Troopergate Probe OK, AK Supremes Say

October 09, 2008 5:08 PM

Justin Rood Reports:

The Alaska legislature's Troopergate probe into Gov. Sarah Palin may conclude its work and release its findings, the Alaska Supreme Court decided Thursday.

The justices heard a last-minute appeal from several Republican legislators, supported by a Texas conservative legal group, to stop the investigation.  A lower court had ruled against the lawmakers last week.

Peter Maassen, who defended the legislature and its investigator against the suit, provided a copy of the Supreme Court's order to ABC News.  The court's decision, he said, had not yet been released.

"The decision is gratifying," said State Sen. Hollis French, D-Anchorage, who is managing the probe and was named in the suit.  "The justices affirm no one’s rights have been violated and the investigation can conclude."

A spokesperson for the court declined to discuss the ruling because the plaintiffs had not yet received a copy of the order.

The legislature's special counsel is set to deliver his findings tomorrow to the bipartisan panel which authorized the probe in July.  The investigation, which looked into allegations Palin misused her power to pursue a personal vendetta, turned into a political and media circus after Palin was chosen late August to be the Republican vice presidential candidate.

October 9, 2008 in Troopergate | Permalink | User Comments (39)

Todd Palin Pushed Firing for Years, Probe Told

October 09, 2008 9:26 AM

Justin Rood Reports:

Todd Palin campaigned for years to get state trooper Mike Wooten fired, he told the Alaska Legislature's "Troopergate" investigator, in a 25-page response to a list of questions.

Palin provided his answers to special counsel Stephen Branchflower yesterday, according to news accounts and sources familiar with the probe.  Palin's lawyer and the McCain-Palin campaign made the document available to reporters that evening, a move condemned by State Senate officials.

"The McCain campaign should not be releasing these documents to you," said Alaska Senate President Lyda Green, R-Wasilla, after learning the camp had offered the document to a reporter, under condition of anonymity. "This is a confidential report," she said. "The campaign should have nothing to do with this."

Alaska State Sen. Hollis French, who is managing the investigation, confirmed that the document was not to be made public, and is not being distributed by the investigation. 

The campaign's release of Todd Palin's answers make the document the only piece of investigative material from Branchflower's probe to become public prior to the expected release of Branchflower's report. That raised eyebrows among some Alaska officials and political observers, who noted how sharply Palin and the campaign have criticized the legislature's probe as political.

One McCain-Palin campaign ad called the bipartisan-backed probe "nothing more than a three-ring circus emceed by Obama partisans."  Palin, the campaign and her allies have criticized State Sen. French, the probe's manager, for suggesting Branchflower's findings could be an "October surprise" for the campaign, asserted Branchflower lacked impartiality, and pointed out that some Democratic legislators who supported the probe also support Sen. Barack Obama's White House bid.

"They're the ones making it political," said Senate President Green, a Republican from Palin's hometown who has nevertheless been a public critic of Palin’s.  "Alaskans are perfectly capable of asking questions, getting answers and writing a report."

Green said she was shocked at how McCain-Palin campaign aides had acted since arriving in the state in early September. "I can't believe that the campaign would condone this behavior if they truly knew," she said. "I've never seen anything like it."

October 9, 2008 in Troopergate | Permalink | User Comments (54)

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

October 07, 2008 6:27 PM

Justin Rood Reports:

Get ready, Troopergate fans!  The Alaska Legislature will receive the findings of its controversial Troopergate investigation on Friday morning, according to its Web site.

Gov. Sarah Palin originally said she'd cooperate, but switched her tune after joining the GOP ticket.  Since then, the campaign has waged a no-holds-barred effort to discredit the investigation and just about anyone involved with it, alleging bias and unconstitutionality.

The public reaction to the report on Friday will tell how successful that effort has been.  The Legislative Council – the 14-member bipartisan panel which unanimously approved the probe in July – will convene at 9 a.m. Alaska time to receive the investigative report prepared by its special counsel, Stephen Branchflower.  It will then vote to make the findings public.

Of course, this is Troopergate, so there’s an arcane twist: the Alaska Supreme Court could intervene. The judges are set to hear oral arguments Wednesday on behalf of several GOP state lawmakers who, with the help of a conservative Texas-based legal foundation, are appealing to stop the investigation. A lower judge dismissed their suit last week.

The judges are expected to make their ruling by Thursday.

October 7, 2008 in Troopergate | Permalink | User Comments (8)

Todd Speaks! (Kind of)

October 07, 2008 9:44 AM

Justin Rood Reports:

Alaska First Gentleman Todd Palin is willing to respond to questions from the state legislature's Troopergate investigation after all, the McCain-Palin campaign announced yesterday.

But he'll only do so in writing, and the questions must be passed through his lawyer, according to the Anchorage Daily News. That contrasts with his willingness to be interviewed in person by the investigator for the state's Personnel Board, which is also probing the Troopergate allegations.

Both Todd and his GOP vice-presidential candidate wife are expected to talk with the Personnel Board investigation next week, according to the McCain-Palin campaign.

Previously, Todd Palin had refused to comply with a subpoena from the legislature's special counsel for the probe, Stephen Branchflower.  It's not clear whether his offer to respond in writing only would satisfy the subpoena, the paper reported.

October 7, 2008 in Troopergate | Permalink | User Comments (10)

Palin Aides to Testify

October 06, 2008 11:20 AM

Justin Rood Reports:

Seven aides to Gov. Sarah Palin will honor subpoenas to be interviewed as part of the Alaska State Legislature’s “Troopergate” investigation, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

Late last month, Alaska attorney general Tavis Colberg sued to stop the aides from having to speak with the legislature’s special counsel, Stephen Branchflower. Last week a judge ruled against Colberg.

