Get out the Kleenex: Sarah Palin's Legal Bills Pile Up

By GottaLaff

Anchorage Daily News is reporting that Sarah Palin is in debt up to her earmarks... but c'mon! None of this is her fault! It's a witch hunt, that's what it is! And... and... ::sniffle:: now how's she supposed to ::snerfle:: come up with all that money to pay off her legal fees? Waaah!

Gov. Sarah Palin owes more than a half million dollars to an Anchorage law firm that has defended her against ethics complaints, and she may create a legal fund to pay the bill, she said Friday.

Legal bills have mounted fighting complaints that she called partisan, false and frivolous, starting with "the politically motivated Troopergate probe," Palin said in a written response to questions.

She said the legal bills all stem from her actions as governor.

"I must defend against these baseless ethics accusations out of my own pocket as the use of public monies to do so could itself violate state law," Palin wrote.

"On August 29, it seems the political landscape changed in Alaska. Now, it seems in order to do this job as Governor, with the political blood sport some are playing today, only the independently wealthy or those willing to spend their income on legal fees to defend their official actions in office ... can serve," Palin said in the written response to Daily News questions.

On Friday in the written statement, attorney Thomas Van Flein wouldn't give a precise number but said it was "a substantial debt." Palin said she didn't have an exact figure yet but "the debt is over a half a million dollars." [...]

In all, Palin said, there have been 10 ethics complaints, counting Troopergate, though she did not provide a list. [...] Out of the 10 complaints, Palin said six have been dismissed, one had "concluded," and three are pending. [...]

Palin made $131,891 last year, counting her $125,000 salary and expense payments she collects when she's away from Juneau, according to the disclosure. Todd Palin made $86,150 from his two jobs, as a commercial fisherman and a BP production operator.

"Obviously we cannot afford to personally pay these bills -- and really no future governor should feel the sense of financial vulnerability at the hands of those with a political vendetta bent on personal destruction," Palin wrote. "Some have suggested a legal fund to pay these bills. We'll have to pursue that."

Burris asking Senate Ethics panel for permission to open Legal Expense Fund

By GottaLaff

A Burris under our saddles:

Embattled Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) is asking the Senate Select Committee on Ethics for permission to open a legal expense fund [...]

The purpose for establishing the fund, according to the filing: "to pay for expenses incurred by the Senator in connection with his appointment to the US Senate on December 30th, 2008. Due to the controversy surrounding his appointment by former Illinois Governor Rod Balgojevich, Senator Burris incurred legal expenses to support his eventual swearing in on January 15th, 2009 in both Illinois and Washington, DC.

"In addition, even after he was seated, Senator Burris has continued to require representation amid accusations of perjury and other alleged improprieties relating back to his appointment to the senate seat."

Jim O'Connor, Burris communications director, said the Ethics Committee ruling on the permission request could take about four weeks, and no money can be raised in the meantime.

Burris told Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) that he has hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills; the amount could be as high as $400,000, according to the Burris camp.

I have a feeling that, if approved, he'll end up with about $1.50.