McCain Campaign Stonewalling Palin-Rape Kit Questions

Dorothy Samuels at the New York Times dug into the story that Wasilla charged rape victims for forensic exams and rape kits while Sarah Palin was mayor -- or at least she tried to. Apparently the McCain campaign is stonewalling:

If Ms. Palin ever spoke out about the issue, one way or another, no record has surfaced. Her campaign would not answer questions about when she learned of the policy, strongly supported by the police chief: whether she saw it in the budget and if not, whether she learned of it before or after the State Legislature outlawed the practice.

All the campaign would do was provide a press release pronouncing: "Prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault is a priority for Gov. Palin."

There's more circumstantial evidence that Palin knew of the policy, which Samuels lays out below. You can read her full piece here.

Eric Croft, a former Democratic state lawmaker who sponsored the corrective legislation, believes that Wasilla's mayor knew what was going on. (She does seem to have paid heed to every other detail of town life, including what books were on the library's shelves.)

The local hospital did the billing, but it was the town that set the policy, Mr. Croft noted. That policy was reflected in budget documents that Ms. Palin signed.

Mr. Croft further noted that right after his measure became law, Wasilla's local paper reported that Ms. Palin's handpicked police chief, Charlie Fannon, acknowledged the practice of billing to collect evidence for sexual-assault cases. He complained that the state was requiring the town to spend $5,000 to $14,000 a year to cover the costs. "I just don't want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer," the chief explained.

"I can't imagine any police chief, big city or small, who would take on the entire State Legislature on a bill that passed unanimously and not mention to their mayor that they're doing this," Mr. Croft said. Even if he didn't inform her, the newspaper article would have been hard for her to miss.

Comments

[nryan64]

11:52 PM on 10/03/2008

As a victim of rape, I kept an open mind as far as this "story" is concerned. I wanted to know all the facts before I made a comment ad many have done so here. I am disgusted by many of the comments here that seem to be based on hearsay. They seem to be coming from such hatred of McCain and in doing so, not being open minded. This is a very serious subject and reading comments that have more to do with your support for a particular candidate then a real dialogue about this important subject is disgusting and offensive. While Palin was mayor, there was one rape reported. Still don't know for sure if she knew about this practice but I do know that Wasilla was NOT the only town that charged for this test.

As far as Palin's allegedly being in favor of the charges based upon the fact that it included the morning after pill, I would have to find out more information about that. Since the pill was given to me when I was in shock and not even fully aware of what was being given to me, I have to say I am not fully in favor of the pill being given so soon after a woman has been raped. We/rape victims are in shock and can't think of much else except being in disbelief this has happened.

[realdad]

08:38 PM on 09/26/2008

I totally disagree with the practice, but it seems that it's not so rare. It seems to be common practice in many states, including N.C., Ga. Arkansas, and Illinois - you know, where that terrific Democratic Senator who's running for President is from....

N.C. hospitals bill rape victims

Mandy Locke

Rape victims across the state are paying for their ill fortune in the most tangible of ways..

The vast majority of the 3,000 or so emergency room patients examined for sexual assaults each year shoulder some of the cost of a rape kit test, according to state records and victim advocates. For some, it's as little as a $50 insurance co-payment..

....an analysis of state records and interviews with hospital officials and administrators at several of the state's major insurers suggest that charging the patients is a widespread practice.

In the cases of more than 2,500 people who receive rape kits each year, hospitals bill the patients' health insurer.
For those without insurance, hospitals send the bills to the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, which has a modest fund to help. www.newsobserver.com

www.usnews.com

....experts on sexual assault are all too familiar with the issue. "It's been a problem for a long time," ...according to a 2004 bulletin published by the NCVC, ...caseworkers in Illinois, Georgia, and Arkansas reporting that rape victims continue to be charged for their forensic exams.

[Miravanguild]

07:39 PM on 09/26/2008

Do you really think this woman is aware of much? She can parrot a great speech, but it is my belief that though she held elected office, she was merely a puppet for her husband and who knows who.. She cannot string two words together let along two sentences... How can someone this inarticulate win and hold any office? Besides she was busy hunting moose, chasing down Trick, Trent, Trunk, Whatever, going back and forth to those hockey games... Now most women can do that, but I do not believe this woman can.....

[Obibrenner]

07:06 PM on 09/26/2008

She did not know about it, she was too busy protecting our airspace from Putin and unlike the Georgians, Putin has not successfully invaded Alaska. Plus, she's kept those dreaded Canadians from invading too. Rape kits, small potatoes in a state with the highest level of rape and incest per capita in the U.S.

