E Mails Reveal Todd Palin's Influence in Palin Administration

by Karen Hatter | February 5, 2010 at 08:10 am

618 views | 74 Recommendations | 16 comments

Over 3,000 e mails that were exchanged between Todd Palin and Alaskan state officials have been released by the state of Alaska to MSNBC and NBC under the state's public records laws.

The e mails provide a glimpse into the interaction of Todd Palin, former Governor Sarah Palin's husband, with Alaska state officials during the Palin administration in Alaska.

An additional 243 e mails have been withheld by Alaskan officials on the claim that " .... executive privilege extends to Todd Palin as an unpaid adviser to the government."

Nearly 3,000 pages of e-mails that Todd Palin exchanged with state officials, which were released to msnbc.com and NBC News by the state of Alaska under its public records law, draw a picture of a Palin administration where the governor's husband got involved in a judicial appointment, monitored contract negotiations with public employee unions, received background checks on a corporate CEO, added his approval or disapproval to state board appointments and passed financial information marked "confidential" from his oil company employer to a state attorney. While 1,200 separate e-mails were released this week, 243 others were withheld by the state under a claim that executive privilege extends to Todd Palin as an unpaid adviser to the government. Still, just the subject lines of those e-mails provide a glimpse of the ways the Palins divvied up their responsibilities when she became governor in December 2006, less than two years before Republican Sen. John McCain pulled her onto the national political stage by nominating her as his vice presidential candidate.
The still-secret e-mails between Todd Palin and senior officials reach into countless areas of state government and politics: potential board appointees, constituent complaints, use of the state jet, oil and gas production, marine regulation, gas pipeline bids, postsecondary education, wildfires, native Alaskan issues, the state effort to save the Matanuska Maid dairy, budget planning, potential budget vetoes, oil shale leasing, "strategy for responding to media allegations," staffing at the mansion, pier diem payments to the governor for travel, "strategy for responding to questions about pregnancy," potential cuts to the governor's staff, "confidentiality issues," Bureau of Land Management land transfers and trespass issues and requests to the U.S. transportation secretary.
Also withheld: a discussion of how to reply to "media questions about Todd Palin's work and potential conflict of interests."

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158

at 08:24 on February 5th, 2010

Much like Hillary Clinton had influence when Bill was president.

Hugh Askew

at 12:37 on February 5th, 2010

One presumes that this is slam Palin week at NP, judging by the articles.

Karen Hatter

at 12:59 on February 5th, 2010

Actually, Hugh, the fact that there are e mails showing Todd Palin, the 'First Dude', as former Governor and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin called him, seeming to be very much involved with the Palin administration, functioning as is being stated by state of Alaska's spokespersons as an unpaid consultant, with his input appearing to be more than the pillow talk 'Well, what do you think, honey?' variety, makes his input very revealing and newsworthy.

Hugh Askew

at 13:16 on February 5th, 2010

No problem with that, just seems to be bash Palin week.

Karen Hatter

at 09:03 on February 5th, 2010

Hi to any and all NP staff and HELP!

I am still experiencing disappearing media if I edit after adding media items.

My latest edit was done to re-add the link and text that should have appeared with this post but disappeared as I published.

It appears that the disappearance of the link and excerpted text may have been related to the sourced site's update.

The suggested retrieval method offered for me to retrieve media has not worked.

If some member of staff would please retrieve my media, it would be greatly appreciated.

Any staff attempting to aid me, please note that often when staff re-adds media, the text jumbles into one giant paragraph so, it would also be appreciate if paragraphs are noted before trying to re-add media.

I have been having this issue for awhile.

My thanks, in advance, to anyone who aids me. :)

Amy Judd

at 09:07 on February 5th, 2010

The media is back.

Karen Hatter

at 10:05 on February 5th, 2010

Thank you so much, Amy.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 13:51 on February 5th, 2010

There is indeed a story on AP, albeit very genetic. I saw the story in USA Today this morning as well. CBS just published one at 1:30pm ET. USA Today and CBS don't take ownership of the story. AP does not go into any specifics, only MSNBC does. USA Today and CBS make refer back to the MSNBC story when it comes to the detail.

Todd Palin, the husband of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, "got involved in a judicial appointment, monitored contract negotiations with public employee unions, received background checks on a corporate CEO, added his approval or disapproval to state board appointments and passed financial information marked 'confidential' from his oil company employer to a state attorney" while his wife was serving as governor, MSNBC reports.

Karen Hatter

at 23:22 on February 5th, 2010

Thanks, Rosie.

Karen Hatter

at 23:27 on February 5th, 2010

Thanks, Rosie.

Rory Cripps

at 16:26 on February 5th, 2010

Why is Palin in the news so much? JEEZ! Is it because she's popular in some political circles and is seen as a threat in opposing political circles?

Mary Richard

at 17:49 on February 5th, 2010

Maybe because she's such a colorful character, Rory.

Isn't Todd Palin a member of the Alaska Independence Party? Wouldn't there be some kind of conflict there?

Karen Hatter

at 23:34 on February 5th, 2010

It would seem, at least at that point in time, Todd Palin shared the same desire as those 23% of reported Republicans, listed in the Research 2000 poll, expressing their desire to secede from the United States.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 18:02 on February 5th, 2010

From 1995 to 2002, he was registered to vote as a member of the Alaskan Independence Party.[10] In late August 2008, The Politico reported that Palin was registered to vote as an independent (undeclared), and had never registered as a Republican.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 03:20 on February 6th, 2010

The story is carried in the Washington Post this morning and it appears to tone down the rhetoric.

The trove of 3,000 private messages sent and received by Todd Palin further illuminate the personal quirks, machinations and frustrations of the Palins, from plans to install a tanning bed in the governor's mansion to their gripes about the media. Linda Perez, administrative director of the Alaska governor's office, confirmed the e-mails' authenticity Friday to The Washington Post.

Many of the e-mails are about the mundane stuff of everyday life, such as reminders to stock up on vegetables or arrangements to catch a movie. The governor and her husband saw the film "Juno," about an unwed teenage mother, 10 months before their unmarried, then-18-year-old daughter, Bristol, gave birth to a son.