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Internal Emails Show Robust Role For ‘Shadow Governor’ Todd Palin

Todd Palin

A nice get from MSNBC.com: a huge batch of internal e-mails released in response to an Alaska open records request show that Todd Palin played a big role in his wife’s administration, often corresponding directly with the governor’s staff on matters ranging from appointments to contract negotiations.

Todd Palin was known as the “shadow governor” and was a key figure in the Troopergate scandal that dogged Sarah Palin during the 2008 campaign. In recent months, there’s evidence that he is still his wife’s most important protector: he personally drew up the now-famous “banned list” barring unfriendly media from a Palin book event in Wasilla.

The new e-mails range from the mundane (Todd repeatedly trying to get a photo of him in a t-shirt removed from the National Governors Association Web site) to the intriguing (one e-mail that was withheld bears the subject line, “media questions about Todd Palin’s work and potential conflict of interests”). MSNBC.com has many more details.

MSNBC has posted a searchable database of the new e-mails here. Let us know in the comments if you see anything of interest.

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