January 5, 2009 12:07 PM

Trooper: Politics Held Up Drug Case Involving Levi Johnson's Mother

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
Law Enforcement
(AP Photo/Al Grillo)
Last month, 42-year-old Sherry Johnston of Wasilla, Alaska was arrested and charged with selling OxyContin, a prescription painkiller. Johnston is the mother of Levi Johnson, the young man who just had a baby with Bristol Palin, the daughter of 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

Now an Alaska trooper is alleging that the investigation and arrest of Johnson was delayed for political purposes.

"[A]s soon as investigators realized who the target was...this case became anything but normal," Kyle Young wrote in an email to the union that represents troopers and other Alaska law enforcement officials.

"It was not allowed to progress in a normal fashion, the search warrant service WAS delayed because of the pending election and the [regional] Drug Unit and the case officer were not the ones calling the shots," he continued. (You can read the whole email, in PDF form, here.)

As the Anchorage Daily News reports, Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Joe Masters and troopers director Col. Audie Holloway dispute the claim.

"We worked very hard to make sure we conducted it just as fairly and as normally as any other investigation," Holloway said.

The union's executive director, John Cyr, told the Daily News that the handling of the case "really does smack of political favoritism."

"And if that be the case, it's another example of the Palin administration's direct influence on the public safety unit," he added – an apparent reference to the so called "Troopergate" case involving charges that Palin and her family applied pressure to get a state trooper fired for personal reasons.

Add a Comment See all 17 Comments
by brooks507 April 8, 2009 11:18 PM EDT
This story is so old. I can't believe you people are that gullible. That was disputed and corrected in the ADN months ago. I thought you people were smarter than that.
Reply to this comment
by briannorwood January 6, 2009 3:10 PM EST
The Wasilla Hillbillies are at it agin!
Reply to this comment
by briannorwood January 6, 2009 12:56 PM EST
"Obama was doing coke when he was in college. But some lady who Palin didn''t know other then a friend of her daughters, isn''''t realted to her and has no connection to Palin directly is a story."--jedi23231
_______________________

See, that''s probably the problem. If Sara Palin was a real mother, she would have bothered to find out what kind of family the boy who was dating her daughter came from. I know I do.

Then, she might have been able to give some guidance to Bristol BEFORE she got knocked up!
Reply to this comment
by oldpilot954 January 5, 2009 10:31 PM EST
I have no idea whether Palin knew about the drug investigation or not. I doubt that the governors of Minnesota, Delaware, Arizona or most of the other states know about every illegal drug investigation in their state. As for troopergate, she may not have handled it properly but if I threaten to kill a neighbor I need my gun taken away. Why should a State Trooper that threatens to kill a non-criminal citizen be allowed to keep his gun?
Reply to this comment
by kansas1946 January 5, 2009 9:12 PM EST
This Alaskan soap-opera just gets better and better.
Reply to this comment
by erasmus606 January 5, 2009 6:00 PM EST
Here we go! Top ten reasons why Alaska is even a state:
10. To keep an eye on Russia.
9. It''''s hard to make 49 stars look right on a flag.
8. Canada doesn''''t want it.
7. There''''s nowhere else in America left to hunt polar bears from helicopters.
6. They provide political comic relief.
5. We already spent the money on the pipeline.
4. Their governor may not be smart but she sure is hot.
3. Russia has a strict no returns policy.
2. Ididarod sled racing isn''''t killing smart Americans.
1. It''''s home to the 2012 GOP presidential candidate....

Posted by earache4 at 02:14 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Very funny.

"4. Their governor may not be smart but she sure is hot."

You and william must think with the same brain, eh?

Reply to this comment
by tigerrram9 January 5, 2009 5:46 PM EST
I knew the investigation on Levi''s mother was slowed down because of the campaign. Another GOP move to cover the bad move on choosing Sarah Palin. She has no chance in 2012, just keep reading there is more negative press to follow. She had to know about the investigation because the State Troopers report to the governor. She knew this and she continued to lie to the American voters. What an ethical person Saran Palin was. Soon the kids will follow with news of their own, just keep watching. Momma is out of the race.
Reply to this comment
by dburfears January 5, 2009 5:32 PM EST
I''m 100% behind Sarah becoming the GOP standard-bearer. She exemplifies GOP values.
Reply to this comment
by parrots21 January 5, 2009 5:01 PM EST
Someone tell me again why Alaska is even a state.
Posted by yesbama1 at 01:47 PM

Because it''s hard to make 49 stars look right on a flag....

Posted by earache4 at 01:50 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Sarah, believes it''s to keep an EYE on RUSSIA. LOL !
Reply to this comment
by kittykatty2 January 5, 2009 4:59 PM EST
Hehehehe...I DETEST Sarah Palin...but you gotta admit...she can''t be held accountable for her daughter''s baby''s daddy''s mamadrama.
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