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Troopergate report clears Palin

Yanuck

Well-known member
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A report has cleared Gov. Sarah Palin of ethics violations in the firing of her public safety commissioner.

The report, released Monday, said: "There is no probable cause to believe that the governor, or any other state official, violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in connection with these matters." It was prepared by Timothy Petumenos, an independent counsel for the Alaska Personnel Board.

A separate legislative investigation recently concluded that Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, abused her office by allowing her husband and staffers to pressure the public safety commissioner to fire a state trooper who went through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister.

Palin fired Walter Monegan, but denies his dismissal was related to the trooper.

Alaska Personnel Board investigations are normally secret, but the three-member board decided to release this report, citing public interest in the matter given Palin's status as a candidate for national office. Election Day is Tuesday.

Palin had earlier waived her privacy rights, but others in her administration did not and Petumenos sought to keep the matter from playing out in the media.

Petumenos said documents to be released Monday would not include transcripts of separate depositions given by Palin and her husband, Todd.

That deposition was the only one given by Sarah Palin. She was not subpoenaed to answer questions in the Legislature's investigation, though her husband, Todd, gave an affidavit in that probe.

Palin initially said she would cooperate with the Legislature's probe. But after she became John McCain's running mate, she said the investigation had become too partisan and filed an ethics grievance against herself with the personnel board.

Telephone messages left with state Sens. Hollis French, who led the legislative investigation, and Sen. Kim Elton, chairman of the Legislative Council, were not immediately returned.
 

fff

Well-known member
You do know that Palin appointed all three members of the Personnel Board that just cleared her? :roll:
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
fff said:
You do know that Palin appointed all three members of the Personnel Board that just cleared her? :roll:

You do know that the individual in charge of the "investigation" is an avowed Obama supporter and contributor? :roll: :roll:
 

VanC

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
fff said:
You do know that Palin appointed all three members of the Personnel Board that just cleared her? :roll:

You do know that the individual in charge of the "investigation" is an avowed Obama supporter and contributor? :roll: :roll:

Yes. That would be Hollis French. And did you know that the person charged with overseeing French's investigation and making sure it was "fair" is also an Obama supporter who gave to his campaign? That would be Kim Elton. How interesting.
 

Mike

Well-known member
fff said:
You do know that Palin appointed all three members of the Personnel Board that just cleared her? :roll:

You do know that an "Independent Counsel" made this report, not the "Personnel Board"? :lol: :lol:
______________________________________________________
Anchoarge Daily News
New Troopergate report clears Palin

By LISA DEMER | [email protected]

Published: November 3rd, 2008 05:56 PM
Last Modified: November 3rd, 2008 05:57 PM

A new report just released -- hours before the polls open on Election Day -- exonerates Gov. Sarah Palin in the Troopergate controversy.


The state Personnel Board-sanctioned investigation is the second into whether Palin violated state ethics law in firing her public safety commissioner, and it contradicts the earlier findings by a special counsel hired by the state Legislature.

Both investigations found that Palin was within her rights to fire Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

But the new report says the Legislature's investigator was wrong to conclude that Palin abused her power by allowing aides and her husband, Todd, to pressure Monegan and others to dismiss her ex-brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten. Palin was accused of firing Monegan after Wooten stayed on the job.

The Palins have argued that Wooten was a loose cannon who had tasered his stepson, drank beer in his patrol car, and threatened Palin's father, and that their complaints that he shouldn't be on the force were justified.

The Troopergate matter became sharply politicized after Palin was announced as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate in Tuesday's election.

The report, released at a Monday afternoon press conference at the Hotel Captain Cook, presents the findings and recommendations of Anchorage lawyer Timothy Petumenos, hired as independent counsel for the Personnel Board to examine several complaints against Palin.

Petumenos wrote the Legislature's special counsel, former state prosecutor Steve Branchflower, used the wrong state law as the basis for his conclusions and also misconstrued the evidence.

His findings and recommendations include:

- There is no cause to believe Palin violated the state ethics law in deciding to dismiss Monegan as public safety commissioner.

- There is no cause to believe Palin violated the state ethics law in connection with Wooten.

- There is no cause to believe any other state official violated the ethics act.

- There's no basis to conduct a hearing to "address reputational harm," as requested by Monegan.

- The state needs to address the issue of using private e-mails for government work and to examine how records are kept in the governor's office. Palin used her Yahoo e-mail account for state business until it was hacked.
 

TexasBred

Well-known member
elwapo said:
She will soon be able to return to her diligent northern watch.
And IF you're right who's going to be watching your other 3 sides?? At least you can sit in Medicine Hat, wait on welfare check and be assured the north is safe. :lol:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
TexasBred said:
elwapo said:
She will soon be able to return to her diligent northern watch.
And IF you're right who's going to be watching your other 3 sides?? At least you can sit in Medicine Hat, wait on welfare check and be assured the north is safe. :lol:

Yes and she will keep the Russians at bay.
 

elwapo

Well-known member
TexasBred
At least you can sit in Medicine Hat, wait on welfare check and be assured the north is safe.
You must be drinking your sorrows away on election day Texas. With the state of your economy I am sure you will see a welfare check long before me. I sleep much better at night knowing palin is watching the northwest.
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
hurleyjd said:
TexasBred said:
elwapo said:
She will soon be able to return to her diligent northern watch.
And IF you're right who's going to be watching your other 3 sides?? At least you can sit in Medicine Hat, wait on welfare check and be assured the north is safe. :lol:

Yes and she will keep the Russians at bay.

Judging by the way Obama responded to the Russians invading Georgia, we need somebody to keep them at bay.
 

TexasBred

Well-known member
elwapo said:
TexasBred
At least you can sit in Medicine Hat, wait on welfare check and be assured the north is safe.
You must be drinking your sorrows away on election day Texas. With the state of your economy I am sure you will see a welfare check long before me. I sleep much better at night knowing palin is watching the northwest.

"My economy"?? I finally found "Medicine Hat" in Alberta. Hi there Dudley Do Right of the RCMP. Good to have you aboard. Don't worry about welfare. Won't ever see any of that around my place. Drop in and we'll have a friendly drink regardless of who wins. :)
 
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