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Palin's aides back charging state for kid's travel

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-23 16:20

Leighow also defended other state-paid trips the girls made. She provided to the AP on Wednesday an e-mail that the governor's office received that invited Bristol to a five-hour New York conference in October 2007 that she attended with her mother. Palin charged the state $1,385.11 for her daughter's flight. They shared a room for four nights in a luxury hotel on Central Park.

Republican vice presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, left with daughters Piper, right, and Willow, holding son Trig, arrive at a rally in Henderson, Nev., Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008. [Agencies]

But the conference organizer said Bristol was only invited after the governor said she was bringing her.

"We told her we need to know her name so we can send her an invitation," said Mark Block, external affairs director for Newsweek magazine, which hosted the event.

Palin's calendar for one of those days in New York shows Bristol also attended the taping of MTV's "Total Request Live" show, with a note saying "dress: very posh (evening wear)."

Griffin also said Palin reimbursed the state for the cost of two friends who accompanied Bristol and Willow on a flight on a state airplane in May 2007.

John Glass, the deputy public safety commissioner, said he was not aware of the friends' flight until The Associated Press brought it to his attention, but the governor has the right to bring others on the plane.

"She has the ability to authorize people to travel with her," Glass said. "That's the end of the story."

The flight that included the Palin children's friends was among more than two dozen taken by the family on the state plane at a total cost of about $55,000. The family purchased commercial airline tickets when they couldn't get access to that plane, which is used primarily to transport prisoners and law enforcement officials. The plane costs $971 an hour to operate.

Bill Tandeske, who served as public safety commissioner from 2003 to 2006 during Gov. Frank Murkowski's administration, said the state plane should be used for official business only, not like a family station wagon.

"Is the use of a state asset for the governor's husband and kids appropriate? I suggest not," Tandeske said.

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