Malia Litman will not back down in her fight to bring Sarah to justice

From Malia Litman's blog

The letter below is being sent to every legislator in Alaska. Please urge the legislators to appoint a legislative committee and hold Sarah Palin accountable to the taxpayers in Alaska.

December 16, 2011

Re: Appointment of Legislative Review Committee

One million two hundred thousand dollars is the cost to Alaskan tax payers for the making of Sarah Palin’s Alaska. Two million dollars is the income Sarah Palin received as a result of starring in and serving as the executive producer of Sarah Palin’s Alaska. The outrageous thing is that in making the show and earning two million dollars Palin was taking advantage of legislation she signed into law before she resigned as Governor. By profiting during the two years after she served as Governor from this film, Palin clearly and irrefutably violated violation of A.S. 39.52.180. That particular statute of the Ethics Code prohibits the Governor of Alaska, for a period of two years after leaving office, from profiting from a matter that was under consideration while she was Governor. “Matter” expressly includes “proposal or consideration of a legislative bill…or other legislative measures…” A.S. 44.33.236 is a piece of legislation considered during Palin’s short term as Governor, which she approved and signed into law, and which allows a film company to receive a tax credit of the very type Jean Worldwide received for the making of Sarah Palin’s Alaska. Several facts make the award of this tax credit even more offensive than the mere fact that Sarah Palin violated the ethics code by profiting from legislation she approved while Governor.

During the time Palin served as Governor, she met with film companies and discussed the possibility of making a film in Alaska. (See tab 5) Alaska tax payers paid for Palin’s expenses for her trip to California to meet with these companies.

Palin resigned from her position as Governor within two weeks of the date the film tax incentive program became operative. (See tab 5)

Sarah Palin’s Alaska should never have qualified for the film tax credit because the film was political in nature. Sarah Palin admitted this in a public interview. (tab 1). Twenty three specific examples of political comments were cited to the film office to bring this matter to their attention (tab 1) and they ignored the information. (tab 2)

Sarah Palin’s Alaska should never have qualified for the film tax credit because it was against the best interest of Alaskans. The film promoted unhealthy eating, allowing children to ride in motor vehicles unrestrained in contravention of Alaskan laws, and the film promoted pregnancy of unwed teenagers. (tab 1)

John Burns, the Attorney General, denied the ethics complaint, asserting that “legislation” was not “legislation,” even though the statute in question was specifically amended to include “legislation” before Sarah Palin relied upon this tax credit legislation to make millions of dollars. (tab 4)

Two additional films have already applied for film tax credits that feature Sarah Palin or members of her family. (tab 5) Sarah Palin and Todd have recently been reported to be shopping the idea of another show featuring Todd Palin on his snowmobile.

Governor Sean Parnell has been contacted regarding this ethics complaint. Randy Ruaro, his Deputy Chief of Staff, has identified the appointment of a legislative review committee that could be appointed by the Alaska Legislature as the appropriate way to address this problem. He cited Art. II, Sec. 11 of the Alaska Constitution. (tab 6)

It is time to hold Sarah Palin accountable for the ethics violation of A.S. 39.52.180. She was found to have violated the Alaska Ethics code in the Troopergate matter, but later claimed she had been vindicated.

Malia Litman's ethics complaint regarding Sarah Palin's Alaska is dismissed

From The ADN


Alaska officials have dismissed an ethics complaint filed against former Gov. Sarah Palin that alleged she violated state law because the TLC docu-series "Sarah Palin's Alaska" took advantage of a state film production incentives program she signed into law.


Malia Litman of Dallas filed the complaint in June with Alaska Attorney General John Burns. Litman also alleged Palin benefited from the production of the eight-part series in violation of a two-year moratorium that bars former officials from being compensated for assisting others in dealing with the state.

Palin resigned in July 2009, with 17 months left in her first term, citing in part ethics complaints she called frivolous. Her resignation came less than one year after she was tapped as the Republican vice presidential nominee. She is now publicly mulling whether to seek the presidency in the 2012 election.

Litman, 53, said she received the dismissal letter in the mail Tuesday. She said she is a retired trial lawyer and had thought the complaint was obviously warranted.

"I'm shocked," she said Wednesday in a phone interview. "I think it's so clear that she violated the law."


Palin's attorney, John Tiemessen, did not provide immediate comment.

Palin's reality show was produced through Santa Monica, Calif.-based Jean Worldwide by Mark Burnett of "Survivor" reality TV show fame. Palin is credited in Internet Movie Database as an executive producer on three episodes.

The series was among productions that tapped Alaska's new film production incentives program. Producers received a tax credit of nearly $1.2 million after spending about $3.6 million in the state, according to Alaska Film Office documents.

The documentary series attracted an average of more than 3 million viewers per episode and debuted with an audience of nearly 5 million people -- a record premiere for TLC. It concluded in early January.

The dismissal letter to Litman said there's no basis for her grievance.

"You have not alleged any specific action by Ms. Palin to assist Jean Worldwide in applying for the tax credit, only that she was involved in and compensated for making the film," the letter states. "The action of signing the general legislation passed by the Alaska Legislature into law as governor does not bar Ms. Palin from working for a person who operates under that state law."

As for the post-state employment allegation, the letter written by senior Assistant Attorney General Judy Bockmon acknowledged Alaska lawmakers amended state law to include work on legislation. However, there "was no suggestion that in doing so the legislature intended to change its original intent that the post-state employment bar be narrowly construed," Bockmon wrote.

That means it does not apply in every case, she wrote, but only to employment connected to the "same" matter a former official participated on during state service. Any new, future work is treated as a new matter.

Palin reportedly was seeking as much as $1.5 million per episode in pitching the show last year, according to The Hollywood Reporter. TLC, a division of Discovery Communications, has refused to divulge how much Palin was paid.

This proves that Palin still has friends in high places in AK, even though she is now living in Arizona.