An Alaska Democratic Party official alleges state officials are "hiding something" by not granting a request for former Gov. Sarah Palin's e-mails.

Alaska Democratic Party Chairwoman Patti Higgins said Wednesday that state officials have yet to respond to public records requests made more than a year ago for e-mails involving the former Republican vice presidential candidate, the Anchorage Daily News reported Thursday.

"I think they're hiding something, I think this is a travesty of justice," Higgins said. "The law says they have 10 days to do it."

Complicated requests for public records can be extended beyond 10 days under state regulations.

State officials insist the delay in the e-mail request is due to an abundance of information requests that have left state workers overwhelmed.

"Because of the large volume of records involved, we have pulled lawyers and paralegals from other assignments to assist with the effort. Unfortunately, it's a very time-consuming process," Assistant Attorney General David Jones said.

Higgins told the Daily News she plans on meeting with the Alaska Civil Liberties Union to determine whether a lawsuit should be filed to obtain the records.