PALIN AS PETTY THIEF

Caribou Barbie dishonestly charged the State of Alaska for trips she took her children on despite the fact that they weren't invited and had nothing to do with the events. This is the GOP's version of "change."

AP INVESTIGATION: Alaska funded Palin kids' travel
Oct 21 06:34 PM US/Eastern
By BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE, ADAM GOLDMAN and MATT APUZZO
Associated Press Writers

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Gov. Sarah Palin charged the state for her children to travel with her, including to events where they were not invited, and later amended expense reports to specify that they were on official business.

The charges included costs for hotel and commercial flights for three daughters to join Palin to watch their father in a snowmobile race, and a trip to New York, where the governor attended a five-hour conference and stayed with 17-year-old Bristol for five days and four nights in a luxury hotel.

In all, Palin has charged the state $21,012 for her three daughters' 64 one-way and 12 round-trip commercial flights since she took office in December 2006. In some other cases, she has charged the state for hotel rooms for the girls.

The state is already reviewing nearly $17,000 in per diem payments to Palin for more than 300 nights she slept at her own home, 40 miles from her satellite office in Anchorage.