Coghill wants French to step aside in Troopergate investigation
Originally published Friday, September 5, 2008 at 1:58 p.m.
Updated Saturday, September 6, 2008 at 12:08 a.m.
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS -- Rep. John Coghill wants to cease the Legislature’s investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin’s firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, saying the process has become too political.
If the Legislative Council decides to continue with the investigation, then Coghill, a local Republican, is asking that Sen. Hollis French, D-Anchorage, step down as project director in the investigation.
In light of Palin’s recent nomination to be Sen. John McCain’s presidential running mate, Coghill said he finds it impossible for the Legislature to remain unbiased in the investigation.
Coghill wrote a letter to Sen. Kim Elton, D-Juneau, chairman of the Legislative Council, stating that the investigation appears to be lacking in fairness, neutrality and due process after he read several comments by French regarding the investigation on ABCNews.com.
“French violated the very intent and integrity of the investigation, which was to be at arm’s length from the political process,” Coghill said.
Coghill questions whether the Legislature’s investigation should continue since the governor’s nomination for vice president has widely publicized the issue. He would like to see an investigation continue with the Division of Personnel and Labor Relations, which provides human resource services to the executive branch agencies.
“It’s much less political than our investigation,” Coghill said.
On Tuesday, French was quoted in the ABC News article as saying the Legislative Council’s report was going to be an “October surprise” and “likely to be damaging to the Governor’s administration.”
French said the governor “had a credibility problem” and further stated “If they had done their job, (referring to the McCain campaign) they never would have picked her.”
Coghill said he thought the comments made were political in nature about an investigation intended to be apolitical, according to a press release issued Friday morning by the House Rules Committee, where Coghill sits as chairman.
“He is free to have his opinion, but not free to have his opinion on this investigation,” Coghill said.
French has conceded that he “probably shouldn’t have made those remarks,” but said he will not be personally investigating, gathering facts or writing the final report.
In an effort to defuse the national media attention on his comments, French and the Legislative Council have agreed to move the report’s release date from Oct. 31 to Oct. 10.
According to a press release issued by the Senate Judiciary Committee, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jay Ramras, R-Fairbanks, said the reason for the earlier completion date for the report is to avoid the appearance of last-minute politicking and to give both sides plenty of time to respond to the contents of the report.
The Legislative Council also has agreed not to subpoena Palin.
“No subpoena will be issued for the governor,” said Rep. Nancy Dahlstrom, R-Eagle River. “She has told the public that she intends to cooperate with the investigation.”
French said it would be a mistake to eliminate the Legislature’s investigation.
“I think the Legislature has the inherent authority to oversee the activity of the executive branch, and we shouldn’t give that authority away,” French said.
French noted that the legislative committee, consisting of eight Republicans and four Democrats, voted unanimously to conduct the investigation months ago.
“The vote took place long before she was nominated, and a lot of people don’t realize that in the national media,” he said.
Still, Coghill believes that French has turned a fair investigation into a smear campaign using state money to hurt Palin.
“Sen. French appears to be steering the direction of the investigation, its conclusion and its timing in a manner that will have maximum partisan political impact on the national and state elections,” Coghill said.
Regardless of Coghill’s questions about the integrity of the investigation, he still thinks an investigation should go on — just not by the Legislature.
“Questions still need to be answered regarding whether or not the governor used her office for personal use,” he said. “The answer may be that she did and that it was just bad judgment, but that’s just my opinion and that’s why we need an investigation but by a non-partisan entity.”
Although the investigation has growing national implications, Coghill states that no one contacted him from the McCain campaign about trying to pull strings on the investigation.
Coghill said he spoke with several other members of the Legislature, but said he is “acting on his own in this issue.”
French would not speculate on whether Coghill was encouraged by the McCain campaign to pull strings on the investigation.
Community Discussion
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John, it is time for you to get back on board the river boat, and maybe just stay there for a year or two...
Maybe its time to get rid of some legislator's - like French and Green - and replace them with some that have integrity and won't push their personal agenda. Right, Lyda? How 'bout it Hollis?
Thank you Rep. Coghill!
Thank You is definitely needed for Coghill! Hollis has been on the rampage all week!! We got Lyda out this election and one can only hope Hollis goes soon. My question is more why hasn't the legislature wandered more about a trooper tasering a child, illegal hunting and threats to Palin's father. Why is he still a trooper? What else is going on amongst our troopers that we don't know about. I think it is time we look a little deeper into how the AST is running. Maybe it is time we do away with the "good ole boys" of the troopers!
