MAT-SU -- After launching a complaint against Republican Party of Alaska Chairman and former Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission officer Randy Ruedrich, Sarah Palin is now being accused of similar violations.

Two anonymous letters have been sent, apparently to several media outlets and the Alaska Public Offices Commission, stating that Palin held campaign-related meetings in her office, had numerous telephone conversations involving her campaign and used her city e-mail account to conduct campaign-related business. One e-mail, listed as "an example of one of possibly hundreds of e-mails that were sent out of Wasilla City Hall during Sarah Palin's campaign for lieutenant governor," was forwarded as part of one message. The e-mail was apparently a reply to an e-mail sent out to Alaska Outdoor Council members, notifying them of the council's endorsement of Robin Taylor for lieutenant governor.

Palin said the e-mail was an isolated event -- simply a reply to an e-mail she had received at her work address from the Council. She discounted the allegations that she misused her office as wholly false, and said this isn't the first time she's been falsely accused by someone afraid to reveal their identity. During her 2002 campaign for lieutenant governor, anonymous letters were sent out to several organizations stating that Palin had been convicted of a felony for a fishing violation. The felony accusation, as it was later proved, was not true -- a misfiling at a courthouse was to blame for the apparent felony -- and Palin said she sees this allegation in a similar vein.

"I've known from day one that Randy Ruedrich and his supporters are upset," Palin said. "What's not expected is, again, for these anonymous attacks ... I had to put my name on stuff -- I knew it was going to be public eventually -- I knew there would be ramifications."

Jamie Newman, Wasilla's deputy city clerk, said the city doesn't have a code of ethics that specifically prohibits campaign activity by city staff or that prevents city staff from occasionally using city telephones or office time for personal issues. But that's not to say city staff are free to campaign on the public dime.

"We look to state statutes for guidance," Newman said. And when it comes to campaign-related office use, Newman said, they rely on the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

Because the attacks were anonymous, Christina Ellingson, deputy director at APOC, said her office has no plans of pursuing them. Ellingson said her office doesn't take anonymous complaints.

"If they're not willing to put a name to what they're doing, they should not be given any credence," Ellingson said.

What's more, the allegations fall outside the one-year timeline for election-related complaints. It's also doubtful, Ellingson said, that the complaints would be considered violations of campaign rules. One rule that could have applied, Ellingson said, is that municipalities and cities may not use money or city resources to support candidates unless the money has been appropriated for that purpose.

"I still don't know whether it was a violation or not; there are too many variables," Ellingson said.

Palin said she has no doubt the allegations are linked to her objections to actions Randy Ruedrich allegedly took while in office at the AOGCC. She said she's doubtful that, like one letter claims, the anonymous complainer is a city of Wasilla employee.

"I am very, very confident that this is an insider attack. I don't believe for a second that this is a city of Wasilla employee," Palin said. "I think there's some scrambling going on here with Randy Ruedrich supporters -- I've known from day one they are very angry with me. Now it seems even the governor has changed his position [about Ruedrich's violations]."

Palin said she's surprised that the anonymous complainer is trying to link her actions to the actions she said Ruedrich took in his AOGCC office. In Ruedrich's case, she said, he stood before the legislature and promised that, if any hints of impropriety come up, he will step down from one position or the other.

"He broke that promise and members of the legislature reminded me of that," Palin said. "I know; I am convinced in my heart and in my gut that an insider attack like this is being used to divert attention and muddy the waters so the clear focus is not on what the issue is, which is the ethics violations by the party chairman."

Ruedrich said Thursday he had a copy of the e-mail on his home computer, but had not searched to see if other election-related e-mails were sent from Palin's office account. He said he believes the e-mail speaks for itself, and indicated that further investigation was warranted. Ruedrich said he knew nothing about the anonymous allegations, or who was filing them.

"I did not direct anyone [to file the complaints]," Ruedrich said. "I have no idea why she's taking the position she's taking."

Palin said she won't back down as a result of the anonymous complaints, and feels her stance is backed by most people in the state.

"The majority of Alaskans don't give a flying flip who's in power in the party -- that's not even a blip on their radar screen," Palin said. "They just want what's best for Alaskans."

Contact Rindi White at rindi.white@frontiersman.com.