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

[SonyaInTx]

MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Huffington Post need to keep this on the front pages. Abuse of power Watergate style!

[Mysticalsister]

Another, little known but significant aspect of Troopergate, is Trooper Wooten's workers comp case. He was injured on the job when he slipped on the ice while carrying a body in a body bag, and injured his back. He then applied for workers compensation.

The woman who runs the workers comp agency for Alaska won a contract for $1.2 million to run the agency -- a bid contract approved by Palin. At first the owner lied and said that neither Sarah nor Todd Palin contacted her regarding Wooten's case, but an employee at the agency came forward to say that they had contacted the agency. Recently, the owner reversed her (perjured?) testimony and said that Sarah and Todd both contacted her regarding Wooten. This could be a bigger problem for both of the Palins, than the firing of Walt Monegan.

[munki]

your sources? now we see why GOP is trying to block Wed announcement

[anneinwa]

I agree, the Worker's Comp issue could be what takes the self declared pitbull down. I don't believe the owner of the company who administers the W.Comp technically perjured herself. When first asked, she denied any interference from Todd or Sarah Palin. However, when she testified UNDER OATH, she flipped like a slippery-j­ust-caught fish and told the truth!

[AlaskanToo]

I'm sure that the courts ruling that the subpoenas were valid is making a difference for these employees to testify but I wonder if people are starting to speculate an end to Palins political career. It's pretty obvious that she's not headed to the White House and is becoming a much more polarizing figure than what she ever has been in the past. I'm thinking when she comes back home she will have a very difficult time working 'across the isle' ALSO.

Keep posted for Thursday when the courts will rule on whether the investigation will be supressed.

[asscher]

gotta wonder if they've been prepped...­and by who!

[Tahut]

Well I suspect if Branchflower is half as good as I've heard, if he detects identical answers he'll politely inform each person they could be charged with perjury and possibly obstruction of justice to a possible crime.

[wadda]

McCain operatives called Monegan a "rogue"

He's not a rogue. he's a maverick.

[Tahut]

McCain's not a maverick. He's been branded. Mavericks aren't branded.

[WAstateliberal]

What the Palin idiots do not seem to understand is that Moneghan was not free to just fire this guy Wooten. There are rules. I am married to a police officer, and trust me, there are strict civil service rules about when and how you can discipline and fire. Wooten had already been disciplined. Moneghan had no power, NONE, to just fire him after his discipline was complete.

[layman]

The BI@CH is too cocky and arrogant, and doesn't really know stuff, not well read, like Boosh, just memorizes talking points as an attack.dog and back to the dog cage after attack.

[munki]

Just let us know the truth... thank you

[SonyaInTx]

I hope Obama takes Alaska right out from under John McCain in the general election.

[duze]

Can't wait to see this side of miss sunshine.

[Mozart123]

The McCain/Palin philosophy
Maverick = Good
Rogue = Bad

[munki]

Rouge is good... happy color, but not in this case...

[OutsiderSA]

Alaska going blue?

The Obama-Biden rally was the largest rally for a presidential candidate in Alaskan history. There were similar rallies held all across Alaska, with hundreds in attendence in Fairbanks, on the Kenai Penninsula, and even in Juneau! In a state where it can be politically risky to “out” yourself as a progressiv­e-sympathi­zer, a Palin opponent, or…(gulp)…an Obama “operative” as the McCain campaign is fond of calling anyone with a sign, this was incredible. It was, I would argue, the biggest political news of the day.

http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/and-the-moose-nugget-award-goes-to/

[nikz]

She's being groomed for 2012. Hopefully she'll get tangled and dirtied in a scandal that won't allow her to run. Watching and listening to her these past 5 weeks have felt like an eternity! ENOUGH! Can't stand the sight of her!

[OneAngryDwarf]

She will never be president unless McCain gets elected and dies in office. Sarah Palin would get destroyed in the Republican primary process, where other Republicans could take shots at her. She wouldn't last a week on the campaign trail.

What we are seeing here is the McCain campaign got caught playing a tactical game. They tried to win an election cycle away from Obama during the convention and it worked. But they don't have a strategy for dealing with the unmitigated disaster that is Sarah Palin. She is simply too dumb to do anything except deliver a canned speech.

In a month Sarah will be one of three things:

A: The butt of a series of running jokes.
B: The answer to a Trivial Pursuit question
C: The answer to Dan Quayles prayers
D: All of the above

"Hey Sarah I can see the end of your political career from my house" Anonymous sign at anti-Palin rally in AK.

[YankeeCanuck]

I fear you've guessed that right, nikz. And it won't stop at this election. 2012 is just over the horizon.

[akryan]

I don't know about 2012. I think 2016 is more likely.

[Tahut]

Unfortunately, it will give her a chance to polish that piss and vinegar tongue of hers. The only good thing is four years isn't enough time to come up to speed on the mechanix of government, foreign policy, economics, military posture and so forth. But repugs never give credence to knowledge in their candidates; that's why they have so many think-tank advisors in waiting.

[progressivelady]

would this be surendering the white flag?

[Chaucea]

Hopefully these aides weren't 'coached' by Palin's posse of bully lawyers.

[PT6]

The Repubs say, "The decision by the state employees to testify will not affect that [Supreme court] appeal, said Kevin Clarkson, a lawyer for five Republican lawmakers who brought that challenge.­"

I wonder if having McCain's involvement in the Keating Cover-Up brought up will CHANGE THEIR MINDS IN THIS ATTEMPTED COVER-UP!

VERY SIMILAR Story except for the CASH!

[whit4brains]

I read that the Supreme Court has never intervened in a case like that and it is basically just them stalling for time. The results will come out soon!

[CTtransplant]

I believe you are right - the Legislature's investigation is indeed legal...I do not believe the Supreme Court will overturn it. This is just more smoke and mirrors from the Republican­s...try to stall it until after November 4th.

However, the people have a right to all the facts BEFORE they 'pull any levers' on Nov. 4th!