Looks like Coghill, got it right! Supreme Court 9-6 upheld Executive Privilege apply in this case also Wow! $100,000 shot! That would heat 100 homes @ $1000 ea.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/200...
The Secret Service has Wooten on their list of people to watch closely because he has made threats to the Palin family.
They will not let Wooten get anywhere near Sarah.
But Governor Palin can't fire Trooper Wooten.
The irony here is just amazing.
CNN has a more detailed descriptive article with some history from which all the other print snippets don't fully cover.
French's office wouldn't comment to CNN, wonder why?
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/05/p...
I do not understand why an investigation at all. When a new Governor is elected every Commissioner is expected to turn in a letter of resignation. They are either reappointed or let go and someone else is chosen by the Governor. And the Governor can let any Commission go at any time and replace them without any explination to anyone at all.
As for Wooten,if he has indeed made threats to the Governor or the family than he should be in jail and not a Trooper at all. If this is true and the Commissioner didn't have him fired then if I were the Governor I would find a Commissioner who would have him fired and immediately!
CPW
John Coghill, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
After hearing what French has been saying lately, it is obvious that there is absolutely nothing "non-partisan" about this "investigation".
Furthermore, it seriously weakens the credibility and integrity of the Legislature itself, to have allowed these statements and actions by French to have gone on unchecked!
Thanks John for doing what the legislative body doesn't have the guts to do!
marlomille: "John, it is time for you to get back on board the river boat, and maybe just stay there for a year or two..."
xxx
That was John Binkley, Marlo - not John Coghill.
Way to go, John!!!
I am so thankful that we have someone of John's caliber in our State Legislature! Truly an honest man, and truly a statesman. And never afraid to take a stand for what is right.
From Coghill's press release:
Coghill said he is disturbed that French has hijacked what was to be a fair investigation and turned it into a smear campaign using state money to hurt Governor Palin. "Senator French appears to be steering the direction of the investigation, its conclusion, and its timing in a manner than will have maximum partisan political impact on the national and state elections."
Why is the media calling this "troopergate", and referring only to Wooten as a trooper in a custody dispute with Sarah's sister - as though he's an innocent victim? If Wooten tasered a 10 year old child and threatened the life of an innocent citizen, and Palin had knowledge of it, she would be negligent not to report it. Why is the government spending $100K to defend Palin for attempting to protect the public, when they should be investigating Wooten and taking his weapons away before he kills someone?
It is appalling how Wooten remains to be a Trooper, what is wrong with his superiors. When I read his "history", I could not help think that if he weren't a trooper he would be paying some price for his "acts". Drinking in a trooper car? tazering a child? threatening another person? his weapons were taken away from him and yet?? the list goes on and on.
As for French, can you say keep your mouth shut? He obviously has already formed an opinion. What a waste of taxpayers dollars. Wooten should have been fired long, long ago. Evidently, the bar for troopers has been lowered to an unbelievable level. Talk about the good ole boys club......
Thank you John!!!!!!!!!
Representative Coghill, Thank you. What happened to conducting an independent investigation Senator French? The Governor is running for federal office, and you sir still serve the people of this state only! Any media from outside the state should receive the following statement from the Legislature: "Alaska is conducting an impartial independent investigation into the allegations. Once the investigation is complete, the results will be released to the public. Any charges stemming from this investigation will be referred to the appropriate authorities. No further comment is appropriate."
Thank you John!!
THANKS JOHN AND LETS GET RID OF HOLLIS FRENCH!
You folks are funny.
Yes, Wooten used a practice charge taser on his 10 year old stepson. Bad choice on his part for sure, even though the kid asked to try it. Appalling is the fact that SARAH PALIN was present for this and didn't object. It wasn't until the divorce that the complaint was filed.
Trooper Wooten shot a moose and used his wifes tag. Legally shot, illegally tagged. Sarah Palin's father helped butcher that moose and Sarah and Todd Palin took 1/3 of the meat from that moose. All were aware of how it was tagged and waited years to file the complaint, which happened to be during the divorce.
All the complaints were filed, investigated and punished before Sarah Palin took office as governor. There is no legal recourse to punish Trooper Wooten for those same complaints after she took office. No one disputes that Trooper Wooten sure seems like a giant dirtbag but that doesn't give Sarah Palin the right to abuse her elected position to get him fired for those past complaints. It certainly doesn't give her the right to fire someone who refuses to break the law at her behest.
Or, alaskaflower, marlomille may be thinking about John "Jack" Coghill, the Rep's dad, who worked the riverboats as a youngster.
It's good that John's calling French on this charade. I can't remember what the scuttlebutt was that I heard on French and his cohorts and ambitions, but I remember the overall feeling I got was that this was, from the beginning, another attempt to bring Sarah down.