Palin’s husband Todd still has not submitted to an interview with Branchflower, for which he was also subpoenaed.  The “First Dude’s” lawyer told the Daily News he was in contact with the investigator, but that an upcoming action by the state Supreme Court could impact Todd’s decision.

The attorney, Thomas Van Flein, said Todd will cooperate with a parallel Troopergate investigation conducted by the state Personnel Board, the paper reported.

Palin and the McCain-Palin campaign have argued since September that the Legislature’s investigation was unconstitutional and politically slanted, and that the Personnel Board was the only legitimate forum to investigate claims she misused her power to pursue a personal vendetta against a state trooper who had been involved in a messy divorce from Palin’s sister.

October 6, 2008 in Troopergate | Permalink | User Comments (27)

Troopergate Heads to High Court

October 04, 2008 1:44 PM

Justin Rood Reports:

The Alaska Supreme Court will hear an appeal from Republican state lawmakers looking to block their legislature's investigation into Sarah Palin and "Troopergate," the Associated Press reported. 

A Superior Court judge threw out their suit Thursday, along with a suit filed by the state attorney general which sought to dismiss subpoenas against several Palin aides and administration officials.  It is not clear if that attorney general will try to join the appeal, according to the AP.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the appeal next Wednesday, the wire service reported.

October 4, 2008 in Troopergate | Permalink | User Comments (45)

Troopergate Suits Tossed

October 03, 2008 9:59 AM

Justin Rood Reports:

Just moments before Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took the stage to debate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. in St. Louis, a judge in Anchorage ruled to allow the legislature's "Troopergate" probe to continue.

Judge Peter Michalski tossed two suits, one filed by Palin's attorney general and another by five Republican state lawmakers. One sought to dismiss subpoenas against several Palin aides; the other sought to halt or curtail the state legislature's probe into allegations Palin fired her former Public Safety Commissioner, Walt Monegan, as part of a personal vendetta against a state trooper under Monegan's authority who had been involved in a messy divorce with her sister.

The legislature's investigation is still expected to wrap up on Oct. 10, as previously scheduled, but it now appears its findings will not have the benefit of interviews with the aides whose subpoenas had been questioned, according to the investigation's manager, Democratic State Sen. Hollis French.

October 3, 2008 in Troopergate | Permalink | User Comments (42)

Another Private Palin Email Account?

October 01, 2008 10:59 AM

Justin Rood Reports:

News of yet another private email account for Sarah Palin could affect the Troopergate probes by the Alaska state legislature and the state personnel board, the Washington Post reports this morning.

Palin and a close circle of aides had accounts on the “PalinForGovernor.com” domain, a privately-run domain she had used for her campaign, that paper found.

A technician described to the Post how he set up email accounts for Palin and others this spring at the direction of aide Frank Bailey. Bailey denied the account as “completely inaccurate” and told the paper “we haven't used that domain in a long time.”

Emails have been used as important evidence as details of the Troopergate scandal have unfolded in the public eye.  Palin used emails between herself and aides to argue that Walt Monegan, whose firing is at the center of the scandal, had a “rogue mentality” and refused to work within the administration’s wishes.  Recently, Monegan has said he has other emails that prove otherwise.

October 1, 2008 in Troopergate | Permalink | User Comments (21)

Probe Challenges Head to Court

September 30, 2008 10:01 AM

Justin Rood Reports:

The legal sideshow to Troopergate is advancing --  two court challenges to the state legislature's probe Edit HTMLhave been combined and are now set to be argued before a judge.

There has been no sign that the suits have altered the course of the investigation itself, which is expected to conclude Oct. 10.

Two weeks ago, five Republican lawmakers filed suit against the bipartisan panel which created the inquiry, the probe's manager and the special counsel spearheading it.  Last week, the state attorney general - a Palin appointee - filed another suit, also aiming to stop the probe, claiming the legislature does not have the authority to investigate Palin.

An Alaska Superior Court judge combined the two suits on Monday, according to the Anchorage Daily News, and scheduled a hearing for Thursday.

Meanwhile, documents which purportedly contradict Palin have surfaced, according to the paper.  Walt Monegan -- Palin's former Public Safety Commissioner, whose dismissal is at the heart of the controversy -- told a reporter last week he had e-mails which disprove the governor's claim he was a "rogue" employee who acted out of sync with the administration.

"I'm a good soldier," he told the paper.

September 30, 2008 in Troopergate | Permalink | User Comments (9)

Troopergate Suit "Political, Not Legal," Lawmakers Charge

September 25, 2008 10:31 AM

Justin Rood Reports:

Alaska state legislators fired back Tuesday against a lawsuit intended to stop their investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin and “Troopergate.”

The original suit, filed on behalf of five of their colleagues last week, sought to curtail the Legislative Council’s investigation into abuse-of-power allegations against Palin, or delay it until the chief investigator and key legislators involved in the probe could be removed, for alleged conflicts of interest or partisanship.

In a response filed by lawyer Peter Maassen, the defendants – the 14-member Legislative Council, Democratic Sen. Hollis French and investigator Stephen Branchflower --  declare the suit “clearly meritless” and call for it to be dismissed.

The suit “is a political, not a legal, document,” the defendants charge. “It spends many paragraphs impugning the fairness and integrity of Senator French, Senator Elton, and Special Counsel Branchflower, but it does so apparently only in an attempt to taint the investigation[.]”

September 25, 2008 in Troopergate | Permalink | User Comments (14)