ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A report has cleared Gov. Sarah Palin of ethics violations in the firing of her public safety commissioner. The report, released Monday, said: “There is no probable cause to believe that the governor, or any other state official, violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in connection with these matters.”

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin testified before an independent investigator Friday about allegations she abused her powers during a long-running personnel controversy that has now distracted from her Republican vice presidential campaign.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whose reformer image took a hit in a report concluding she abused her powers to settle a family score, has skirted state ethics rules before for personal benefit and used her office to help friends and supporters, according to an Associated Press review of records.

Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, the chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded Friday. The politically charged inquiry imperiled her reputation as a reformer on John McCain’s Republican ticket.

Troopergate OK Long story short. Sarah Palin had a sister, here sister married a cop. They had a bitter divorce. Sarah Palin used her power as governor to put pressure on officials to have her brother in law fired from his position as state trooper. Then when they asked her about it she lied. But […]