Is French in the 'bi-partisan' majority Lyda and a few others orchestrated? Just the main players make the whole thing suspect.
But many of us already knew all that.
The problem I have with John Coghill on this is, as others have correctly pointed out: where is an impartial, citizen review of the troopers?
The troopers are out of control. And getting worse. Many troopers I have encountered--and almost everybody I talk to about it agrees and has stories--have the same attitudes as Wooten.
They're troopers; their word is sacrosanct in the eyes of the law
(including courts), and too many naive, ignorant, or politically correct citizens/politicians that don't want to appear as "against" law and order, and for various other reasons.
How about it, John?
How about introducing legislation--and actually pushing hard for it--that statutorily gives a citizen's word in court at least equal weight as that of a cop's?
How about some protection for the people from our so-called protectors? After all, most of us don't have unions to protect us from lying cops.
How about some inquiries into why the heck so many people have problems with the troopers?
I just don't think it'll happen from John.
I don't think he wants to go there.
Read some of the comments about the troopers on ADN's site.
The only real change we're gonna get with the bad trooper situation is if we push hard enough for it as citizens.
The politicians won't touch it. John's thing here isn't 'cause he has a problem with the troopers; it's political.
And that's okay. I'm with him.
It just doesn't go far enough.
http://www.adn.com/politics/story/476430...
Pavel, I could say plenty, but for starters, a Governor's safety, (not to mention that of her/his family), is generally considered pretty important.
Gee, so is everyone else's...
If Todd was looking out for his family's safety, good on him, I say.
Sounds like the investigation is completed and the findings are in even before it started. Obviously Hollis is receiving his marching orders from much higher folks in the Dem party. For him to make a statement to the press saying that this will be the “OCTOBER” Surprise. sounds as if he has his decision made. Hollis and crew are counting on stirring this pot for some time to come. Look for much more mud to be thrown Sarah’s way. After all it is what they do best. Wonder why no mention of Biden’s family problems, son and brother being told to look for an attorney that has experience in felony proceedings and daughter obstruction of justice charge recently in Chicago….. Of course we don’t want to drag the children into this campaign…Right!!!
WOW..
Pavel... perhaps you should hook up with Wooten, you 2 are one of a kind that deserve each other.
Tasing a kid is a "bad choice" ???
Um, wearing pink socks with purple pants is a BAD CHOICE
tasing a 10 year old kid is DISTURBING and at best child abusive.
OH_Puck, tasing a 10 year old is bad. Standing by and watching your brother-in-law hook up and taser your 10 year old nephew is just as bad. That is what Sarah Palin did. She watched it happen and she did nothing, until the divorce.
I am not defended the things that Trooper Wooten did or defending him as a person. I figure he'll either be a model member of the AST from now on or he'll screw up and get canned. Either way, problem solved.
None of it gives Sarah Palin the right to do what she did though. We have laws to prevent that behavior and she ignored them. She had avenues to address any lingering concerns and she choose to ignore them and illegally push for his firing. When she didn't get her way, she fired the man who wouldn't break the law for her.
Whatever Trooper Wooten did beyond the initial complaints, it STILL doesn't give her the right to break the law. There was a right way and a wrong way to handle this situation and she choose the wrong way and now she is lying about it and trying to cover it up.
Pavel, You present some interesting facts. Are they facts? Or they more speculation? Are you sure Sarah did not have a problem with her nephew being tasered? The one thing we can agree on is that Wooten is a dirt bag. How he continues to be a trooper is something that should be looked into...... his record is a disgrace to Alaska.
I think there is more to this story, and the good old boys are covering Wootens @@@. Shame on them. Troopers are accountable just like the rest of us. It seems the reputation of some are dragging down the rest. Time for someone to step up and look into things.
Pavel has no idea what he/she is talking about - Gov. Palin did not abuse her power as was stated earlier she has the right to fire anyone - we are an "at will" State. Monegan was asked to step down and refused and so he is gone. Wooten, like other troopers with chips on their shoulders, should have been fired along time ago. Those around her should have kept their mouths shuts-if those allegations are true - Palin has about 99% of Alaskans support. Thanks to Coghill, maybe this investigation will get back on track. Green, French, Ramass, & the like all need to be shown the door during elections across the State - they are only in Juneau for their own personal gain...I have seen Lyda in action in Juneau and she is no friend to Alaskans, only her old personal friends who were involved in a little scandal with the Independent Living Council...talk about allowing friends to abuse their power as well as State (and federal) funds...I hope her staffers are reading these posts...what ever happened to her ol' friend - what's her name - Lyda knows?
