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Gov. Palin Fired Top Lawman in Alaska Now She is investigating
By Michael Webster: Investigative reporter September 1, 2008 3:00 PM PDT
Gov. Sarah Palin
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Gov. Sarah Palin. Get complete coverage of the past and current governor of Alaska as she struggles to become the next vice president.
Serious complaints against Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said the governor ordered the head of the State of Alaska Troopers Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire her brother in law State Trooper Michael Wooten, who is being reported by newspapers in Anchorage have rooted in family dispute governors. The scandal erupted in public view with the July 11 firing of chief executive of the state's public safety.
Even though the John McCain camp says they were aware of this lawsuit is not resolved yet, even now that she becomes U.S. Senator John McCain co formula.
The papers are calling "Troopergate" and reporting Palin's abrupt dismissal of Monegan's July 11 being investigated by a special prosecutor hired by the Alaska Legislature.
The Laguna Journal has learned that the governor has hired his own attorney to defend and help to unravel this circumstance potenuelly embarrassing.
Lisa Demer reported in the Anchorage Daily News that the issue is whether Palin, her administration or poor family pressured Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire a state trooper – the ex-husband of Palin's sister – and whether Palin fired Monegan when that did not happen. Trooper Michael Wooten and Palin's sister, Molly McCann, divorced but still battling in the courts for custody and rights visit.
The McCain campaign says Palin "was never directly involved" and blamed the controversy on the campaign of Democratic candidate, United States Senator Barack Obama.
"The governor did nothing wrong and has nothing to hide. It is outrageous that the Obama campaign is trying to attack on a family affair. As a reformer and a leader in ethics reform, which has been prepared to help in the investigation of this matter, because she was never directly involved " the campaign, said in a statement. When Obama's people were contacted by the newspaper was told that the Obama campaign was not the source of the story.
Palin has said repeatedly that he did not pressure Monegan and did not know until recently that someone on your team could have done.
This trooper controversy is not new according to the local population of Anchorage James Wright said, "this soldier thing the family has spoken of Alaska for weeks, long before that Palin was chosen for the Vice Presidency. It has been brought to light and being thrust into the bright lights of the national campaign on his appointment to the national stage. "
Del Trooper Michael Wooten said Gov. Palin was directly involved and was trying to help his sister with his powerful office to intervene and tried to get me fired Wooten said. The governor brought up Wooten to him twice – once by telephone shortly after taking office, and once in person not long after that, said Monegan.
In addition, the governor's husband, Todd, talked to him several times about Wooten, three senior administration officials in contact with him, and another aide Palin in contact with a lieutenant of cavalry, Monegan said.
Palin recently acknowledged, based on an internal investigation, that half a dozen people in his administration has initiated contacts with the Department of Public Safety about Wooten.
Monegan also disclosed for the first time Friday that Palin sent him two or three e-mails that referenced her ex-brother-in-law and his state with soldiers, but would not give them because of the ongoing investigation.
Monegan said he believes his firing was directly related to the fact Wooten stayed on the job.
"It was an important factor if not the factor," Monegan said.
No one from the McCain campaign ever contacted him to vet Palin as a candidate, Monegan said.
Who to contact?
"We do not talk on the selection process, "said Maria Comella, Palin vice president's press secretary for the campaign.
Demer went on to say that the Legislature is the expenditure of $ 100,000 "to investigate the circumstances and events related to the termination of former Public Safety Commissioner Monegan, and potential abuses of power and / or improper actions by members of the executive branch. "
The investigation that is supposed to end on 31 October, just days before the general election.
Palin will be deposed along with others in the governor's office and former administration officials, said state Sen. Hollis French, D and former state prosecutor from Anchorage who is serving as project director for research. The special counsel just this week was trying to fix deposition Palin, French said.
The investigation will continue, French said.
"I think that raises the profile but does not really change the mission or the work, "said the senator.
Before she was governor, Palin pushed for an investigation into Wooten oldest a number of issues including using a Taser on his stepson, illegally shooting a moose, and accusations of drunk driving. At one point, Palin and her husband hired a private investigator.
