ANCHORAGE — The second ethics complaint in a week filed against Gov. Sarah Palin alleges a conflict of interest when she wore Arctic Cat logo gear during this year's Tesoro Iron Dog snowmachine race.
Arctic Cat sponsors Palin's husband, Todd, in the world's longest snowmachine race -- Big Lake to Nome to Fairbanks.
Palin, in a press release, said it's all bogus.
"Yes, I wore Arctic Cat snow gear at an outdoor event, because it was cold outside, and by the way, today, I am wearing clothes bearing the names of Alaska artists, and a Glennallen Panthers basketball hoodie," Palin said in the release. "I am a walking billboard for the team's fundraiser! Should I expect to see an ethics charge for wearing these, or the Carhartts I wear to many public events? How much will this blogger's asinine political grandstanding cost all of us in time and money?"
Linda Kellen Biegel, a Democrat who blogs under the name "Celtic Diva," said in her complaint that Palin "improperly used her position and state resources to serve her personal financial interests by being a walking billboard for Arctic Cat, a private for-profit company and family business sponsor."
A photo on the state Web site shows Palin in a bright white, green and black Team Arctic jacket kicking off the start of this year's Iron Dog. A photo of her in the Team Arctic jacket and matching pants accompanied an on-line Sports Illustrated article on Todd Palin and the Iron Dog.
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