Sensitive Palin ethics report kept secret, for now
Published Friday, October 10, 2008
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Stumble It!ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Sworn to secrecy, Alaska lawmakers have begun reviewing a lengthy and politically sensitive investigative report focusing on whether Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin abused her authority as governor.
The first-term Alaska governor has been accused of firing a state commissioner to settle a family dispute. But the report is also expected to touch on whether Palin's husband meddled in state affairs and whether her administration inappropriately accessed employee medical records.
The inquiry, approved by a legislative committee's bipartisan vote, began before Republican presidential nominee John McCain named Palin his running mate. Since then, the case has been dogged by accusations of political influence.
The investigation focuses on her firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan. Monegan says Palin and her husband pressured him to fire Mike Wooten, a state trooper involved in a nasty divorce and custody dispute with the governor's sister. When Monegan resisted, he says, he was fired.
Palin's critics say that shows she used her office to settle family affairs.
"When you're the governor, you leave your household hat at home and you become governor," said state Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican who has frequently clashed with Palin.
At their meeting Friday, lawmakers planned to vote to release the estimated 300-page report and some of the 1,000 or more pages of supporting documents. The 14-member legislative panel could recommend that the case be closed, that another committee continue to investigate, or that the matter be referred to criminal investigators.
In an effort to head off the report, McCain campaign spokesman Taylor Griffin released the campaign's own version of events. That report, which Griffin said was written by campaign staffers, says the Legislature has taken a legitimate policy dispute between a governor and one of her commissioners, and portrayed it as something inappropriate.
"The following document will prove Walt Monegan's dismissal was a result of his insubordination and budgetary clashes with Governor Palin and her administration," campaign officials wrote. "Trooper Wooten is a separate issue."
Monegan had not seen the closely held report Thursday night and said he did not know what to expect.
"I just hope that the truth is figured out," Monegan said in a telephone interview Thursday. "That the governor did want me to fire him, and I chose to not. You just can't walk up to someone and say, 'I fire you.' He didn't do anything under my watch to result in termination."
The report is also expected to focus on Palin's husband, Todd, who had extraordinary access to the governor's office and her top aides. Todd acknowledges calling and meeting over the course of many months with numerous senior government officials about Wooten, whom he described as a dangerous and unstable man who had threatened his family.
One of those meetings, Monegan said, occurred in the governor's office. Green said that raised questions of impropriety and that, ultimately, the governor is responsible.
"He shouldn't be sitting in the governor's office and making phone calls if he's going to be pushing his agenda," she said. "Everything's on her."
Steve Branchflower, a retired prosecutor hired by the Legislature, is also investigating whether anyone in the Palin administration pressured auditors to deny Wooten's disability claim. He had claimed he hurt his back moving a body bag, but Todd Palin later said he documented and took photos of Wooten riding a snowmobile that cast suspicion on his injury.
Republican state Rep. John Coghill, a member of the committee, said he would try to keep the discussion focused on the what legislators set out to investigate: Monegan's firing.
"It wasn't supposed to look into the whole administration team. It was supposed to look at the governor," he said before reading the report. "This is about the integrity of the legislative process."
Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, said he had not received a copy of the report. Over the past few days, Van Flein has released affidavits and other documents that Palin's husband and aides provided to investigators. That rankled some lawmakers but Van Flein said he wanted to make sure Branchflower's report didn't take anything out of context.
"Whenever anyone writes their own report, they're filtering their data. And if you've already drawn your conclusion, you tend to filter it in a way to support that conclusion," he said.
Palin's allies have accused the committee of having already drawn their conclusion. They cited comments by Democratic state Sen. Hollis French, who said the investigation could provide an "October surprise" for McCain.
Community Discussion
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The GOP already wrote this so the legislators don't need to be bothered with this any more. We can continue the mindless march to the Republican drums.
A typical political ploy, championed by those in power - "If you can't faze them with facts, baffle them with B.S."
The real crime here is that so many are giving credence to their B.S.
As Creedence Clearwater Revival sing, "Who'll stop the rain?"
Seems the spirit of Palin's "open and transparent" administration is now spreading to the Legislature where this report that concerns all Alaskans (and conceivably all Americans) is being kept from us. I guess we're just too ignorant, on the whole, to know how to treat it. Lordy, I'm sure glad we have the Legislature to protect us from ourselves!
it never ceases to amaze me that the AP calls Senator Green a Republican! She abandoned the Republican party and organized with the Democrats so she could be Senate President. She hates the Governor and is jealous of her success. The voters in the valley abandoned Lydia in such great numbers that she withdrew from her reelection effort. This whole exercise with Democrat Sen. French in charge and a friend of Monigan's as the investigator is surely more political than it is fair and just. French is an Obama supporter. Elton (the Chairman of the Legislative Council is an Obama supporter and contributer. The investgator is tied to Monigan throug his wife. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to feel the politics here.
Hopefully one of them had their fingers or toes crossed when they swore to secrecy.I'm suprised Coghill didn't tell us it was "God's Will".
Darkhorse - Sen. Green's name is Lyda, not Lydia, and it's Walt Monegan, not Monigan.
THERE IS NO CRIME! The commissioner resigned on his own volition. The trooper who threatened her father, in writing, and was caught drinking in his police car, is still on the job.
I love the "lawmakers being sworn to secrecy"....that just means both sides will be working on their leaks...and there will be many versions of those also...Lyda Green and her side kick Mr. French aided by Juneau's lead D-Dog have created a great mess..and are clearl guilty of far worse abuse of authority than the Governor was accused of.
In Florida, Medicare works very well, and is a great system for Seniors. Choices of top surgeons, specialists, appt.s not a problem.
Dental of course is not covered , but otherwise excellent system
ronmbo: what does your post have to do with this subject? Did the GOP get you special treatment to keep you healthy so you could vote their way? Most docs here won't even take Medicare patients. I smell something.
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ronmbo,
Nice try, Signing up for the blog today! What is your reason for that?
a1shiva,
The hate you show for Ms. Green and Mr.French, that puts you in the same boat as
lyda, SO DOES THAT MAKE YOU A LA PERRA TAMBIEN???
It would be nice if they posted the report online so that voters and Alaska residents could read the report for themselves.
Amazing how many people will support and condone Palins lies all on video. She didn't fire Monegan. Then why have we seen her and her mouthpieces on video 3 times changing her story as to why she fired him? You can also argument this article all you want but she still has another ethics complaint against her. What will your excuse for that one be? I don't know why you have such a problem with people who expect Palin to be accountable for her actions or lack of them and her lies. She ran on a platform of truth and transparency. I think she is pretty transparent in that she appoints friends to cabinet positions and demands absolute loyalty, that she does want to weed out corruption only if it suits her purpose. Truth? She doesn't know what that word means. She lied about the bridge, earmarks, the jet (by omitting that is did not sell on ebay and when it did it sold for a loss to the state), her chef, who she did not let go, just gave her a new job title. We have found out about the librarian who she fired and only after a public outcry did the librarian get her job back. Don't forget her involvement in the Mat Maid scandal or her poor judgement in replacing Monegan (who I applaud for not perfoming an illegal act by firing the trooper and ensuing a lawsuit) with Kopp. Watch Kopps resignation on youtube. It's shameful and is very telling about Palin and how she operates. How many times have we heard on video that Palin doesn't know what goes on in her own administration? Why is it when Baileys taped call surfaced did he get a paid vacation and why is he back on the job? Palin thinks there is no accountability or responsibility for her. All of this on top of her poor speaking performances. I have a conscience that will not allow me to support a liar or condone her actions or lack of them. I won't make excuses for her.
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