[TSPEY]

05:36 PM on 09/26/2008

McCain / Palin: Road to the Outhouse

http://tspey.wordpress.com/

[stevebest]

03:57 PM on 09/26/2008

What !! The question is did she know about it? Bottom line it happend in HER town. The question should be wether she can't keep track of the governing in her small town or does she care that little for her constituants. Either way this woman creeepps me out.

[LeaderofMen]

02:57 PM on 09/26/2008

How many meth labs were shut down in the Wasilla region again?

20?

30?

40?

More?

Yep. MORE.

[pollygirl036]

03:10 PM on 09/26/2008

I can't believe that anyone is surprised by this. The MCPalin ticket has been stonewalling on every issue that has come out about Gov. Palin. This is just another sad reality show that we can turn off at anythime.....right?

Oh, I forgot this is real life and we are only talking about the welfare of the entire USA depending on these two to protect and serve. Too scary of a thought to go any further.

[HelloooCanada]

03:42 PM on 09/26/2008

demons OUT!

[Ramirez]

02:21 PM on 09/26/2008

There is not a single report of the Wasilla police department charging any rape victim for an examination.

Not one.


Read more at Bob Owen:
http://confederateyankee.mu.nu/archives/273965.php

[CtJean]

02:42 PM on 09/26/2008

I gather rami, that you are a man, and wouldn't give a fig about rape kits.

[quadman]

02:48 PM on 09/26/2008

Waving the 'chauvanist pig' flag does not discredit his comment. If you can't argue the points of his source but choose to attack Ramirez's perceived gender, then that demonstrates a total capitulation to the information he gave.

If Ramirez is wrong, counter his claim, don't throw around sexist assumptions.

[Ramirez]

07:31 PM on 09/26/2008

Yes, Jean, I am a man. Yet despite that, I do care about rape kits.

[karela]

04:14 PM on 09/26/2008

Umm yeah, there wouldn't be a report of the Wasilla Police Department making the charges. As the article says, the decision to charge victims instead of the city for rape kits was a city decision, but the charges came from the hospital where the tests were performed. Alaska's incidence of rape is two and a half times greater than the rest of America. That's why the cost was so high. People are missing the point that rape is a free and popular sport in Wasilla and in Alaska. And that would be why Palin says she fired her top state law enforcement official because he tried to get funding to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of sexual violence? The women in her state are being raped and beaten at an astounding rate. She has millions to spend on roads to no where, but won't increase the state's budget enough to adequately deal with this war on women? Some friend to women Sarah. Disgusting.

[Ramirez]

07:30 PM on 09/26/2008

You made a number of charges. For reference, the reported crime rate in Wasilla is here:
http://www.disastercenter.com/alaska/crime/35.htm

The rate of "total crimes per 1000 citizens" is quite lower than the national average.

[SirReal1]

02:00 PM on 09/26/2008

We who post here, and those in the Media, might as well admit that at this point there is simply nothing John and Sarah could do that would cause their supporters to NOT VOTE FOR THEM!

McCain could drop his drawers on national T.V. and shout "Hey America, kiss my A $$!", and these folks would pull the lever for him on November 4th.

The only thing for the media to do at this point is to continuously hold the POLLS accountable for reporting factual results and to verify that the polls are being conducted fairly. Anything else makes them complicit with what would be the biggest theft in the history of our (floundering) democracy. For McCain to WIN at this point, would require a conspiracy of IMMENSE proportion. It would have to begin with the News Media still calling this a "horse race to the finish", and end with Diebold (et.al.) and the Republican Party disenfranchising MILLIONS of voters!

The only other thing that the Republicans could do to keep the White House would be if we had a HUGE CRISIS, like the ECONOMY completely collapsing, to provide the cover that BUSH would need to say "I can not, in good conscience, step down at this critical time in our history"! (Along with say a Brigade of Combat Troops recently returned from Iraq, and a few thousand Blackwater security contractors, to quell any disturbances).

But THAT would never happen!

DOH!

[dav8d777]

02:40 PM on 09/26/2008

So sad. So true.

[CtJean]

02:44 PM on 09/26/2008

Marshall law! Tha't all boosshie has to say and we the people would be trod upon.

Oh wait a minute, NOT THIS TIME!

We the people will stand up this time.

No more thugs !

[YankeeCanuck]

05:29 PM on 09/26/2008

"Martial"

[kingv100]

06:54 PM on 09/26/2008

wait for Oct 1, when the 3rd Infantry 1st Brigade Combat Team deploys on the army's 1st ever "Homeland Tour"

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/

That's tour as in "Tour of Duty", not tour as in "Look, the Statue of Liberty!!!"

