Half-Baked in Alaska: Palin's 11th Hour "Troopergate" Exoneration Was a Lie
It was surely an odd bit of timing on Monday, November 3--just hours before one of the biggest presidential elections in American history--that the Alaska State Personnel Board issued a finding by its chief investigator, Timothy J. Petumenos, that Republican vice-presidential candidate and Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, did not breach state ethics laws when she fired Alaska public safety commissioner Walt Monegan in July of this year.
This last minute finding appeared to exonerate Palin of any legal culpability in the so-called "Troopergate" scandal that dogged her throughout her ill-fated, two-month run on the Republican ticket. Palin boldly claimed it a "vindication," while headlines throughout the world declared that she had been "cleared" of any wrongdoing.
That was hardly the case. Composed entirely of political appointees--and all Republican--the Personnel Board was hell-bent on clearing Palin from the get-go. Its findings were neither final nor impartial. And they leave many questions about her behavior, along with that of her husband and her staff, unanswered.
Perhaps the most significant questions that remain are whether or not Governor Palin and her husband, Todd, committed perjury in their sworn affidavits to the personnel board.
There is significant circumstantial evidence that they did.
Less than a month before the Personnel Board's findings, of course, a Republican investigator of the bipartisan Alaska Legislative Council declared that while Palin broke no laws in firing Monegan, she had, in fact, violated the state's Executive Ethics Act by actively pursuing the firing of her former brother-in-law, Alaska state trooper Mike Wooten.
Palin put the lean on Monegan to fire Wooten. He didn't. So he was fired instead.
As Governor, Palin had the executive right to fire Monegan. On that fact, both the Legislative Council and Personnel Board agree.
What they disagree about is whether Palin, her husband, and her staff had the right to hound Monegan about the firing of Wooten. The Personnel Board said that she did have the right; the Legislative Council's reading of the Alaska Ethics Act says she did not.
And hound they did. More than three dozen times in less than two years.
In the aftermath of Monegan's dismissal, Palin gave at least four different reasons for it--all of which seem spurious, at best, and concocted, at worst. And there is strong evidence contradicting every one of her four explanations.
But even more troubling is the absolutely obsessive pattern of strong-arming Monegan about Wooten that began immediately once Palin took office. Within two months of her December 2006 inauguration, Palin and her husband, Todd, contacted Monegan a half-dozen times about firing Wooten. Then Palin's staff members began the assault. Then more contacts from the Palins. Then more from staff.
The pressure was unrelenting and continued right up until the time that Monegan was fired. The record on that--emails, notes, even taped phone conversations--is quite clear.
Perhaps the most troubling piece of evidence is a February 7, 2007, email from Gov. Palin to Monegan. It's a long, rambling missive that concludes with a return to her obsession with Wooten: "Just my opinion -- I know you know I've experienced a lot of frustration with this issue. I know Todd's even expressed to you a lot of concern about our family's safety after this trooper threatened to kill a family member..."
Both Palin and her husband swore under oath that they did not have conversations with Monegan a month earlier (in January 2007) about the Wooten matter. Yet the February 2007 email proves concretely that Palin was aware that her husband had conveyed concerns to Monegan and, by implication ("I know you know") that she had as well. It also clearly establishes the pattern of her trying to use her influence to get Wooten fired from her earliest days in office.
Palin further contradicted her own testimony by saying that her husband complained to her so frequently about the handling of the Wooten matter that she had to tell him to stop, and then shortly thereafter contended that she knew nothing about his activities to get Wooten fired.
Implausible? Absolutely. Perjury? That remains for a legal body to decide.
But will one?
I contacted Monegan's talented attorney in Anchorage, Jeffrey Feldman, of Feldman, Orlansky & Sanders, to ask him about the state of the case and what were the next legal steps in this matter.
"No one knows the answer to that question," he declared. Since the Personnel Board made a finding of "no probable cause" and denied Monegan's request for a hearing, there "is nothing currently pending before the Personnel Board."
