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Sunday, July 05, 2009

Ethics Caused SILLY Sarah Failin's Resignation, And It's NOT The Cost I'm Sure.

Cost of Ethics Investigations Cited in Palin Decision
By DEBORAH SOLOMON

Sarah Palin's decision to resign as Alaska governor was primarily prompted by her concern over the large sums of money being spent on ethics investigations into her background, Alaska's Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell said on Sunday.

Ms. Palin on Friday announced that she would not run for reelection and would step down 18 months before her term ends. The decision has prompted many to question whether Ms. Palin, who was Sen. John McCain's 2008 vice-presidential running mate, is considering a bid for the White House in 2012.

Mr. Parnell, who will take over as governor on July 26, didn't address whether Ms. Palin might seek higher office. He said her decision was primarily related to concerns that Alaska was spending about $2 million per year on records requests and other costs associated with ethics investigations targeted at her.

"I think she used the word 'insane'" in describing those costs, Mr. Parnell said on "Fox News Sunday."

The governor has been the subject of more than a dozen ethics complaints, including allegations that she retaliated against a brother-in-law by removing him as a state trooper. After an investigation by the state legislature found Ms. Palin guilty of ethics violations in that case, she ordered a second investigation by a special counsel, which cleared her of wrongdoing.

During a Friday news conference, Ms. Palin cited the costs of those investigations and the intense scrutiny she was under as influencing her decision.

The former republican vice presidential candidate is resigning at the end of July. In the surprise announcement, Gov. Palin said she has a "bigger role" in mind. Video courtesy of Fox News.

Ms. Palin's choice to resign has puzzled many political observers, including some Republicans, who say it casts her in an unfavorable light as a quitter.

Karl Rove, the architect of former President George W. Bush's presidential win, said on "Fox News Sunday" that Ms. Palin's resignation gave ammunition to those who seek to take down elected officials. It "sort of sent a signal that if you do this sort of thing to a sitting governor, you're going to be able to drive them out of office."

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who challenged Sen. McCain for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, said that if Ms. Palin plans to run, she was taking a chance in resigning. "It's a risky strategy and nobody knows if it's going to pay off or not," he told "Fox News Sunday."

Write to Deborah Solomon at deborah.solomon@wsj.com

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