Palin billed state for nights at home

Campaign aides to Gov. Sarah Palin on Tuesday defended her practice of billing Alaska taxpayers for more than 300 nights she spent at home during her first 1 ½ years in office.

Palin, the running mate of Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, received a "per diem" expense allowance for 312 nights she spent at her home in Wasilla, The Washington Post reported Tuesday, based on an analysis of Palin's travel statements.

The $60-a-day allowance is available for Alaska state employees when traveling on official state business to cover meals and incidental expenses. Palin's per diems totaled $17,059, from Dec. 4, 2006, when she took office, through June 30, 2008, the most recent data available, said Sharon Leighow, a spokeswoman in Alaska. Palin's salary is $125,000 a year.

Palin was able to get the allotment while at home because her official "duty station" is Juneau, the capital, aides said. That allowed her to file for per diems while she was working in her Anchorage office and commuting there from her Wasilla home 45 miles away.

Billing for working from home seems to be unusual. "To charge the citizens of any state for home visits is somewhat beyond the pale," said Chuck Ardo, a spokesman for Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat.

On the federal level, officials said members of Congress do not get per diems for routine home visits.

The Post also said Palin billed taxpayers $43,490 for travel by her husband and children. The analysis shows her husband, Todd, and their daughters were reimbursed by taxpayers for many trips between Wasilla and Juneau and for other travel listed as state business. Palin's aides said travel by Alaska's first family is part of the job.

But it's not clear when children's travel expenses should be covered. State finance director Kim Garnero said the government covers the travel costs of anyone conducting state business, adding, "I can't imagine kids could be doing that."

Democrats seized upon the revelation to challenge the image of fiscal discipline that Palin has sought to convey, with Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama's campaign circulating The Post article.

Palin's staff and the McCain campaign said the charges were appropriate under Alaska rules. Campaign spokeswoman Maria Comella said Palin's travel expenses were "80 percent below" those of predecessor Frank Murkowski, and she had achieved this savings by selling the state's plane, flying coach and driving herself to work.