The response was probably what we all expected but still made my jaw drop. She honestly believes she did nothing wrong.
If you read the report, you will see that there was nothing unlawful.
This woman's brazen disregard for reality is becoming the thing of legend, if you dare it gets worse below the fold.
By now I assume we have all read the highlights of the report issued by the investigator Branchflower and released by a unanimous 12-0 vote by the Republican dominated legislative council of the Alaskan state senate. Among the highlights are the following quote:
Gov. Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda
And let us not forget the following either:
I conclude that such claims of fear were not bona fide and were offered to provide cover for the Palins' real motivation: to get Trooper Wooten fired for personal family reasons.
Governor Palin's lawyers released a three page response to the report. Their basic contention is that Branchflower is wrong because the Ethics Act only applies to situations that involve monetary motives (ie: financial gain or loss). They respond thusly:
Here, there is no accusation, no finding and no facts that money or financial gain to the governor was involved in the decision to replace Monegan.
This is their defense. Not that she is innocent but that the ethics violations that she DID commit are not against the Ethics Act! How brazen can you possibly be!? They then go on to use every other excuse in the Republican handbook calling the investigation a "partisan led inquiry," and also saying that the council didn't have the legal right to even investigate the matter. I honestly hope people notice this, having been dumped on a late Friday afternoon I seriously doubt this will get the coverage it deserves.