Alaskan state staff sent racist Obama emails

OFFICIALS in Alaska are investigating racist jokes about US president-elect Barack Obama that were circulating on state government email accounts.

One of the five emails asks about the outcome of the Democrat’s victory and concludes: “Another black family living in government housing.”

Three of the racist messages were confirmed by the state’s information technology division after an electronic search of the government’s email system, said administration commissioner Annette Kreitzer.

“It’s embarrassing to the state,” she said.

Kreitzer said she alerted the office of Governor Sarah Palin — the failed Republican vice-presidential candidate — about the emails.

Bill McAllister, Palin’s spokesman, said the matter concerned individual actions taken by a handful of state employees.

“My understanding is that the Department of Administration is following up on this with the individuals who took action to forward the offensive emails.

“This is, of course, a confidential personnel and disciplinary matter that has nothing to do with the governor’s office,” he said.

Reverend Alonzo Patterson, state chairman of the Alaska Black Leadership Conference, encouraged Palin to address the emails.

“They’re doing that in a state setting,” he said. “She should condemn it.”

Officials were not releasing the names or positions of workers involved.

It appears the original emails were sent to state employees from outside the state system, but that some state employees forwarded them.