Cole said Palin never asked for help and never expected any, (Zac Gooch/KTUU-DT) |
Kristan Cole said she is a friend of Palin and feels it's her duty to help the governor pay for the legal costs associated with her ethics complaints.
The Wasilla realtor said every aspect of the fund she helps oversee follows the law.
The only time she's spoken with the governor about the trust, Cole said, was Tuesday, and that was to alert her that she was responding to the leak of the letter, which claims Palin violated ethics rules.
"I want to be clear on a point that this has been misrepresented," Cole said. "The governor is not, was not and has not been involved with this trust."
The report that was leaked Tuesday concludes Palin misused her position as governor for personal gain because she supported the legal defense fund set up on her behalf.
Palin never asked for help and never expected any, Cole said.
"The governor has not even accepted or requested one penny from the trust," Cole said.
Nonetheless, according to a lawyer who worked for the state Personnel Board, Palin may have a case for legal action.
"By reading of where they were on the proceedings, this report should have been confidential as of this stage in the proceedings," attorney Tim Petumenos said.
The Personnel Board will review the conclusions and make a final determination.
Cole and her attorney brought up the notion that U.S. senators frequently set up legal defense funds with little or no complaint.
However, those funds fall under federal guidelines, not state guidelines, as the governor's does.
Contact Ted Land at tland@ktuu.com
