Palin Refuses To Meet With 'Troopergate' Investigator

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin is unlikely to speak with an independent counsel hired by Alaska lawmakers to review the firing of her public safety commissioner, a spokesman for Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Monday.

Spokesman Ed O'Callaghan said he has not spoken with Palin, but she was "unlikely to cooperate" with the inquiry "as long as it remains tainted."

Democrats charged that the McCain campaign was trying to stall the investigation.

"The partisan presidential campaign of McCain/Palin has interfered and is picking partisan targets to smear in order to make this investigation look like something it isn't," said Patti Higgins, chairwoman of the Alaska Democratic Party. "Rather than cooperating with the investigation, the Republican presidential campaign is doing everything it can to stall and smear."

O'Callaghan also said he did not know whether Palin's husband, Todd, would challenge a subpoena issued Friday to compel his cooperation. Thomas Van Flein, the Palins' lawyer, who has accepted service of the subpoena, did not return messages seeking comment. The governor herself has not been subpoenaed, but the Legislature's investigator, Steve Branchflower, has said he hopes to speak with her.

Palin and her husband campaigned Monday in Colorado and Ohio. Palin also planned appearances Tuesday in Ohio.

McCain's campaign insists the investigation into the firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan has been hijacked by Democrats.

Palin initially said she welcomed the inquiry. But after she became McCain's running mate on Aug. 29 her lawyer sought to have the three-member state Personnel Board take over the investigation, alleging that public statements by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democratic state Sen. Hollis French, indicated the probe was politically motivated.

Story continues below

advertisement

French said Sept. 2 that the results of the investigation could constitute an "October surprise" for the McCain campaign. He later apologized for the remark, but Palin's lawyer has said the biased impression it created can't be undone.

The McCain campaign says it can prove Monegan was fired in July because of insubordination on budget issues, and not because he refused to fire a state trooper who went through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister.

To that end, the campaign released a series of e-mails detailing the frustration several Palin administration officials experienced in dealing with Monegan. The "last straw," the campaign said, was a trip Monegan planned to Washington in July to seek federal money for investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases.

In a July 7 e-mail, John Katz, the governor's special counsel, noted two problems with the trip: the governor hadn't agreed the money should be sought, and the request "is out of sequence with our other appropriations requests and could put a strain on the evolving relationship between the Governor and Sen. Stevens."

Monegan was fired four days later.

In the weeks since, it has emerged that the Palins and her staff repeatedly had contacted Monegan expressing their dismay at the continued employment of Trooper Mike Wooten, who divorced Palin's sister in 2005. The following year, Wooten was suspended for five days based on complaints filed by the Palins, including that he drank in his patrol car, used a Taser on his 10-year-old stepson and illegally shot a moose.

A bipartisan panel of the Legislature voted unanimously to authorize an investigation into the circumstances of Monegan's firing.

In an effort to move the investigation into the Personnel Board's court, Van Flein filed a complaint there. But on Monday, he asked the board to dismiss the matter, citing the e-mails about budget issues as proving the real reason for Monegan's dismissal.

"The Governor decided to replace Mr. Monegan based on his refusal to execute her administration's policy on fiscal and budget matters, a refusal that between late 2007 and the middle of 2008 blossomed into outright insubordination."

Monegan's attorney said he had no immediate comment.

Also made clear in the e-mails is that some Palin staffers believed Monegan worked outside normal channels in making budget requests, in one case writing a letter to the governor in support of a funding for a project she had already vetoed.

Comments

[ObamaSupporter]

McCain is Illegally Tampering With Palin Investigation! McCain Must Be Forced to Obey The Law!
Edward O’Callaghan, hired by McCain, is illegally medeling by actively blocking the Palin investigation! Newsweek journalist Michael Isikoff reports “The growing role of Edward O’Callaghan, who until six weeks ago served as co-chief of the terrorism and national security unit of the U.S. attorney’s office in New York, illustrates just how seriously the McCain campaign is taking the so-called “troopergate” inquiry into Palin’s firing last summer of Walt Monegan, Alaska’s Public Safety Commissioner.”

