Palin's gifts

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: November 26, 2008 - 4:32 pm

Comments (0) |

From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage --

CNBC outfitted Gov. Sarah Palin with $300 in clothes and the Republican Governor’s Association gave her $1,000 cowboy boots.

Those are couple of the gifts reported on Palin’s latest disclosure forms. Others include a $250 gift bag from the Anchorage Baptist Temple Women’s Ministry and accommodations for the governor and her daughters in Skagway.

CNBC bought Palin the clothes and footwear in August, when reporter Maria Bartiromo came up to interview the governor.

Why?

The governor’s office gave this explanation: Bartiromo interviewed Palin, who was wearing a dress and high heels, in the governor’s office in Anchorage. The CNBC producers decided they wanted to shoot more at an outside location, so they went to the Flattop area. CNBC then apparently picked up the tab for Palin's “wool clothing and flat shoes.”

CNBC confirmed the gist of this.

And the cowboy boots? Palin’s disclosure form says the Republican Governors Association gave them to all governors attending the group’s meeting in Gaylord, Texas, in April. They’re “Custom Made Rocky Carroll Cowboy Boots.”

The Republican Governors Association also paid $4,620 in lodging, food and expenses for Palin and her husband, Todd, to attend the event. This was the Texas trip that became famous when Palin experienced signs of early labor and flew home to Alaska to give birth to her fifth child, Trig.

Earlier this month, the Anchorage Baptist Temple Women’s Ministry gave Palin a “large gift bag full of beauty supplies including personal hygiene products, makeup, books, candles and earrings.” Estimated value is $250.

Palin this month also reported a May 2007 gift of lodging from Fred and Kathy Hosford, owners of the Chilkoot Trail Outpost. “Not filed timely due to administrative error,” according to the form. Kathy Hosford is a friend of the family.

The gift was $300 in lodging for Palin and her daughters, Bristol, Piper and Willow, as they attended a reception at the lodge.

These disclosures don’t cover the "boxes and boxes and boxes" of gifts Palin reportedly received while out on the trail campaigning for vice president.

What about those?

It’s a little unclear. The Executive Branch Ethics Act requires Palin to disclose gifts if they were given because she’s a state employee or if she can take official action affecting the gift giver.

“Most gifts given to Gov. Palin because she was campaigning as the Republican Party vice presidential candidate would not seem to meet the Ethics Act criteria, unless the giver had business with the state that the governor would act upon,” said Alaska Assistant Attorney General Judy Bockmon.

The Alaska Public Offices Commission, though, said the gifts could have to be disclosed on the governor's next annual financial disclosure statement.

It’s not due until March 15.

The Federal Elections Commission said it doesn't have a list of the gifts, and that Palin doesn't have to disclose them to the FEC.

This latest round of state gift disclosures comes from a records request by Anchorage activist Andree McLeod. ADN has a broader request into the state for Palin gifts and travel, and we're awaiting documents from the governor’s office.

login or register to post comments