Soldiers have been investigated, and Wooten was suspended for 10 days, later reduced to five. That took care of it, Monegan said. But the government of Palin and Todd Palin let go, he said.
Palin initially said that after she took office in December 2006, addressed the subject of Wooten with Monegan just once, when he spoke of safety equipment. She said she told Monegan that Wooten "had threatened to kill my dad and me down." She said she thought that was the end thereof.
Monegan said Palin called him on his cell phone one night in January 2007 about Wooten, but it was not related to safety equipment. He said he had met with Todd Palin about Wooten, who had not heard of before, and had considered the complaints of the family only to discover that he had been investigated. Palin seemed frustrated that nothing more could be done, he said.
"For the record, no one ever said fire Wooten. Is not the governor. No Todd. Do not any of the other staff, "Monegan said Friday from Portland." What they said directly was more along the lines of "this is not a person we would like to represent our police state. "
Palin again brought up Wooten in February 2007 as they were walking together to wish a state senator a happy birthday, Monegan said. He said he told Palin he had to keep a proper distance in the matter and she agreed.
HALCRO Andrew was the first to mention Wooten matter publicly under Monegan. He titled his blog: "Why Walt Monegan was fired: the abuse of power by Palin."
"This is a governor who really built her name by stepping on the back of sinners – Randy Ruedrich, Greg Renken, Frank Murkowski, "he said in an interview HALCRO on Friday, referring to the Republican Party chairman, former attorney general and former governor. "Now the administration seems to be taking the same approach to people he criticized. "
More from the story broke on July 17, when the Association of Public Safety employees, with Wooten's permission, released the file investigation into the allegations made against the police for the Palin family and others.
Research staff began in April 2005, long before Palin became governor and months before its announcement in October 2005 which was in progress. The investigation into Wooten wrapped up in March 2006, before he was elected.
Troops found four instances in which Wooten violated policy, broke the law, or both:
– Wooten used a Taser on his stepson, to show him how it worked.
– He shot a moose without a permit. By the time she got married to McCann, who won a coveted permit in a drawing, but never had the intention to use herself.
– He drank beer in his patrol car on one occasion.
– He told others that his father-in-law – Palin's father, Chuck Heath – would "eat the a f'ing bullet "if he helped his daughter get an attorney for divorce.
On July 28, the Legislative Council, a bipartisan group of senators and representatives, approved hiring an independent investigator to look into Monegan firing and any abuse of power. View prosecutor Steve Branchflower was appointed special counsel.
"I said over you could get to dust, to come up with any evidence of misconduct, or you could arrive at a clear evidence of bad behavior. And it might be by the governor, could be someone else, "French, the state senator said Friday.
On the other hand, Palin also faces an ethics complaint filed by Andree McLeod, a former state employee and political activist. McLeod has accused the governor's office used its influence to Palin get a job support. The complaints against the governor before a three-person state personnel board. McLeod based her complaint on e-mails between members the governor of staff are among four boxes of papers she got through a recent public records request.
This month, as administration Palin brought the materials for the legislative investigation, the Governor released a recording of a telephone call in which one of his aides lobbied a soldier to fire Wooten lieutenant.
This contradicts his previous statements that he had been no pressure. She said she was unaware of the conversation until then.
In the February 29 telephone call that was recorded by soldiers as they do, the aide Frank Bailey, said the trooper lieutenant that Palin and her husband wanted know why Wooten still had a job.
"Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, 'Why on earth does not have this, why Why is this guy still representing the department? It's a horrible recruiting tool, you know, "Bailey told Lt. Rodney Dial.
Palin has Bailey on paid administrative leave during the investigation. She said she never asked Bailey to make that call.
Following the dismissal of Monegan, Palin selection for replacement backfired. Charles Kopp, who had been chief of police in Kenai, lasted only two weeks on the job, stepping down as commissioner public safety in July by the revelations of sexual harassment while police chief.
In a news conference announcing Kopp's resignation, both Palin Kopp read brief statements and then, in an unusual move for Palin, ran out without answering questions.
As for Monegan, Palin has maintained that its decision fire it had nothing to do with his refusal to dump Wooten. She said she wanted a "new direction" for the department.
Palin has formed a committee to help choose a new Public Safety Commissioner.
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