@BumbleBeeBoogie,
Alaska Officials Weigh Subpoenas
For Palin Staff Over Firing
By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS
September 8, 2008
An Alaska state investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner is turning into a power struggle between the state's executive and legislative branches.
While Gov. Palin, Republican presidential nominee John McCain's running mate, hits the campaign trail, lawmakers in Alaska are scheduled to meet Friday to decide whether to issue subpoenas to at least seven Palin administration officials.
All of the officials had previously agreed to meet with the independent investigator looking into Gov. Palin's firing of Commissioner Walt Monegan in July. Her critics say she did so because he refused to fire a state trooper who was involved in a bitter divorce with Gov. Palin's sister.
But the state officials canceled shortly before the depositions, just after Sen. McCain picked the governor as his running mate, which gave a national profile to what had been a local controversy.
Now the governor's lawyer has forbidden her staff from any direct contact with the investigator, forcing the lawmakers to consider subpoenas, according to a news release issued Friday by the bipartisan leadership of the state House and Senate Judiciary committees. A Palin spokesman said that was a "routine" letter requiring the investigator to go through the lawyer. The spokesman, Taylor Griffin, was unable to identify any Palin aide who had talked to the investigator since the lawyer had issued the gag order.
"This was such an orderly process prior to this unique honor of Gov. Palin being selected as candidate for vice president," House Judiciary Chairman Jay Ramras, a Republican, said Sunday. "We're just trying to discharge our duty, which is to share in the oversight in addressing this issue without trying to politically charge it."
The investigation, however, could prove critical to Gov. Palin's political fortunes. She and Sen. McCain have characterized her as a hard-nosed reformer with unimpeachable integrity. That image has energized the Republican Party. The allegations, if proven true, suggest she bent the rules to her personal interests and used her office for retribution.
The Palin spokesman, Mr. Griffin, blasted Senate Judiciary Chairman Hollis French, a Democrat, for earlier comments that suggested the investigation could turn into a blow to the McCain-Palin ticket. "What was supposed to be a nonpartisan inquiry has been hijacked and converted into a political circus," Mr. Griffin said. He had no comment on the fact that leaders of both parties are supporting the subpoena hearing.
Sen. French said Sunday that lawmakers are now trying to take the political edge off of the investigation through bipartisan actions.
The governor's critics have alleged that she refused to approve Mr. Monegan's budget request and ultimately dismissed him because he didn't fire the trooper, Mike Wooten. The governor's husband, Todd Palin, allegedly tried to secure Mr. Wooten's dismissal, too. Mr. Wooten divorced the governor's sister, Molly McCann, in 2005.
Her family accused Mr. Wooten of violent and threatening behavior. An internal police investigation found Mr. Wooten guilty of shooting a moose cow without a permit and testing a taser on his stepson. He admitted to both incidents and served a five-day suspension without pay.
Palin allies, however, continued to press for his dismissal, according to the allegations. In one recorded conversation, a state employee told a State Police lieutenant: "Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, why on earth is this guy still representing the department?"
"The emphasis should be on whether the governor and members of her administration have held the Department of Public Safety hostage over this, and whether there has been any undue influence exerted on the commissioner of public safety for personal reasons," said John Cyr, executive director of the Alaska Public Safety Employee Association, the union representing Mr. Wooten.
"The Palin family raised appropriate concerns" about Mr. Wooten's alleged behavior, said Mr. Griffin, the campaign spokesman. He denied the Palins put undue pressure on Mr. Monegan.
Mr. Griffin said the governor doesn't believe the legislative body has the authority to look into Mr. Monegan's dismissal. He couldn't say whether state officials would honor the subpoenas if issued.
The lawmakers say they don't plan to subpoena Gov. Palin herself. They said the special investigator, former prosecutor Stephen Branchflower, would be willing to talk to her by telephone or travel to meet her.
Mr. Monegan couldn't be reached for comment on Sunday. The allegations have spawned four related investigations. The union representing Mr. Wooten filed an ethics complaint last week with the state attorney general, alleging that members of the governor's administration had illegally looked at the trooper's personnel file in search of damaging information.
Mr. Branchflower's report is due Oct. 10.