Feldman indicated that Monegan's legal options are also limited. He "could file an action in court either challenging his dismissal, asserting defamation claims, or seeking a due process name-clearing hearing," but as of now that's uncertain.
That leaves the Alaska Legislature. When it goes back into session in January, there are a variety of options it could pursue. Although there's a bipartisan majority caucus in the state Senate, Feldman said, it's uncertain whether Senate President-designate, Republican Gary Stevens (not related to the convicted U.S. Senator), will follow up on any matter dealing with Troopergate.
That, to me, would seem to be a dereliction of the Legislature's duty. The Alaska Legislature has the right--and I believe the obligation--to follow-up on the findings of its own investigation and to censure Governor Palin for what was a clear pattern of abusing her power.
Moreover, the Legislature also has the power to seek contempt charges against Palin and other state officials who willingly ignored the Legislative Council's subpoenas during its investigation of Troopergate. And it also has the power to hold hearings on whether or not Palin and her husband committed perjury. There's troubling evidence that they did.
Come January, someone needs to show Alaska's first family that they are not above the law.
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I sincerely hope Monegan does something, or Alaska's citizens bring pressure on the state legislature to pursue the perjury charges. It's just wrong to leave this up in the air. Palin needs to be exposed.
"Think about it: The entire State's population is less than half of the City of Philadelph
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The zip code I grew up in is 1/8 the size of Alaska --- Zip code population (2000): 86,898. Estimated zip code population in 2007: 88,369.
Two years ago she was the freaking mayor of a town with a population of 7000 !!
We're talking about her running for President?
What a bunch of crap they're busy selling to gullible people !!!!!!!
and that my friends entitled her to have experince over the President Elect. Thank God the American People did NOT SEE THROUGH HER STUPIDITY.
You mean...Tha
Think about this; how much of the popular vote did McCain/Palin get? 48 million something? 48 million of our fellow Americans voted to put this woman one Stage 3 melanoma away from the "Nukular" Codes. That is downright scary. BUT, thankfully (for us) she is back home now in her little feifdom where her and the first dude are free once again to fire good people, destroy careers, and intimidate their way back up to an 80% approval rating. Dear Alaskans, next time please just send smoked salmon.
when the AK oil royalties & pork barrel earmarks dry up in the coming months she'll have a hard time getting anywhere near back to 80% approval.
Ms Palin could EASILY be baited to talk about her part. I remember and interview where they finally asked her about TROOPERGATE and she shot back that it should be called TASER GATE> She is still irate and that anger can lead her to say things without the cover of lies.
I wonder why she was not OBLIGATED by law to report suspected abuse neglect of a minor since she knew her nephew had been tasered? I would think someone in a position such as hers would know that she is by law obligated to report suspecte abuse neglect. She's a mass of unethical decisions.
Several British newspapers announced today that publishers are offering Palin up to $7 million dollars to write a book about herself. Blecch!
Maybe it will be a popular children's book. The vocabulary is simple and there's a lot of fictional qualities to her story. Most notably is her belief in magic from an invisible sky wizard.
All the conservative groups will prebuy the book and it will appear as a top seller on the NYTimes bestseller list. A best seller is not based on sales to the public but rather to the distributors.
I say it will make a good firestarter come next winter.
the British are not that stupid
What would be in the book that we don't already know? She and her family are pretty boring beyond the ridiculosity of her being the V.P. pick for the GOP, which was at best an ill conceived flook, McCain will never admit in a million years.
The Alaska Legislature ABSOLUTELY has an obligation to look into the matter further! They need to do it openly, and the findings need to be published. Until these politicians start holding each other accountable for their actions, the public will continue to lose faith in its own government. That's a slippery slope, for our own government was founded on such abuses of power.
CROOKS, THIEVES, BRIGINS.
She's a liar who's out of her league anywhere in the lower 48.
