Palin Investigation Stalled By McCain Campaign, State Legislator Says

ABC News reports:

Is the McCain campaign afraid of an 'October surprise' involving vice-presidential pick Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska?

The Alaska state senator running an investigation of Gov. Palin says the McCain campaign is using stall tactics to prevent him from releasing his final report by Oct. 31, four days before the November election.

"It's likely to be damaging to the Governor," said Senator Hollis French, a Democrat, appointed the project manager for a bi-partisan State Senate Legislative Counsel Committee investigation of claims that Palin abused her office to get the Alaska public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, fired.

An Anchorage Daily News story suggests that Palin's lawyer is helping stall the investigation. He's trying to get the probe into the hands of a governor-appointed board:

The state has hired a private lawyer to represent Gov. Sarah Palin's office in the Legislature's investigation into the firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. The lawyer already has challenged whether lawmakers even have authority to oversee the inquiry.

...

Van Flein said the investigation should be handled by the state Personnel Board, not the Legislature, because it's "statutorily mandated" to handle ethics cases. The three-member Personnel Board is appointed by the governor.

And he's making it difficult for Special Counsel Steve Branchflower to interview Palin:

Branchflower hasn't been able to set up an interview with Palin. French said the state will fly Branchflower to wherever Palin is on the campaign trail if needed.

"Clearly the governor's new political role will make it more challenging for her to make time for this investigation," French wrote. But Palin needs to be interviewed sometime in September, he said.

Van Flein said the investigation is "bad timing" in the middle of a presidential campaign. He said he couldn't guarantee her availability this month.

If witnesses don't become available, French says, he'll ask for subpoenas.

Comments

[likeabite]

I am not surprised by these tactics. Replublicans are known for things like this so this is nothing new. I just hope the democrats can pinch this in the butt and have the truth out before she even has any chance of getting in office and ruining our future. It took me a year and a half to get a job after graduating from Colgate University, one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country. I'll be damned if my brother or anyone I know has to go through the same thing because of the damn Republicans. 0bama '08!!

[ConnieInCleveland]

Well she does seem to be more of the same, hide the facts till after the election. American voters deserve the truth before we vote, not after. If she is innocent, why hide the facts? Enough is enough!

We need to shine a light on facts before they get in office. Patrick Fitzgerald stated there was a cloud over the White House due to the Vice President we have now, why start another 4 years with man/woman made clouds?

Let the sun in, demand accountability now, not later. Americans can't control the weather, but we can control man/woman made clouds, using our voices to clear away the clouds before we are led into a new storm of bad policies. If they have to hide the facts, they don't appear to be innocent, just evasive.

[smark]

This is an outrage! How far are these corrupt people willing to go?? The American people deserve better than this!

[cluelessinSD]

I smell a cover up and the rethugs are just the ones to do it.

[thecanadian]

You are preaching to the converted. Why not send a link to this story and send it to all the news
Departments you can think of. CNN link is http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form4.html?127
If everyone sends it - expresses their outrage - maybe they will sit up and listen.

[torcal]

So, why all the convoluted arguments about jurisdiction over Palin's attempts to use her influence to get the commissioner of Public Safety (and her ex-brother-in-law fired)? It's not a question of nebulous governmental ethics. If she did what is alleged she committed a felony. Here's the Alaska statute:

"Official Misconduct
AS 11.56.850
Sec. 11.56.850. Official misconduct.
(a) A public servant commits the crime of official misconduct if, with intent to obtain a benefit or to
injure or deprive another person of a benefit, the public servant
(1) performs an act relating to the public servant's office but constituting an unauthorized
exercise of the public servant's official functions, knowing that that act is unauthorized; or
(2) knowingly refrains from performing a duty which is imposed upon the public servant by
law or is clearly inherent in the nature of the public servant's office.
(b) Official misconduct is a class A misdemeanor. (§ 6 ch 166 SLA 1978)

NOTES TO DECISIONS
Cited in Feichtinger v. State, 779 P.2d 344
(Alaska Ct. App. 1989


Palin's lawyer's (or lawyers representing only Palin but paid by the state (embezzlement?)) don't want her to have to testify anywhere under oath because she would probably have to take the 5th rather than incriminate herself. That would be political suicide. If she lies, that's perjury which is a felony.

