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The postcard, featuring a picture of a smiling Palin, was sent out by the Washington, D. C.,-based Republican Governors' Association and has been arriving in mailboxes this week.

"Sarah Palin likes to cast herself as the most ethical candidate, yet she has repeatedly refused to tell RGA to butt out of her campaign, despite assurances from the Alaska Public Offices Commission that it's OK for her to call them," Knowles said in a statement released Wednesday.

A spokesman for the Palin campaign dismissed Knowles' claim as simply politics.

"What would Tony Knowles have us do? Have everyone give it back?" said Curtis Smith, spokesman for the Palin campaign.

Smith said the Palin campaign had nothing to do with the Republican Governors' Association or the postcard.

"As far as I know, they sent this mailer out on their own volition," Smith said.

Knowles said he's asked a similar Democratic group to stay out of Alaska politics, and it has done so.

The Democratic Governor's Association has much less money available than its Republican counterpart, however.

The Republican Governors Association did not return calls to its East Coast office after business hours and has no known Alaska office.

Alaska state elections law bars Outside groups interfering in Alaska elections, and makes campaign efforts such as the RGA's mailer illegal, said Brooke Miles, executive director of the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

"It's a completely prohibited ad," Miles said.

The ban on Outside money doesn't apply to advocacy of issues and doesn't apply to ballot measures, but Miles said the RGA mailer was obviously intended to help Palin beat Knowles.

"There's no way they could even pretend it's issues advocacy," Miles said.

Miles said the Democratic Party has been in contact with the commission staff seeking an investigation into the postcard, but Miles said she would probably group the mailing in with an existing Democratic Party complaint about TV commercials aired earlier.

The commission could levy a small fine against RGA if it finds a violation, or it could issue a cease-and-desist order to prevent further violations. Miles said that in preliminary discussions she's had with the RGA's lawyer she was told there are no more mailings planned.