Alaskans nearly elected a convicted felon. Why are we surprised?
There are those who seek to get away with stuff up there in Alaska-- its pretty removed from the rest of the country so theyre good at making their own laws.
The profits from the PFD are based on the free market and rise/fall based on how the stock market does. It is not necessarily from the cost of a barrel of oil. However, the State budget is what will be affected by the price of oil more immediately. The State needs an average of 74$ per barrel to break even over a year. The extra energy money that was sent out this year was a one time payment to help offset the cost of oil. Prices are astronomical in rural Alaska, but everyone got one.
What will be interesting is that now that the price of oil has fallen, will the residents of Alaska continue to get their share of the profits and will it be the same or cut?
She reminds me of George W. Bush. Changes the STORY to suit her personal , self-serving VIEW
with no regard for the facts.
Pushy, shallow, LIAR comes to mind.
What kind of President would that make ??? >>>>> George W. Bush
Forget her.
No, George is much better!
Mr. Dunn,
What can we, as ordinary citizens not living in Alaska, do to make sure this doesn't get swept under the rug? Is there a petition to sign or would it help to send letters, call or e-mail those in a position to investigate Sarah Palin thoroughly so that we can keep the pressure on them?
There has to be some form of retributuion. No one should be above the law. What can we do to make sure justice is served?
I know where I can find thousands who will join in any effort to ensure that Sarah Palin is held accountable. Just tell me what we can do.
She IS above the LAW. Just ask her.
Thousands who will join? More like 66 million.
Exactly! Todd used her office to intimidate people and now they even argued that Wooten is dangerous but if he is then they should have taken him to court instead of working behind closed doors to have him fired. For the Personel Board to cleared Palin of unethical behavior is a joke. Alaska is really the land of corruption and Palin is no reformer at all. Her house was built free by people who got the contract for the sport center, her per diem allowance when stayed at home, her children travel charges, ..., without her being a VP candidate and the media digging into her records, Alaskans and everyone in the Lower would never know her above-the-law acts.
Mr. Dunn--I agree with ladycubsfan. Something has to be done to ensure that Sarah Palin is held accountable for her wrong-doings. She is not above the law. I know that many people would sign a petition--bring it on-!
Investigate your actions through your state laws. You may be able to bring a citizen class-action suit.
You can also initiate a recall:
The recall is the procedure by which the people may remove the governor, lieutenant governor, or members of the state legislature from office. The recall question appears on a special election ballot. [Ref. AS 15.45.470-
STEPS IN THE PROCESS
The three petition processes follow the same basic steps:
PREPARATION OF LANGUAGE by a petition committee for the application
COLLECTION OF SIGNATURES of 100 qualified voters who agree to act as sponsors for petition circulation purposes
APPLICATION for a petition presented to the Lt. Governor, or in the case of a recall, the Director of the Division of Elections.
REVIEW by the Lt. Governor, Department of Law and Division of Elections
PETITION BOOKLETS PRINTED by the Division of Elections for the petition committee
COLLECTION OF SIGNATURES of qualified voters in at least 30 election districts who support the petition
FILING OF THE PETITION with the Division of Elections
REVIEW of signatures by the Division of Elections
NOTIFICATION by the Lt. Governor if the petition is or is not sufficient (i.e., there were enough signatures) to appear on the ballot,or in the case of a recall, the Director of the Division of Elections.
PREPARATION of ballot language
http://www
she will get away with everything, and she will probably win some election in Alaska.
we're talking about a state that may have re-elected a convicted felon.
as to her chances at any National office, I doubt it!
From what I've been reading [Alaska news, blogs, commentaries], Palin may get away with everything she's done. Alaska is like small town politics. Everyone, except the indigenous, seems to know everyone. Popularity = power, the equivalency of the high school in-crowd. To speak out, or go against the grain means you'll be shunned.
Think about it: The entire State's population is less than half of the City of Philadelphia.
They won't bite the hand that feeds them.
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