A state personnel board said Monday Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin did not abuse her office as governor of Alaska in the `Troopergate` case, rejecting the findings of an earlier probe by the state legislature.

`There is no probable cause to believe that Governor Palin violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act by making the decision to dismiss Department of Public Safety Commissioner (Walt) Monegan and offering him instead the position of Director of the Alaska Beverage Control Board,` the board said in its report.

Earlier the legislature found Palin had violated ethics rules when she dismissed Monegan in July, allegedly because he refused to fire a state trooper, her former brother-in-law.

Palin requested the second investigation be conducted by the state personnel board after alleging the legislative probe was politically motivated.