I had read where all of the "ethics" charges against Palin so far had been "dismissed". That would tend to make you think she was "exonerated" of the charges.
NOW, if I read this right, it seems she was guilty but the charges were dismissed because she agreed to pay off her ill-gotten gains:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/06/palin.resignation/Ethics complaints from critics led to her paying back taxes on state per diem funds she received while living at her home in Wasilla, outside Anchorage; another investigation led to her paying about $8,100 in travel expenses for her children.
(emphasis added)
In other words, in the ethics cases brought against her she wasn't "cleared" of ethics charges as she wants us to believe. She was guilty, admitted it, and paid off her debt so it wouldn't show against her record.
The fact remains that she was guilty. She just got caught.