Palin vows to shrug off ethics inquiries

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, July 25 (UPI) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she'll resurrect her image as a clean government crusader even as she faces continuing inquiries into her own ethical conduct.

Palin, whose last day in office before her resignation takes effect was Saturday, told The Washington Post in written statements that she plans to take a crusade for ethical government from Anchorage to the national stage, dismissing ethical complaints against her -- including the latest alleging she illegally accepted private donations to pay legal debts -- as "frivolous."

"I'm not leaving the governorship because of any particular ethics complaint," Palin wrote. "Rather, I have explained that the millions of dollars spent by the state and the diversion of resources to address politically inspired records requests, personnel board costs and wasting staff time is unnecessary and harmful to the state."

Referring to her crusades against wasteful government that won her the governor's office, she added, "I will take the battle nationally and I won't shy away from challenging the powerful, the entrenched, the corrupt and anyone standing in the way of getting our country back on the right track."