Vince Foster''s death never stopped me from liking the Clintons.

[babooph]

Most politicians call for the honor system -too bad they give us the honor & they keep the system.

[cbeyondlies]

Thank You for sharing this and please can You bring forth more info on this part of Your report:
billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

Why would she bill for being in her own home?
Is that a *normal* procedure?
I would Love to hear her response on that-
or get more information.
if there is another source re: this turn of events,
please pass forward for further investigation.

If she speaks of ethics also corruption-
this is a fair question to ask- also can clarify the information especially if former officials were scrutinized for similar transactions...

Thank You again for sharing this~ Hopefully more developments will come-

I Appreciate Your report that does not sugar coat but gives us an opportunity to weigh evidence...