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Investigation concludes Palin violated state ethics law
Edinburgh News.Net
Friday 10th October, 2008
U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin abused her power as governor of Alaska, an investigation has concluded.
A 263-page report by investigator Steve Branchflower which made a number of findings, was released to the public late Friday afternoon following a bipartisan 12-0 vote in Alaska's Legislative Council, which commissioned the investigation.
Gov. Sarah Palin, according to investigators, abused her power in pressing for the sacking of an Alaska state trooper who was once married to her sister, or by failing to prevent her husband Todd from doing so. Her efforts broke a state ethics law that bars public officials from pursuing personal interest through official action.
"Gov. Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda," the report states.
Branchflower's report concludes Palin violated the state's executive branch ethics act, which says that "each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust."
State trooper Mike Wooten was involved in a nasty divorce from Palin's sister. Palin and her husband, Todd, accused Wooten of threatening Palin's father.
The investigation also canvassed whether Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan because he resisted pressure to sack Wooten.
The report says Palin failed to stop her husband's "inappropriate efforts" to use the governor's office to contact trooper employees in his attempts to have Wooten fired.
"Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda - to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired," Branchflower's report said.
"Compliance with the code of ethics is not optional. It is an individual responsibility imposed by law, and any effort to benefit a personal interest through official action is a violation of that trust. ... The term 'benefit' is very broadly defined, and includes anything that is to the person's advantage or personal self-interest."
In a second finding, Branchflower says Monegan's refusal to dismiss Wooten was not the sole reason for his dismissal but that it was a "contributing factor." Still, he said, Palin's firing of Monegan was "a proper and lawful exercise" of the governor's authority.
A third finding says a workers compensation claim filed by Wooten was handled appropriately.
A fourth finding concluded that the attorney general's office failed to comply with Branchflower's Aug. 6 request for information about the case in the form of emails.
The chairman of the Legislative Council, Sen. Kim Elton, D-Juneau, said he agreed with Branchflower's findings but wasn't ready to suggest there should be any consequences for the governor.
"We don't charge people, we don't try people as legislators," Elton said. Any further action or disciplinary measures, he said, would be up to Palin's executive branch, the attorney general or the state Personnel Board.
Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, told the Anchorage Daily News the report is flawed because Branchflower didn't take into account statements and other materials submitted earlier this week by Todd Palin and administration employees who earlier had resisted subpoenas.
Therriault said Todd Palin's written response indicates that Gov. Palin, at some point, urged her husband to drop his efforts against Wooten. That information goes to the heart of Branchflower's conclusion that the governor violated the ethics law, Therriault said.
Therriault said Branchflower was unable to consider those late-arriving materials "because we had this artificial deadline today."
"Why?" he continued. "Because we're in a political season."
Senate President Lyda Green said the report doesn't speak well for the governor.
"The problem with power is that people pay attention to it," the Wasilla Republican said. "And it's very easy to get beside yourself and use it in the wrong way.
"And we do have to leave personal business at home," she told the AFD.
Two other legislators said the governer and her husband's actions were understandable.
"Who is going to blame Todd Palin for protecting his family?" said Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole. " Not me."
Palin and her husband consistently denied any wrongdoing during the investigation, saying Wooten was a "rogue trooper" who had threatened their family, an allegation Branchflower rejected.
A spokeswoman for the McCain-Palin campaign referred to the imnvestigation as, "a partisan-led inquiry" run by supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, but praised its finding that Monegan's firing broke no law.
"Gov. Palin was cleared of the allegation of an improper firing, which is what this investigation was approved to look into," campaign spokeswoman Meg Stapleton said.
She said the Legislature exceeded its mandate in finding an ethics violation. "Lacking evidence to support the original Monegan allegation, the Legislative Council seriously overreached, making a tortured argument to find fault without basis in law or fact," she said.
Rep. John Coghill, a Republican who criticized the handling of the investigation, said it was "well-done professionally."
But he said some of the conclusions were judgment calls by Branchflower, and recommended readers should view them with a "jaundiced eye."
Palin originally agreed to cooperate with the Legislative Council inquiry, and disclosed in August that her advisers had contacted Department of Public Safety officials nearly two dozen times regarding her ex-brother-in-law.