Talk about old time politics, the Democrats seem to be playing the dirtest games in town. Let's get a labor union to file a complaint. Then let's wait to a few days before a major election to release findings, good thing they changed it.
The only way French could make it on to national media is to hint around about unknown findings of an investigation. Talk about unethical behavior, someone should bring him up on ethic charges for compromising an investigation.
The Alaskan Democrats are doing a fine job of making that party look like idiots. Even the liberal media is leaving this one alone. Who is going to say it's ok to taser a ten year old. Oh, that's right the Democrats say it was only a practice one.
But as usual the Democrats are killing themselves politically.
Having French step aside won't change the outcome of the investigation. He's not writing the report. There are 8 republicans and 4 democrats on the committee. That guarantees the republican position will be expressed. Sarah Palin has no credibility. She is dishonest and dangerously ambitious and completely unfit to lead our great nation.
Isn't that what some attorneys do, play it out in the media to make a name for themselves?
Wooten also played to the media and will continue to do so by attending his 'bar meetings' to report back to his buddies who blog. He is enjoying the 'spotlight' as is French. You can bet Wooten was drooling over the $30,000 offered him for his 'interview' and will give it in due time. He is just the type.
I believe there are Troopers out there that are embarrassed that he and others like him are allowed to share the uniform they wear. I know I am.
According to a Newsweek article, (see http://www.newsweek.com/id/157439) the McCain campaign HAS endorsed the move to squash the investigation. Here's an excerpt from the Newsweek article:
"In a move endorsed by the McCain campaign Friday, John Coghill, the GOP chairman of the state House Rules Committee, wrote a letter seeking a meeting of Alaska's bipartisan Legislative Council in order to remove the Democratic state senator in charge of the so-called "troopergate" investigation."
The truth about this MUST come out, and it is my opinion that either McCain didn't conduct a proper vetting of Palin. Or, he was in too much of a hurry to find someone to appease Hillary's upset supporters.
Either way, Palin would be a wrong choice for VP. She's got no foreign policy experience and is only in her first term as Governor of Alaska. She's been in her current office for less than two years, and for Sarah to run off for higher office speaks volumes as to her lack of committment to the people of Alaska.
It is becoming more plain that Palin will quit the campaign...people are already taking bets as to when that will occur. Time will tell.
I absolutely support Gov. Palin's right to fire Monegan for no reason whatsoever. The courts upheld that right when she terminated the chief of police as mayor of Wasilla. That is undisputed fact.
However, there is a HUGE difference between no reason and an illegal reason. Being fired for refusing to break the law at your bosses behest is illegal. That isn't "no reason".
And that is really a side note to me, since I believe the larger issue is that she was trying to get Trooper Wooten fired not as private citizen Sarah Palin but as Governor Sarah Palin. It is not within her power as Governor to hire and fire AST. By applying pressure to a person who can fire an AST in order to get one fired, that is illegal. That is where I believe she ignored the law, the union contract agreed upon by the state and common sense.
I want our elected officials to let the system work as it should, to fight for change if the system isn't working as it should. I do not want them to simply use their position to ignore the system.
The bottom line for me is that I am tired of our elected officials breaking the law or even giving the appearance of breaking the law. Is it too much to ask?
>>If Wooten tasered a 10 year old child and threatened the life of an innocent citizen, and Palin had knowledge of it, she would be negligent not to report it.<
AK9, would she also be negligent if she took two years to report it? See, she didn't report it until it benefited her to do so. I think you should stand behind your statement and demand her resignation for being a poor, and negligent, citizen....
"She is dishonest and dangerously ambitious and completely unfit to lead our great nation."
I'll bet you think Hillary Clinton is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
We do not know if Sarah waited two years to report the tasaring, we only know what the media wants us to know. Perhaps she did report it and the good ole boys brushed it under the rug. Who knows? We certainly don't.
What we do know is the "record" of Wooten; what a disgrace. Unbelievable that he is still employed, and you can bet your @@@ that he will take the money to do an interview, sooner or later. He is probably waiting for more $$$$$$. He is just waiting to see the outcome of the race, the closer the election date, the more likely he is to give his version. Personally, if I had his record I wouldn't be throwing stones, the world will know what a dirt bag he is.
As far as Hillary being the best thing since sliced bread.....
must be white bread that is full of sugar and harmful to the body, lol. I would rather go without bread!
The governor, president, mayor, et. al. can fire any political appointee for any reason what so ever!
Remember, she offered the Commissioner of Public Safety a transfer to the ABC board and he resigned!!!!!
