Palin Charged Alaska For Childrens’ Travel And Later Amended Reports

Even when her children were not to be part of state events, Governor Palin charged the state for their travel and later amended reports to state they were on official business, according to an AP investigation.

As governor, Palin justified having the state pay for the travel of her daughters – Bristol, 17; Willow, 14; and Piper, 7 – by noting on travel forms that the girls had been invited to attend or participate in events on the governor’s schedule.

But some organizers of these events said they were surprised when the Palin children showed up uninvited, or said they agreed to a request by the governor to allow the children to attend.

Interestingly, Palin amended her reports only after she became the VP nominee.

After Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain chose Palin his running mate and reporters asked for the records, Palin ordered changes to previously filed expense reports for her daughters’ travel.

In the amended reports, Palin added phrases such as “First Family attending” and “First Family invited” to explain the girls’ attendance.

At least one former governor who also had school-age children when he ran the state says what Palin did was inappropriate.

Tony Knowles, a Democratic former governor of Alaska who lost to Palin in a 2006 bid to reclaim the job, said he never charged the state for his three children’s commercial flights or claimed their travel as official state business.

Knowles, who was governor from 1994 to 2002, is the only other recent Alaska governor who had school-age children while in office.

“There was no valid reason for the children to be along on state business,” said Knowles, a supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. “I cannot recall any instance during my eight years as governor where it would have been appropriate to claim they performed state business.”

We already know that a bi-partisan panel discovered that Palin abused her power as governor.  We also know that Governor Palin did not accurately portray the panel’s findings.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.