Judge: Alaska must preserve Palin e-mails

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- The Alaska state government must preserve e-mails involving state business sent by Gov. Sarah Palin and her aides on private accounts, a judge ruled Friday.

At a hearing before a judge in Anchorage, the state did not contest a former employee's request for a temporary restraining order on the e-mail, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

Palin's use of private e-mail accounts has come to light since Republican presidential nominee John McCain picked her as his running mate. Palin had two Yahoo accounts, using at least one of them for state business, and at least two of her top aides did the same, the News said.

Assistant Attorney General Mike Mitchell said that the state government was trying to identify employees who used private accounts for state business and then to move those e-mails into the state system.

Andree McLeod, a former government employee who has run for political office several times, filed the suit earlier this seek.