7 Palin aides to testify in abuse-of-power probe

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Seven aides to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin have reversed course and agreed to testify in an investigation into whether the Republican vice presidential nominee abused her powers by firing a commissioner who refused to dismiss her former brother-in-law.

There is no indication, however, that Palin or her husband will now agree to testify in the legislative inquiry, which has dogged her for the past several months and could hurt John McCain in the final weeks of the presidential race.

Palin, a first-term governor, is the focus of a legislative investigation into her firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan a year after she, her husband and key advisers began questioning him about getting rid of a state trooper who had gone through a nasty divorce with her sister.

Monegan says he was dismissed because he wouldn't fire the governor's former brother-in-law, but Palin contends he was dismissed for insubordination. McCain operatives called Monegan a "rogue" who repeatedly tried to work outside normal channels for requesting money.

Lawmakers subpoenaed seven state employees to testify in the inquiry but they challenged those subpoenas. After a judge rejected that challenge last week, the employees decided to testify, Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg said.

Democratic state Sen. Hollis French, who is managing the investigation, said that, following the court ruling, he again asked Palin and her husband, Todd, whether they planned to testify.

"We've had no response," French said Sunday.

Palin says the legislative inquiry has become too political and she believes that only the state's personnel board should investigate the firing. Todd Palin has agreed to speak with investigators for that panel but not for the legislative inquiry.

The governor has the authority to fire the members of the personnel board.

Alaska's Supreme Court, meanwhile, is considering whether to block the findings of the legislative inquiry. The high court scheduled arguments for Wednesday over whether the case is being manipulated to hurt Palin before Election Day on Nov. 4.

The decision by the state employees to testify will not affect that appeal, said Kevin Clarkson, a lawyer for five Republican lawmakers who brought that challenge.

The independent investigator conducting the probe plans to turn over his conclusions on the case by next Friday to the Legislative Council, the body that authorized it.

Comments

[ellocoliberal]

Finally got all their stories together. Takes time to collude and distort and perjure yourself properly.

[nancinca]

THEY DID NOT 'AGREE' TO TESTIFY, hello,.... they were subpoenaed and the judge threw out their claims they didn't have to respond to those subpoenas ...

They were ORDERED and must comply

[Diogenis]

YES!

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

I missed that too,very observant of you.I think the truth will win out if these people understand the hot water they'll be in if they perjure themselves,it's a little late for pardons after the election cycle.

[eahce]

Shucks Rove got away with it.

[StateofTaxes]

Ah, true; and then, there was "Scotter"...

[StateofTaxes]

Would that not also apply to the "First Dude"??

[ThanksMatt]

Of course it would. He will be in for a surprise later on if he doesn't comply with the law.

[Vixter]

To ebanks84, I think that the law states that you have to be convicted of a felony, not indicted for a crime.

That said, what do you think would happen to us peons (the REAL main street folks) if we refused to answer a subpoena? I know that we would be thrown in jail for contempt of court - you betcha!!

[edwarvir]

Dems should speak up to who? We have been asking for Sarah's
mental and medical records for at least 5 weeks and msm
has not responded yet. John mccain hasn't turned in his mental
records or War records. I will be very surprised if they release anything
before Nov 4th, 2008 on Troopergate The Wussies.

[ThanksMatt]

Oh that is an important step. Please make it public wherever you can. Better still if the press takes it up.

[seabass]

good decision...decided to rid your consciences of the foulness that is the vile palin clan???? or you just don't want to be part of the stinking sinking ship that is the mc cain/palin ticket to hell and that, "my friends" is exactly where those two are going!

[LemonMeringue]

I wish I could feel encouraged but if they agreed to testify, they probably coordinated their lies.

[KHAAANNN]

Actually, the whole "wouldn't fire the ex-brother-in-law" was a smokescreen for the REAL reason they fired him;
He was able to get funding for rape victims (that Palin had cut from the budget) over her DIRECT OBJECTIONS.
Read that sentence again; He found a source of money for RAPE VICTIMS, so she FIRED HIM on trumped up travel charges (he bought airline tickets for an AUTHORIZED TRIP on the State's money, so she retroactively revoked the travel authorization and then FIRED HIM FOR IT!)
She has a LOOOOONNNNGGG history of hatred for Rape Victims going back to her Mayor of Wassilla days.
Freudian Much??

[stepintothelight]

It is Alaska after all. The Appalachian Riviera.

