In addition to family photos, the group appears to have found corroboration that the governor conducted Alaska business via yahoo.com

Wikileaks, the online clearinghouse of classified information that has caught the Guantanamo Bay prison, Northern Rock, and a major Swiss bank in its crosshairs, has posted hacked data from Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's private e-mail account.



The alleged hack was pulled off by "loosely affiliated" members of an anti-Scientology group, according to Wikileaks, which justified its move by citing Palin's reported use of yahoo.com to conduct official state business. (Aides to George Bush came under fire for similar e-mailing behaviour last year.)

The hack uncovered family photos and the addresses of Palin friends -- of questionable relevance to any public records violation, really -- as well as what looks like proof that Palin was indeed using personal e-mail for state business.

Among the emails in Palin's account were several from (GOV) addresses belonging to her aides, including a draft letter to California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a discussion of nominations to the state court of appeals, and several bearing "DPS", the acronym for the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

DPS, as it happens, supervises the Alaska state troopers. Could the e-mails in question be relevant to the brewing ethics storm over Palin's push to sack her former brother-in-law from the force?