"The partisan presidential campaign of McCain/Palin has interfered and is picking partisan targets to smear in order to make this investigation look like something it isn't," said Patti Higgins, chairwoman of the Alaska Democratic Party. "Rather than cooperating with the investigation, the Republican presidential campaign is doing everything it can to stall and smear."

Where is the media outrage to cry foul! McCain starts by making false accusations against Obama while intentionally and illegally tampering with the legal juriprudence of the Alaska state congress! After the GOP twice stole presidential elections in Florida and last time in Ohio, the media and Democrats must stand to stop McCain stealing the election! McCain is taking an aggressive illegal strategy aimed at shutting down a pre-election ethics investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin! The media must insist that Callaghan and second unnamed McCain advisor leave Alaska immediately and the investigation and 13 subpoenas be allowed to continue!

[parvo63]

THE RATS ARE LEAVING THE SHIP
(read below)
==========­==========­==========­==========­=======
Clinton Backer Endorses McCain

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 11:44 AM

By: Jim Meyers


Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a prominent Hillary Clinton supporter and member of the Democratic National Committee’s Platform Committee, is crossing the political aisle to endorse Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Forester, CEO of the holding company EL Rothschild and wife of international banker Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, will “campaign and help him through the election,” a spokesman told CNN about her plans to help McCain.

Forester was a major donor for Hillary, and earned the title of “Hillraiser” for helping to bring in at least $100,000 for Clinton’s failed White House bid.

Forester expressed her distaste for eventual Democratic nominee Barack Obama in a CNN interview this summer, saying: “Frankly I don't like him. I feel like he is an elitist. I feel like he has not given me reason to trust him.”

[parvo63]

Great!
It's been 20 (TWENTY) days since Sarah Palin was chosen for the VP nomunation, and the libs are still fuming... I love it. The more you fume, the higher theMcCain/Palin ratings go. Keep the good work, folk, and thank you, thank you, thank you!

PS Hillary clinton has just refused to attend a anti-Iran rally at the UN, BECAUSE SARAH PALIN WAS GOING TO ATTEND! Party first!?!?!?!?! YES.

[wingnutslayer]

Done in the grand tradition of Karl Rove and Harriet Miers. The law does not apply and subpoenas are to be ignored. Another lawless Republican administration waiting to govern lawlessly.

[InLosAngeles]

"French said Sept. 2 that the results of the investigation could constitute an "October surprise" for the McCain campaign. He later apologized for the remark, but Palin's lawyer has said the biased impression it created can't be undone."


This guy is our Carly Fiorina. Or perhaps Dick Durbin. WTF? Amatuer hour! Now from a strategy point of view, why would she? Like the McCain camp won't get miles & miles from this guy's apology.

[Philosopher-king]

Leave it to the WEAK to vote for McCain/Palin with no bases in logic. Asking a right-winger for any logic in regards to their position on the issues is like trying to force a square block into a triangle hole. Conservative Philosophy is not a real political philosophy.

[Tags]

The neocon chickens have come home to roost.

It's only fair that Democrats start swift-trooping and swift-bridging Sarah Palin the way neocons swift-boated John Kerry.

[XavierCugat]

Stonewalling, already? That's GOT to be some king of record. Stop the Alzheimer's Kid and Lady Mooseilini.

Obama/Biden '08

[buddrdc]

The Alaskan Constitution says in Article One

"§ 7. Due Process

No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. The right of all persons to fair and just treatment in the course of legislative and executive investigations shall not be infringed."

This was added to prevent McCarthy type partisan witch hunts.