[BeltwayBette]

My guess:
She did try to get her brother-in-law fired.
She tried her darndest to push this good guy into doing her dirty work.
She and Secessionist hubby will take a lesson from Rove and stonewall the subpoenas and refuse to testify.
Motive? She did not do this out of girlish pique.
I believe it was her effort to make Officer Wooten a loser in his custody against her sister. A man fired by the governor and no doubt blacklisted by the most powerful dame in Alaska would be ...well, destitute. She was manipulating the custody suit to deny him his rights. MHO. Some feminist.

[ebanks84]

Is there a law somewhere that says you cannot run if you've been indicted for a crime? Please let there be. I pray for one. Can someone help me with that? Anything to shut this nagging woman up. Her voice makes me want to scream.

[LemonMeringue]

The voice, the batty eyes, the smirk, the ugly colored lipstick applied outside her lips, the outdated unprofessional stripper's daytime outfit wardrobe, the ... I cannot watch her anymore.

She is not a good example for my daughters.

[ThanksMatt]

She will serve as the last bad example for divisive politics in history. Too bad it has to be someone who looks outwardly like a woman.
Her lipstick is a tatoo by the way. (according to HP article)

[cranialknowledge]

It's probably better that this drags on up until the election. Most people see right through her hokey act. Look at all the independents she has turned off. The only ones she is exciting is the republican base, and folks who have a thing for lying phony snarky cutesee cutesee second rate beauty queens.

[Bocado]

No, No, No!

Let her run, as someone else said "she's the gift that keeps on giving"!

She's damaging to McCain, who are you kidding? lol

[ThanksMatt]

I would like to know that too. I think she would be forced to step back from the VP position. But this could be wishful thinking - as she is still here even with an ongoing criminal investigation against her!
Palin is obviously very dangerous with her endtime-church connections with their believe they are apostels destined to govern mankind. (God help US please.) See Sarah Palin's Churches and the 3rd wave, Huffington Post article and video.)

[ThanksMatt]

Vixter wrote above: To ebanks84, I think that the law states that you have to be convicted of a felony, not indicted for a crime.
That said, what do you think would happen to us peons (the REAL main street folks) if we refused to answer a subpoena? I know that we would be thrown in jail for contempt of court - you betcha!!


Well I want to know that. Given the fact that people who have been in prison have difficulty to register again to vote after finishing their sentence. So how does it look like upstairs???

[fdavidm]

I guess now that these aides realize that their asses may get hurled into jail for not responding to this investigation, they are now going to take the investigation seriously, especially since it appears the Palin-McCain team is going to lose in November.

[Bocado]

It's not November 5th, don't get too arrogant about an Obama/Biden victory.

Now is NOT the time to be complacent.

Get out there and volunteer.
I just did over the weekend and I ONLY started supporting Obama after the first debate.
His statesmen-like behavior his knowledge and his description of how he'll approach other world leaders is what sold me.

[ThanksMatt]

Heartily Welcome on board, thank you for encouraging everybody!

[Grunty1]

So, what changed? Oh right, the motion to mistrail failed. Seeing a judge who wasn't going to bend over backwards to please Palin, the others realized that they might end up in trail for refusing to testify.

Palin is about to win 4 to 8 years... in prison.

[Jeff1958]

From the article: "Alaska's Supreme Court, meanwhile, is considering whether to block the findings of the legislative inquiry. The high court scheduled arguments for Wednesday over whether the case is being manipulated to hurt Palin before Election Day on Nov. 4."

Excuse me, but this started BEFORE McCain tapped her to be his VP. Political grandstanding once again. Aren't we getting sick of this? Add this to the list of reasons why I will not vote for a single Rep next month.

[Okieborn]

Hey this lady is a Mccain Vice and as we know there is no repub. including Carl Rove that is going to do anything they choose not to do !!!!

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

Gee....if there's nothing to hide, why not testify, Barbie and Ken?

[newpantaloons]

Boy, I love this 'precedent' the Republicans in this country are setting and we, the people, are allowing, where they don't have to honor a subpoena. Todd Palin is NOT GOING TO TESTIFY??!! Arrest him and haul his ass to jail! Someone better put a stop to this right now, or else this LAWLESSNESS will only continue and GROW!

[WFV]

Does anyone know when they will testify? I read elsewhere they had hoped to report on the investigation Friday, so wouldn't they need to appear this week for that to happen?

I can't help but think that testimony consisting of 'I don't recall' or something similar won't help much.

[SurrealPumpkin]

Oh, but it will. Precedent has been established. When you're under oath, don't want to lie and don't want to invoke the Fifth, fail to recall. These days fail to recall is the equivalent of pleading the fifth. We may not know the details but we will know that something happened that is highly likely to be illegal.