Palin aide pays fine to settle ethics complaint

By Bill DedmanInvestigative Reporter, msnbc.com

Aformer top aide to Sarah Palin when she was Alaska governor has paid $11,900 to settle an ethics complaint with the state of Alaska.

The complaint by Republican activist Andre McLeod alleged that Bailey used confidential emails, which were being withheld from the public, to write "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin," his tell-all book about the abbreviated administration ofthe former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate.

The settlement was reached last week and disclosed Tuesday when the attorney general's office informed McLeod.

Documents in the case, in PDF files:

The fines are described in the settlement as $3,600 for using confidential information in drafting his book, $7,200 for disclosing confidential information to his co-authors, and $1,100 for publishing information after the state Department of Law told him it was confidential. The settlement said Bailey withheld more information on the advise of the state lawyers.

More: Reporter Richard Mauer at The Anchorage Daily News has more onthe ethics case.

McLeod issued a statement on Tuesday saying more disclosure is needed:

Justice has yet to be served. I have called on the Attorney General to reveal all the publics documents and emails that Bailey confiscated and shared with others when he left state! employm ent.

McLeod and members of the media have requested all of Palins email communications for the time she was Alaskas governor. Although some have been revealed, many couldnt be located because of Palins rampant use of private email accounts for official business, and thousands more remain undisclosed as Alaskas governors office cites executive privileges and other delay tactics.

Every one of those confidential and still undisclosed public documents that were in Baileys possession must be made public, immediately, as Bailey broke the chain of custody when he illegally shared them with his co-authors Jeanne Devon and Ken Morris, McLeod said.

This is the second time that Sarahs go-to guy has been found to have crossed the line. The first was back in November of 2008 when I filed another complaint against Sarah and her staff, including Bailey, McLeod said.

McLeod continues, This agreement proves, yet again, that Sarah Palins account of her role in reforming Alaskas government while governor is truly the only real false narrative being bandied about.

Previous coverage: See our coverage from last summeron the release of many of the Palin administration's emails, including our database where you can read those documents.


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