He said, Sarah NEVER ask him to fire the trooper. The trooper in question is still employed as a trooper and will remain so.
The issue is staged, pushed, hyped up etc for political reasons ONLY.
NOTHING happened to the trooper's job .. no "crime" has taken place.
Democrats, News Miner, and the ADN need to find something else to peddle as "news". How about, does she use a hair comb made from moose horn? What is the size of her shoes? Does she sleep on her left side or right side? Wow, now that is national news cycle political issue!
Wolf, where are you? There is a news scoop just made for CNN.
Re: giving the 10 year old a dose of TASER. I bet the little smart axx had good story to tell the other kids at school! (Be careful what you ask for, you request may be granted!!)
Hope he remembers a valuable lesson through his hormone fogged teen years and the rest of his life.
The trooper may not be the best A+ trooper; but he is a gold star school teacher of reality therapy.
We know she waited to file the taser complaint based on the date it occurred and the date the complaint was filed.
Thank you John Coghill! I know I speak for many Alaskans when I say.... You are an honorable man, with integrity beyond measure. You show courage to do the right thing, as you echo the sentiments of many many Alaskans.
This investigation is viewed by many as a tantrum by the Legislature for "getting their hands slapped in the cookie jar" by Gov Palin with regard to Big Oil and special interest lobbyists. Nothing more.
I'm suprised the DNM printed your story.
On another note...Normally, the PFD payout is the biggest front page story, every year. This year, it's a small side-bar article. It seems the media message is: Shhh..we don't want to draw any attention to the PFD because it's a great thing for Alaskans and, anyone reading our news from outside might see it.
Sad.
Hay, what happened to the witch hunting Democrats?
Someone Taze 'um between the ears?
PS.. The trooper is in a divorce dispute with his x.
For U kids, and first timers, your turn at divorce will come!
IndependentVoter: "According to a Newsweek article, ... the McCain campaign HAS endorsed the move to squash the investigation."
xxx
Your comment, IndependentVoter, is a deliberate twisting of the facts. This is NOT move to squash the investigation. John Coghill requested the removal of Hollis French as director of the investigation because French has proven than he cannot be fair and unbiased, and he is using the investigation to make Palin look bad and to further his own Democratic party.
akwebsurfer: "If Wooten tasered a 10 year old child and threatened the life of an innocent citizen, and Palin had knowledge of it, she would be negligent not to report it. ... AK9, would she also be negligent if she took two years to report it? See, she didn't report it until it benefited her to do so."
xxxx
From what I've read, the Palins began to complain about Wooten way back in 2002.
1AkFox-
Take a look at that site I posted above.
Read the comments, many from folks a lot closer to this than us.
Wooten's been married four times.
If I recall, he's even been married and divorced since the divorce with Molly McCann, Sarah's sister.
The time line might appear that Sarah waited to file a complaint. But we do not know what steps were taken in between. She might have been taking other steps, we do not know all the facts. Thanks to the media (who doesn't really investigate stories to see if there is more to them), we only know what they want to put out there.
I think we can all agree Wooten is a piece of work; and yes he has been married and divorced since Molly McCann, to me that speaks of his commitment and character. How about we ask his latest ex-wife her opinion, it could prove to be enlightening!!
If you read the docs it gives a better timeline than the condensed one at the bottom of the article.
Also, cops don't always file reports on complaints. Sometimes one must make a fuss to get them to even acknowledge a complaint has been made. Then, if they don't deem it worthy of their attention, that complaint might vanish. "What complaint? We never got one."
Read some of the comments from down Anchortown way.
http://www.adn.com/front/story/476430.ht...
Rebecca George must be new to Alaska. She obviously doesn't know John Coghill. To suggest that John might have tried to pull strings on the investigation at McCain's request is almost laughable. That is something John Coghill would just not do.
That last line of the article SHOUTS media bias and ZERO journalistic integrity.
TROOPER WOOTEN APPEARS TO BE, UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. BECAUSE THEY ARE BADGED AND CARRY A GUN, THEIR EGO OVERRIDES THEIR SWORN OBLIGATION AND LAWFUL DUTIES.
MIS-CONDUCT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED. WHEN AN INVESTIGATION IDENTIFIES ANY POLICY VIOLATIONS, IMMEDIATE AND APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN. A DEATH THREAT, WHILE NOT DIRECTLY MADE, SHOWS THE MENTAL STATE OF THE TROOPER AND TERMINATION FOR CAUSE IS JUSTIFIED.
IF THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING THAT ACTION FAILS TO DO SO, THAT PERSON, IN THIS CASE AN APPOINTEE, SHOULD BE TERMINATED ALSO.
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