Palin has been accused of committing a crime and it should be handled like any other criminal case.

[cbStr]

Actually, here it says it would be a misdemeanor, not a felony. I am always surprised at those who try to (1) Deny the rights of *accused*, and 2) demonize a woman who does not agree with a certain ideaology. Amazing!

[LightningJoe]

This one isn't about ideology. She's accused of acting outside of her mandate as governor. Illegal acts cannot, by definition, be part of an elected official's official duties. Therefore, the actions she's accused of would be private actions, and to defend against such accusations, she should not be using state funds.

Besides, it wasn't that long ago, that she told us Alaskans that she WANTED the allegations investigated, to clear the issue ( she's a "reformer," remember? ). Well, if it was important then, it should be even more urgent now, with the, um, elections coming and all. We are all eager to know the result of the investigation, since it bears directly on her conduct in an even higher office.

If there really is nothing there, she'll want voters to know that -- and as soon as possible.

But if she fears what will come out, she'll want to stall until after the election.

What they ought to do now, is challenge her right to hire a lawyer with state funds, and ask to take that issue straight to the State Supreme Court, which can happen pretty dang quick in Alaska.

The money is not that urgent, but the stone-wall nature of her challenge-challenge is, in light of the upcoming elections.

[lordmi]

Madam from Trash Can.

[1LTUSMC]

I believe some of the people posting here should be very careful. This election is not over by any means. The campaign starts on Friday!

Palin is an unknown and therefore unpredictable. Don't make the mistake of writing her off just yet. We have no idea how she will be received.

What we have to do is redouble our efforts on behalf of the Obama/Biden. We need to get the newly registered voters to the booth. We need to tell Obama's story every single chance we get.

If the American public gets the opportunity to honestly compare the two tickets, we win. If not, maybe we lose.

[mshazen]

I agree driving to work today my radio just a regular morning show praising her up and down. All the stuff we read on here most people don't see.

[jackie2]

I think mshazen is right-We really can't afford to underestimate Palin's value to McCain's campaign-She has energized his religious right base-People who were lukewarm are now enthusiastic-They will be getting out the vote & giving him lots of money-(He got ten million dollars within 48 hours of naming her his running mate)-They love her for being so strongly opposed to stem cell research, sex ed & abortion-What these people mean when they use the term abortion is not just terminating a pregnancy, but also includes IUDs & the birth control pill, which they think are abortifaci­ents-Sarah also believes offering a rape victim the option of the morning after pill shouldn't be allowed, that the government should force the girl or woman to bear her rapist's child-As a lifelong member of the nra, the gun owners will vote for her-A bunch of other voters find her attractive, smart & "fresh" & like her personality-These are the voters who want to have a beer with her-

[NTO08]

Of course they don't because they live in a dream world of media that caters to their own beliefs, as do many right wingers.

[kylie]

Are you intimating that the Republicans are good at peddling snake oil?

Eight years of Bush/Cheney should give us a clue on just how good at deceit the GOP is.

How long do you give the life span on those files/reports on Palin before they are burned at the stake?

Or disappear into the Republican 'black hole'.

Ain't Bush's 'justice system' grand!

[1LTUSMC]

Correct. This election is not for Obama to lose. It is for us to lose on his behalf.

[OgreDaddy]

Breaking News!

Frostbite Falls Minnesota

Reliable KGB sources reveal that Sarah "Hockey Mom" Palin
is under investigation for the mysterious disappearance of
Bullwinkle J. Moose.

Inspector Fenwick of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told
family, friends and coworkers that Palin allegedly attempted to
destroy the evidence by feeding a stew of the remains to her children.

[iliderat]

Did you bother to find out why he was fired? You forgot to put that in the article.

[Ladyteguesian]

when who was fired? Monagan?

