Former Alaska First Dude, Todd Palin Quits Job

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According to Meghan Stapleton, Sarah Palin's personal spokeswoman, said in an email Friday. "Todd loved his union job on the Slope and hopes to return. For now, he is spending time with his family."

According to BP spokesman Steve Rinehart, The resignation was effective September 18. This whole announcement feels almost as if Stapleton pulled out the same press release from when the former Alaska Governor abruptly resigned from her day job. She loved her State job, but was going to quit anyway to spend time with her family.

In addition having worked on the North Slope, Todd Palin is a fisherman and a semi-pro on the snow machine riding circuit known as The Iron Dog. As the former "First Dude" he hosted teas for he and the other former first ladies of the state.

Sarah Palin left office July 26 — about 17 months before the end of her first term partly because of the toll of multiple ethics complaints. Almost all the complaints were dismissed, but Palin said she had amassed more than $500,000 in legal fees. Her resignation fueled wide speculation of a 2012 presidential bid.

Soon after Palin took office in late 2006, her husband began a leave of absence from his blue-collar job with BP. The company — Alaska's No. 2 oil producer and major stakeholder in the trans-Alaska oil pipeline — is in constant contact with the state over regulation, taxation and environmental oversight. Todd Palin said he was taking the 2007 leave because of the new first family's busy schedule. He said he saw no conflict with his job because he was not in management. He returned to work later the same year.

In February, Todd Palin and nine state employees were found by state lawmakers to be in contempt for ignoring legislative subpoenas in an investigation of Sarah Palin's dismissal of her public safety commissioner. The investigation sought to determine if Palin dismissed Commissioner Walt Monegan after he refused to fire a trooper who went through a contentious divorce from Palin's sister.

Palin initially agreed to cooperate with the investigation. She changed her mind after she became Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate, saying the process had become too political. The legislative probe concluded that Palin had abused her office by allowing her husband and aides to pressure Monegan, but said the firing was legal since the commissioner was an at-will employee.

Palin initiated a separate investigation by the Alaska Personnel Board. That investigation found there was no probable cause to believe Palin or any other state official violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act.