Alaska Legislative Council, has involved specific prejudicial statements, and partisan politics, which is unlawful, in an attempt to smear Gov. Palin and others.
"The partisan actions of Sen. French, Sen. Elton and Branchflower have tainted the investigation beyond the appearance of impartiality required under the Alaska Constitution," said Kevin Clarkson, Esq., of the firm Brena, Bell, & Clarkson, and counsel in the suit.
The investigation, which began after Monegan's dismissal in July 2008, is being led by outspoken supporters of Barack Obama and members of the Democratic Party. Sen. Elton, the Chair of the Legislative Council donated $2,000 to the Obama campaign but failed to disclose this to the Legislative Council and he continues to preside over the investigation despite his apparent personal political interest in the outcome of the investigation. Sen. French, the "investigation project manager," failed to disclose the comments he had made on a radio program criticizing Gov. Palin's termination of Monegan as "criminal" prior to being appointed as the "investigation project manager" and even prior to a vote to investigate at all. Branchflower, the lead investigator, is alleged to be a personal friend of Monegan.

[smark]

What is she trying to hide???? Why cc emails to the husband, a ordinary citizen--not an elected official??? The Moose Queen is corrupt through and through. She can't even BEGIN to know what the truth is!!!

[wdw101]

if you believe that why ask for the truth

[jonmonbuckeye]

This is also illegal. Having worked for the great state of Alaska, it is illegal to share information of this nature with anyone who is not employed by the state of Alaska and has a direct legal or operational interest. Gov. Palin broke the law folks, plain and simple. I am a staunch Republican who will not vote Republican this year because of Gov. Palin. The reason they are trying to kill this investigation is because this is just the tip of the ice berg. Wait until the information comes out about her hiring personal investigators to snoop on state officials. THAT is when it will get real ugly.

[wdw101]

i would not cooperate with these people either

[mgloraine]

There is an article elsewhere at HuffPo which basically says you've got it all wrong:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/les-gara/karl-rove-in-alaska-mccai_b_126649.html

Palin is already in contempt of her own Alaskan Congress, demanding special treatment, placing herself above and beyond the law, claiming executive priveledge to cover up her criminal activities, just like her idols Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. We definitely don't need another childish, petty, vindictive, scoff-law in a position of authority in Washington.

Let her do her jail time in Alaska.

[VotingisReform]

And for being a good V.P candidate, by refusing to cooperate with the investigation, she gets an all expense paid vacation to New York to the U.N. to meet a foreign dignitary! Manning, should protest, he only went to disney world.

[Housewife]

Once again, Jon Stewart and the Daily Show is the only relevant news source. Check it out. It's worth watching the full 8 minutes. The best part comes at about 4:15 when Jon gets into blinking. Palin is Bush
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqMxxruirrE

[k1k2lee]

So, she fired him because he was seeking federal money to investigate sexual assault cases? SERIOUSLY? This is the same woman who made rape victims pay for their own rape kits and would insist on her 14 year old daughter (the girl's age at the time) not get an abortion even she were raped. Wow. She may be a woman, but she clearly HATES women. She'll get along just fine with McCain who voted againt Biden's Violence Against Women Act.

[lacarioca]

maybe this is not as much news as firing a state official for personal reasons, but look at what it says.

firstly, she would fire this guy to protect her "evolving relationship" with the senator stevens while all the while claiming that she has 'always worked against the good old boy's network'.

and even worse, this woman thinks it is more important to have her subordinates completely agree with her and follow protocol than work to diminish sexual violence against women!!!! so much more important as to fire monegan over it.

for my money, i'd feel better about her if she'd confess to the vendetta firing but i think she's way to shallow to see it that way.

it is a sad day in america that this tragic-comedy (nightmare?) is actually happening.

[vincfoster]

So I guess Bristol is home taking care of HER downs baby while Todd and Sarah make their media rounds?

[wdw101]

so

[33784]

So....tell me again how this can be labeled as partisan? Last time i checked, this investigation panel had democrats and republicans. maybe mccain should look up the meaning of "partisan"

[marchamlin]

Sarah Palin is a pro-lie, anti-truth, liar.