But once she became Sen. John McCain's running mate, her advisers began painting the investigation as a weapon of Democratic partisans, a CNN report said.
Ahead of Friday's hearing, Palin supporters wearing clown costumes and carrying balloons denounced the probe as a "kangaroo court" and a "three-ring circus" led by supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
The state senator managing the probe, Sen. Hollis French, fueled those complaints with a September 2 interview in which he warned the inquiry could yield an "October Surprise" for the GOP. But Palin's lawyers already had begun pushing for the state Personnel Board to launch its own investigation, calling it the proper legal venue for the matter, the CNN report said.
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Comments on this story
Satyra
10-10-08, 11:27 PM |
Investigation concludes Palin violated state ethics law
The probe appears to have been justified. DailySource.org has found a video of Palin lying about Troopergate. This story has not been covered by the national news media yet.
It has the potential to be a gigantic story because it shows she lied about her reason for firing the chief of the state police. Whether she is telling the truth or not is the heart of the probe taking place. It’s archival video from a local TV station in Alaska and has not been seen by anyone outside of Alaska -
http://dailysource.org/special/palin/146
It’s worth checking out to see what you think
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TheName
10-11-08, 01:05 AM |
message
Nothing compared to the McCain keating 5...look that one up.
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Anonymous
10-11-08, 02:14 AM |
sarah palin is a shameless sl*t who wants to become VP by using charm,she can be a governor by su***ng some di**ks but again VP?
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Anonymous
10-11-08, 03:51 AM |
Tootsie for President
Hi Guys , have a real good look. I think that it is Dustin Hoffman (as tootsie ( 1982 Film)) who is McCains Running Mate
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Independent
10-11-08, 08:17 AM |
It is as clear as a Crystal
Sarah Palin WHO??? What a disgrace>>>> contesting for V.P. position. Must have bribed McCain with her piece to be nominated. Americans can be vrain washed.
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Campbell
10-10-08, 11:39 PM |
Investigation concludes Palin did Nothing wrong
No. The American media is lying (what else is new).
Ok. In a statement by the legislative panel in Alaska: They said that the “ethics” ruling was based on an assumption by Branchflower and not based on fact. Palin on the other hand had every right to fire Walt Monegan.
Easily verifiable.
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Anonymous
10-11-08, 12:27 PM |
Sarah Palin guilty?...Gimme a Break!
Satyra ;108379:
The probe appears to have been justified. DailySource.org has found a video of Palin lying about Troopergate. This story has not been covered by the national news media yet.
It has the potential to be a gigantic story because it shows she lied about her reason for firing the chief of the state police. Whether she is telling the truth or not is the heart of the probe taking place. It’s archival video from a local TV station in Alaska and has not been seen by anyone outside of Alaska -
http://dailysource.org/special/palin/146
It’s worth checking out to see what you think
This Sarah Palin case sucks and should not be blamed on her. What she is doing has been practiced by the Republican party when they allowed Mr. Bush to lie in the justification of IRAQ invasion and did not get impeached! The same thing happened to the Democratic party when Clinton lied on TV about his Monica affairs and did not get impeached. Common guys and gals... there is a PRECEDENT. Lying is ALLOWED in US government and NOBODY will do something about it. Why? If this has happened in a 3rd world country or in socialist governments, these people will be facing the FIRING squad! This is the result of DEMOCRACY....whoever holds the gold makes the rule!!!!
This is why telling the truth does not count.
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VICENTE OCAMPO
10-11-08, 01:52 AM |
clear that this was made a weapon of propaganda
INVESTIGATION MADE WAS CLEAR TO HAVE BEEN AGAINTS PALIN.BRANCHFLOWER DID NOT MAKE A FAIR JUDGEMENT ON THIS
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waltky
10-11-08, 02:10 AM |
Granny says Miss Sarah needs a spankin'...
:eek:
... Uncle Ferd out rummagin' around in the shed for his old frat paddle.
;)
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Anonymous
10-11-08, 06:50 AM |
Palin Is Guilty, Should Be Impeached
Hello
I have been up all night trying to figure out how Sarah Palin could violate the state of Alaska’s statutes as relates to ethics, while at the same time not committing a crime in firing Commissioner Monehan...it was confusing. Then it all fell into place. To understand the verdicts, you have to realize there are TWO VERDICTS.
