Palin, Johnston face off over resignation

Levi Johnston, father to the outgoing governor's grandchild, says he knows why she's quitting

Published July 10, 2009 5:10PM (EDT)

We've all heard the jokes about mothers-in-law. Still, at least most people don't have to fight with theirs through the press. Not Levi Johnston, however: Though he's split from Bristol Palin, the mother of his child and the daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, he's still battling with the governor in public, and getting heat from her spokeswoman as a result.

It was Johnston who set off the latest kerfuffle. He did it by saying, during a press conference, that he believes his ex-fiance's mother decided to resign her post for financial reasons. Back when he was living with the Palin family, in December and January, Johnston said, the governor lamented her inability to take the lucrative offers that were pouring in.

"She had talked about how nice it would be to take some of this money people had been offering us and you know just run with it, say 'forget everything else,'" he said. "I think the big deal was the book. That was millions of dollars."

Johnston is pursuing book and movie deal of his own, though. That provided fodder for Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton, who shot back: "It is interesting to learn Levi is working on a piece of fiction while honing his acting skills."


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

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