I wonder why we're gonna need that, huh?

[newpotusplease]

01:58 PM on 09/26/2008

ultimately, it damages her if she did know about it
and it damages her if she didn't know about this... it is evil in her town.

[munki]

01:46 PM on 09/26/2008

USA! USA! let's talk about something positive that WE as AMERICANS can do...
if I may suggest... proactive

[Dave01]

02:00 PM on 09/26/2008

1. Vote for Obama
2. Send Palin packing and ship her back to Alaska
3. Send McShrub packing and ship him back to Arizona.

Is that proactive enough?

[janinei]

01:02 PM on 09/26/2008

McCain Voted Against Biden Law Requiring Free Rape Exams

In 1994, John McCain voted against legislation -- pushed through Congress by Joe Biden -- that helped put an end to the practice of charging rape victims for sexual assault exams.

Twisted as it may sound, charging victims for a forensic exam was a real problem. For example, as AMERICAblog has documented (and the media is now reporting), when Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla, the town charged rape victims for the exams.

Biden's legislation required that state, local, and Indian governments provide the rape exams to victims free of charge as a condition of receiving federal funds under the Violence Against Women Act. In 2000, Alaska finally passed state legislation in order to qualify for federal funding.

McCain not only opposed Biden's legislation, but also has voted against funding it as recently as October 2007.

McCain voted against final passage of Biden's legislation. He had supported an earlier version, but on the question of actually making the legislation the law of the land, McCain joined 35 conservative Republicans (and 2 Democrats) and said "no" to ensuring that all women had access to rape exams free of charge.

[RedDonnaAnn]

12:54 PM on 09/26/2008

And this in the state with the highest incest rate in America.

The woman is evil incarnate.

[SteveMDFP]

12:50 PM on 09/26/2008

Evidence collection isn't health care. Yes, the town arranged for health insurance to be billed. This doesn't make the practice OK, it means the town and hospital were engaged in FRAUD.

Health insurance fraud is a federal felony under HIPAA. The statute of limitations is 6 - 10 years, depending on circumstances. The penalty is up to 10 years in prison, per incident. The FBI has jurisdiction to investigate health insurance fraud.

If Palin knew of the procedures (it just isn't plausible that she wasn't), then she is guilty of Conspiracy to commit health insurance fraud, even if she was oblivious to the criminal nature of the act.

If she were under oath and questioned, I'm confident she would now plead the fifth.

If anyone thinks that evidence collection in a rape case is the same as what would be done for medical care, that person would be wrong. Evidence collection involves such things as DNA analysis to identify the perpetrator--this is NEVER a part of clinical care.

Felonies were committed under Palin's authority. The moral outrage we all feel is really just a footnote to the real scandal: FRAUD

Steve

[FactFinder44]

02:46 PM on 09/26/2008

Steve. For the last few days I have suggested that a few writers consider a comment that Palinbots have been using to argue that Palin did not support charging victims for rape kits. That is the statement made to the USA Today reporter that broke this story a couple of weeks ago.

Essentially, a spokesperson for the McCain/Pallin campaign said that Palin did not and never has believed in charging victims for the cost of "evidence-gathering tests." IMO. hat statement carefully laid down a smoke screen of plausible deniability, should evidence to the contrary emerge.

This is where I would appreciate your input as family practitioner. I do not believe that a rape kit and attendant limited examination for evidence gathering should be considered to be "tests". Hoepfully, testing is later done on the evidence gathered, but we know that another issue involves the fact that many rape kits are never subjected to testing. I digress.

If my suspicions prove correct, the Republican campaign carefully worded its spokesperson's statment to give the impression that Palin did not believe in charging victims, while the most she would say was that she didn't believe in charging for the costs of tests done on the evidence gathered with the kits. Does this make sense, given your knowledge of rape examinations?

[Tenebrae]

11:42 PM on 09/27/2008

I am guessing that part of the "rape kit" was some high-dosage birth control pill like Plan-B that would prevent pregnancy. Thus the careful wording. Not against gathering evidence, but against giving the victim a means of preventing an unwanted pregnancy and childbirth.

[hopeless277]

02:49 PM on 09/26/2008

Wow. You go Steve! Too bad the DOJ is just the DO now. Besides, if I'm not mistaken, Bush issued an executive order exempting all members of the Republican party from American and international laws. Nice try though.

[sueno]

12:34 PM on 09/26/2008

It is sicking to listen to reporters have to ask Palin such a question-
This question shouldn't even be on the table.
This is sad-