1. She violated the law, is guilty of Abuse of Power as relates to her (and Todd’s) vendetta against her former brother-in-law (Wooten) the state trooper. It was her efforts to get Trooper Wooten fired that put her on the wrong side of the law. She therefore committed a criminal offense, and should be impeached. Is quilty of an Abuse of Power.
Where the issue gets clouded, is that everyone, including myself was focued in on the man she fired. That was/is THE SECOND VERDICT. She was found if you will not quilty on this charge, as Commisioner Monehan SERVED AT THE PLEASURE OF THE GOVERNOR...she had every right to fire him, even if her reasons were less than honorable.
When you dissect and separate the two decisions made, the report MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD, and you realize that what Sarah Palin has done is a VERY SERIOUS OFFENSE. She is guilty of Abuse of Power in attempting to have Trooper Wooten fired, is innocent of the second charge of actually firing Trooper Wooten’s superior, Commissioner Monehan.
Sherwood Martinelli
Washington Scandal Blog
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Anonymous
10-14-08, 03:48 PM |
Except that
Unregistered;108481:
Hello
I have been up all night trying to figure out how Sarah Palin could violate the state of Alaska’s statutes as relates to ethics, while at the same time not committing a crime in firing Commissioner Monehan...it was confusing. Then it all fell into place. To understand the verdicts, you have to realize there are TWO VERDICTS.
1. She violated the law, is guilty of Abuse of Power as relates to her (and Todd’s) vendetta against her former brother-in-law (Wooten) the state trooper. It was her efforts to get Trooper Wooten fired that put her on the wrong side of the law. She therefore committed a criminal offense, and should be impeached. Is quilty of an Abuse of Power.
Where the issue gets clouded, is that everyone, including myself was focued in on the man she fired. That was/is THE SECOND VERDICT. She was found if you will not quilty on this charge, as Commisioner Monehan SERVED AT THE PLEASURE OF THE GOVERNOR...she had every right to fire him, even if her reasons were less than honorable.
When you dissect and separate the two decisions made, the report MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD, and you realize that what Sarah Palin has done is a VERY SERIOUS OFFENSE. She is guilty of Abuse of Power in attempting to have Trooper Wooten fired, is innocent of the second charge of actually firing Trooper Wooten’s superior, Commissioner Monehan.
Sherwood Martinelli
Washington Scandal Blog
Trooper Wooten is guilty of drinking on the job and has sidestepped to different DUI’s by being a state trooper.
He has made verbal recorded threat against Sarah’s father and sister.
He has whipped out his badge in a bar to intimadate another patron.
Hehas been caught with ALCOHOL in his cruiser on duty.
He has been wrotet up over and over and deserved to be fired.
Sarah Palin was doing her job as a governer even if it had personel motivations.
You tell me a govenor that would have sat by knowing about a loose cannon like Wooten and I will show you someone who should not be Govenor.
Just another smear campaign cause the DNC fears a women going to the whitehouse who is not a Democrat.
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;) Midnight
10-11-08, 11:54 AM |
That is what the law found the magic word was ethics and everyone has to deal with it. We are indeed grateful for it. Quilty of an abuse of power that was related to a relative problem.
However when you connect the dots and the two charges you realize that it isn’t so serious, first casse optimum word is, “trying to fire....."
second case said she did and was not guilty, put them both together and it doesn’t spell serious misconduct, it just spell guilty, no Impeachment should happen.
No more time so sorry, I have to check on my brother.
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Winner by all means
10-11-08, 03:22 PM |
cccc
It doesnt matter what information says what. There’s enough there to basically help define the character of Sarah Palin. When you combine this information with all her other actions as she prances around America, you can see that she is out to do whatever she wants. And when you put that kind of polarity with “God’s will” you end up with a cult leader or dictator. She could easily be the first female dictator in America.
And just think how that plays out if you vote for McCain.
Dont be a fool.
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edd c
10-14-08, 03:28 PM |
hell has no fury
to campbell, the lady used undue influence used her husband to keep her hands “clean” she is guilty. you may not want to believe it but facts are facts.
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