by Jason George
Updated 8:27 p.m. with Palin camp comment
COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin did not abuse her power by firing the state's public safety commissioner, Alaska's personnel board announced Monday.
The exoneration clears Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, and conflicts with an earlier, separate inquiry, organized by Alaska's Legislative Council, which stated that Palin did abuse her office. That report found that Palin erred in allowing staffers and husband, Todd, to pressure the commissioner, Walt Monegan, to fire a state trooper who was Palin's former brother-in-law.
Monday's report added that Palin did not violate state ethics laws nor did any other state official. It also stated that there is no basis to conduct a hearing into possible "reputation harm" to Monegan.
Officials announced their findings in Anchorage, while Palin spoke here at a campaign rally. She did not address the news.
The Anchorage Daily News has posted Monegan's complaint here.
Statement from Thomas Van Flien, Palin's attorney:
"Governor Palin is pleased that the independent investigator for the Personnel Board has concluded that she acted properly in the reassignment of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. The Governor is grateful that this investigation has provided a fair and impartial review of this matter and upholds the Governor's ability to take measures when necessary to ensure that Alaskans have the best possible team working to serve them.
"Additionally, Mr. Petumenos determined that the Branchflower report's findings that Governor Palin abused her power had no legal basis and that Governor Palin did not violate the Ethics Act as Mr. Branchflower incorrectly asserted."
Comments
Hmmm...
The second probe conducted by Palin appointees (vs a bipartisan legislature) releases a report that exonerates the VP candidate HOURS before a national election. Which one was politically motivated? Indeed...
Posted by: notbuyingit | November 3, 2008 8:38 PM
I'm a bit confused. Since when does the Public Safety Commissioner over ride the State Legislative Council? Cold it be that he and Palin are helicopter hunting buddies?? This is outrageous and smells of typical republican antics.
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | November 3, 2008 8:52 PM
Great.
The 'administrative remedies' are now exhausted and the harmed parties can now sue.
And I would not rule out any criminal charges either.
Sarah and first dude would look great in orange.
Posted by: Geraldine "Hussein" Too shouting 'When I Say BIM you say BO! Bim-BO! Bim-BO! | November 3, 2008 9:45 PM
The people Palin appointed to her Personnel Board found that Palin acted properly.
Posted by: Vivian | November 3, 2008 10:06 PM
Petumenos whitewashes important facts. For example, see his report, p. 13. He says the Palins met with AST in 11/06 and expressed their concern that Wooten was "a security threat."
Now look at the Branchflower report, p. 44, regarding the testimony of Gary Wheeler. He was at this meeting, and specifically asked the Palins "whether they perceived any threats from any individual or were afraid of any individual." Wheeler said "I got a negative response … they basically said no."
Wheeler has been a trooper since 1981. His sworn account directly contracts the claim made by the Palins, as reported by Petumenos. Did Petumenos interview Wheeler? No. (See Petumenos p. 9 for the list of people he interviewed.) Petumenos claims that he carefully took into account all the testimony that Branchflower gathered, but Petumenos is obviously ignoring this blatant and material contradiction between what Wheeler said and what the Palins said.
Wheeler's testimony is important, because it shows that the Palins were not sincerely concerned that Wooten was a threat. Because of Wheeler's testimony and other facts, Branchflower concluded that the Palins' "claims of fear were not bona fide and were offered to provide cover for the Palins' real motivation: to get Trooper Wooten fired for personal family related reasons."
Nowhere does Petumenos mention Wheeler's testimony, or address this contradiction. This is an example of how sloppy, incomplete and slanted the Petumenos report is.
Posted by: jukeboxgrad | November 3, 2008 10:27 PM
did you accidentally fail to mention that this investigation was done by people that Gov Palin hired?
The initial investigation was a non partisan group
Palin rushed this second inquiry through to exonerate herself - with her own script
A minor detail to someone who re writes her own rules
Posted by: alison | November 3, 2008 10:32 PM
A report released by her hand selected personnel board. When 8 of 12 Republicans voted for the original investigation the right wing tools on this blog were screaming conspiracy. Utter silence from the kool-ade drinkers when this bogus report is released. Thank you know who she'll go back to Alaska and hopefully will never be heard from again.
Posted by: neal | November 3, 2008 11:25 PM
According to CNN, the Personnel Board is "an executive branch agency whose members were appointed by her predecessor." I don't quite understand why Obama supporters insist on purposefully lying that Palin appointed these members. Oh, I forgot - "Hope and Change." Palin was exonerated by the only administrative entity with the authority to do so. The legislative committee (read "political") was set up as a political hatchet job, and their "investigator" who issued his erroneous findings should have his law license revoked.
Posted by: Bemused | November 4, 2008 9:10 AM