Update on Sarah Palin’s alleged affair

The Palin soap opera continues to unfold. Did she or didn't she have an affair? New facts (and guesses) came out today.

The National Enquirer hasn't gone beyond its teasing that Palin had some sort of affair. And almost certainly it won't, until the print edition is on newsstands (they're in the fine capitalist business of making money, after all).

So the identity of Palin's purported lover is still a mystery. However, an Alaskan blogger says that Sarah Palin had a relationship with her husband's business partner.

My sources in Alaska say the incident occurred in mid 1990s, right around the time she became mayor of Wasilla. Todd Palin's partner in a Polaris snowmachine dealership in Wasilla, Brad Hanson Hampton, and Sarah were reportedly flirtatious and but never consummated the relationship.

When I read that, I thought the story might amount to nothing. After all, I could easily imagine the National Enquirer teasing readers with a "Sarah Palin affair!" headline – which turns out to be some heavy flirting.

No big deal. But the next paragraph casts doubt on how innocent the relationship was.

When Todd found out, he reportedly dissolved the partnership and sold the dealership. Hampton [or Hanson] is now a member of the Palmer City Council. He was married at the time of the reported flirtation.

Selling a business is a pretty big deal. Seems like you'd need a pretty good reason to do that.

Now the tale gets even more interesting. Andrew Sullivan reports that Todd Palin's former business partner has filed an emergency motion to seal his divorce papers. It was denied by the court.

This guy's name is Scott Richter, though, not Brad Hanson (or Hampton). A Google search reveals that Todd Palin and Scott Richter did own property together. So there's some sort of connection between them.

A comment to another blog post has a theory about why there's a rush to seal the divorce papers.

Rumor from Alaska is that this refers to an affair the wife, Debbie, [Scott Richter's ex-wife] had with one of Palin's advisers. Todd Palin got him fired. Since the order was denied, this will be public soon.

Bottom line: there's more evidence that something is fishy, affair-wise, in the Palin family. It might take until next week to find out what role, if any, Sarah plays in all this.

There's now speculation – shakily founded (but that's what speculation is all about) – that Scott Richter could be Trig Palin's real father. Well, at least the marvelously unqualified Sarah Palin has stirred up McCain's presidential campaign.

I'm hoping she'll stir it right down the electability drain. After all, even if she didn't have an affair, there's other juicy shocking revelations about her that voters need to consider.

Watch for the new issue of the National Enquirer at your supermarket checkout lane. I'll probably be doing some daily shopping.

Comments

[Jack Bog]

I looked at the one that's on the stands now. The one with the "affair" thing on the cover. No details inside -- at least none that I could find before it was my turn to have my stuff run over the scanner.

[b kennetah mcgee]

OH........those long Alaskan nights!!!

[Rain]

Every beautiful woman is suspect of having affairs! To me, if she did, it would matter not(missing that gene they now say explains men who don't see monogamy the same as others). I doubt it'd matter to Republicans either. They only care when it's a Democrat. :)

John McCain did get his own Paris and Britney though. Who knew when he did that ad that he was really looking for a way to oogle them. Makes it easier when it's his running partner.

[tj]

Typical liberal bloviating....

Reduced to The National Inquirer??

Very impressive.

Your "credibility" precedes you.

[Brian]

tj, I'm curious what you think about the Enquirer's reporting on John Edward's affair.

When the first story came out, did you rush to denounce the National Enquirer's credibility? I assume so, given your comment.

Are you aware that the Enquirer was the first to report the Edwards story (to my knowledge)? And that after denials by Edwards, the Enquirer turned out to be right?

Maybe you weren't aware of all that. I have to assume so, given that you denigrate the Enquirer's record on affairs by politicians.

[Harpo]

As if that one story about Edwards erases decades of lawsuits for false and slanderous reporting.

The National Enquirer, always known as a fine and respected institution that sets the standard for fair, responsible, accurate reporting, and that always places high professional standards above sensationalism, distortion, gossip and profit.