Palin Rumors: Claimed daily travel allowances as the governor of Alaska while she remained at home

Sarah Palin in Kuwait 2 (High Rez) by asecondhandconjecture, on Flickr seems to be Public Domain.

Aljazeera - Palin travel expenses scrutinised:

Sarah Palin, the US Republican vice-presidential candidate, claimed daily travel allowances as the governor of Alaska while she remained at home, according to a report in the Washington Post newspaper.

Palin claimed the state allowance for 312 nights when she was at home in the town of Wasilla, at a cost to taxpayers of $17,000 over 19 months, the paper said.

"Per diem" payments are usually meant for meals and incidental expenses while travelling on state business.

State officials said the claims by John McCain's running mate were permitted because her "duty station" is Juneau, the Alaskan capital, and she lives in Wasilla, which is 600 miles away, the newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Palin Rumors | Explorations:

84. "Yes, she did bill the Alaska State Government for per diem on days when she was “home.” This is how it works: she is maintaining two households. The state law defines her official residence in Juneau as “home”, so when she’s up in Wasilla, she’s “traveling”. That’s the way the law is written, and it appears that she has documented and handled her expenses legally and appropriately, even if it seems odd. And yes, her expenses have been anywhere from a third to a fifth of the expenses of the previous Governor. The Washington Post suggests this calls into question her claim to be a fiscal conservative; personally, I think cutting expenses by 70 to 80 percent seems like a pretty good claim to the title."

Palin Rumors is a good site.