Alaska mulls new ethics rules post-Palin

JUNEAU, Alaska, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Alaskan legislators are considering new ethics regulations aimed at getting rid of some ambiguities that came up when Sarah Palin was governor.

Attorney General Dan Sullivan wants to clarify when the state should pay for transportation for members of the governor's or lieutenant governor's families, the Anchorage Daily News reported Monday. He also wants to determine when the state should pay to defend officials from ethics complaints.

Palin resigned as governor last year partly because she said her personal legal expenses had escalated to $600,000 following a barrage of ethics complaints. In one case, Palin repaid the state $8,000 for plane tickets for her children, but most of the complaints were dismissed.

Sullivan hopes to put the new regulations in place without legislative approval. A legislative committee began examining them Monday to determine if they conform to existing law.

Under Sullivan's proposal, family members could travel on the state's dime only on official business. Officials would be reimbursed the cost of defending themselves in ethics cases if they are cleared.