Ex-mayor says Miller disciplined over ethics

[Guest areafiftyone]

Alaska Daily News:

'LESS THAN HONEST': He was politicking on borough time and computers, says ex-official.

Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller used borough computers in Fairbanks for partisan political purposes in 2008 when he organized the failed effort to oust state GOP chairman Randy Ruedrich from his post, the borough mayor who supervised Miller said Wednesday.

Jim Whitaker, the mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough when Miller was the borough's part-time attorney, said Miller was disciplined in writing for violating the borough's ethics policy.

Whitaker said he decided to speak out publicly now after Miller vowed this week to not answer questions about his past. Miller told reporters he has been the victim of "lies and innuendos" after questions were raised about his work history with the borough.

"Statements that Mr. Miller made on Monday led me to believe he was not going to be forthcoming. And I felt that the statements he made were less than honest," Whitaker said in an interview Wednesday. "This entire event happened on my watch. I know what the truth is and I felt obligated to tell the truth."

Whitaker, who was borough mayor from 2003 to 2009, has long expressed reluctance to speak about the matter, but gave interviews Wednesday to the Daily News, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Alaska Dispatch.

Miller's campaign spokesman Randy DeSoto did not return a message seeking comment.

Miller spent seven years as part-time borough attorney before leaving in September of last year, a day before he was to be fired, Whitaker said.

Whitaker, a former Republican state legislator, said Miller got in trouble in March 2008 for misusing borough computers. Miller was the Interior regional chairman of the Republican Party at the time and, along with then-Gov. Sarah Palin, was trying have Randy Ruedrich replaced as party chair at the annual GOP convention. Then-mayor Whitaker said he was informed by his chief of staff, the borough attorney and the personnel director about what Miller had done.

Whitaker said Miller was caught using multiple computers to try to oust Ruedrich as party chairman. He said he was under the impression that Miller was trying to get himself elected to the position. Whitaker said he wasn't sure why Miller was using different computers.

[Stella]

Miller was acting like he was running for office in Illinois. What he did is standard procedure here.

[AceRimmer]

This is Murkowski and the RATS October Surprise?! They really are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

[Guest areafiftyone]

Its neck and neck for Miller and Murkowski in polling right now. Most people by now have made up their minds in most of the 2010 races by now. It's going to be a nasty 3 weeks.

[pollyannaish]

This is just a hit piece. They are coming out all over and so many of them absolutely wreak of scraping the bottom of the barrel. In small towns and states, there are webs and webs of hidden associations. NO ONE is altruistic. They are happening in my town as well.

 

This is not a lie on a resume, or an exaggeration of experience. It is the same kind of hit/allegation they are making against the chamber of commerce folks.

[Guest areafiftyone]

This is just a hit piece. They are coming out all over and so many of them absolutely wreak of scraping the bottom of the barrel. In small towns and states, there are webs and webs of hidden associations. NO ONE is altruistic. They are happening in my town as well.

 

This is not a lie on a resume, or an exaggeration of experience. It is the same kind of hit/allegation they are making against the chamber of commerce folks.

 

Talk about hit pieces - this is nothing - The Rabbi is now attacking Paladino. I will post it in a few minutes. Like I said - nasty nasty nasty!

[Casino67]

Speaking of Miller.

 

[Stella]

Those pictures of Murkowski in that ad are a riot.