[SurrealPumpkin]

The investigation is bad timing in the middle of a campaign? Isn't it the other way around - The campaign is bad timing in the middle of an investigation. Palin was already under investigation before McCain picked her.

[Ladyteguesian]

What I found interesting is that ALL THE GOOD REPUGS were singing her praises.. I'll bet dollars to eclairs that NONE of them has ever spoken to her in person

[mari2JJ]

I can tell you if thid is a stall by Palin. So, considering this needless stall, few Alaskan Republicans will vote for McCain and they have a huge group of family called "former Alaska residents.living "outside", I am one of them but I have always been informed about Alaskan Politics. I am an Alaskan Republican but I shall never vote for McCain and Palin no matter how they try to jazz up her story. She tried to ruin the Alaskan Republican Party and SHE is the one who has been involved in malfeasance along with the likes of the notorious Senator Stevens. Her claim to be anti earmark is so bogus because she used earmarks constantly to get big dollars for Wasilla. She and her husband and her entire family tried to use the arm of her administration to ruin her brother in law rather than to let the court decide custody of her sister's children like any other citizen would have to do. Further her husband's participation in the anti American group, the Independence Party has a distinct anti American point of view including one session of stomping on the American flag. After all that, surely even thinking Republicans cannot vote for this anti American woman.

[Shea4O]

We can only hope - but the republicans under McCain should never, ever be trusted....repeat - NEVER!

[Ladyteguesian]

any one thinking about the Salem witch trials?????

[kylie]

No. The Republicans conducted those when Clinton was President.

[Ndw]

No, quite frankly, the idea of men and women hanged, or burned, or tortured to death for their religion (or presumed religion - aka 'gitmo') does not equal a well-to-do woman being asked questions about her time in office - or even about her own possible moral hypocrisy concerning teen pregnancy. Sorry.

[PhDiva]

Nope. This isn't a witch hunt. It's a legitimate legal investigation. People's livelihoods are at stake and she has a history of firing people for ridiculous reasons. If women want power, we have to take the responsibility that comes with it.

I am a feminist. Sexism is a serious problem. Women cannot cry sexism every time somebody does something we don't like or it weakens legitimate issues of gender inequality.

If you want to consider a witch hunt, consider the fact that Palin fired the Wassila librarian because the librarian wouldn't allow Palin to ban books!!! She was forced to re-hire due to protests.

[Ladyteguesian]

she tried to have the librarian fired because she refused to remove some books that Palin didn't think was appropriate..

[Shea4O]

I am more concerned about her stance on Pro-life. My older daughters are I are Pro-Choice as it is no one's business what a woman and it should not be doctrine by the government. We were discussing rape and incest; and this lady thinks a woman should the child if this were the case. However, if a woman chose to do so, don't you think she would see this child everyday and be reminded that she was raped by someone whose genetic code she doesn't know and live the horror over and over; or in the event of incest, have to see the relative that did this to her and this child make her relive the same horror. It's bad enough when a woman is raped by an unknown or a relative and many are in counseling for years because they blame themselves. You can virtually smack me if you like, but that was our conversation. Now, this 18 year old bf of Bristol is being forced into a marriage that he may not want to be in....it happens.....but that's my family's thoughts.

[Ndw]

Please tell me the books weren't the Harry Potter series!

[SSF]

Same strategy Bush and his henchmen are using with regards to the U.S. Attorney firings. Just stall, delay, redirect and deny everything until you run down the clock and your man (or woman) is home free!

[timberdoodle]

That is the whole point of the Republican spin about Sara having experience. They need to make sure someone maintains the Bush/Cheney platform and policies of abuse of power and from all accounts she is likely the most experienced.

[helpmeunderstand]

What part of transparent (her term) straight talk (his). For having nothing to hide, George McCain is she making it looks suspicious. Has anyone read the Republican platform: It is George M. nomination but George W.'s platform.

[cmmelans]

if the next story that comes out about this woman has anything to do with klan ties, can we just say its probably not a good idea for her to be VP?