Todd Palin Ignores Troopergate Subpoena

Lawyer Says Governor's Husband Objects To Probe, Finds Call To Testify "Unduly Burdensome"

(AP)  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband has refused to testify in the investigation of his wife's alleged abuse of power, and key lawmakers said Thursday that uncooperative witnesses are effectively sidetracking the probe until after Election Day.

Todd Palin, who participates in state business in person or by e-mail, was among 13 people subpoenaed by the Alaska Legislature. Palin's lawyer sent a letter to the lead investigator saying Palin objected to the probe and would not appear to testify on Friday.

"The objections boil down to the fact that the Legislative Council investigation is no longer a legitimate investigation because it has been subjected to complete partisanship and does not operate with the authority that it had at the time of its initial authorization," McCain-Palin presidential campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan said.

Sarah Palin initially welcomed the bipartisan investigation into accusations that she dismissed the state's public safety commissioner because he refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper. "Hold me accountable," she said.

But she has increasingly opposed it since Republican presidential candidate John McCain tapped her as his running mate. The McCain campaign dispatched a legal team to Alaska including O'Callaghan, a former top U.S. terrorism prosecutor from New York to bolster Palin's local lawyer.

In the letter, Palin attorney Thomas Van Flein lists nine objections to the Legislature's investigation into Gov. Palin. Van Flein also argues the subpoena is "unduly burdensome" because Palin has travel plans that require him to be out of the state.

Earlier this week, Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg said the governor, who was not subpoenaed, declined to participate in the investigation and said Palin administration employees who have been subpoenaed would not appear.

State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, a Democrat, said the McCain campaign is doing all it can to prevent the Legislature from completing a report on whether the GOP's vice presidential nominee abused her power as governor.

Wielechowski and another member of the panel that summoned the witnesses, told The Associated Press that the witnesses can avoid testifying for months without penalty and that court action to force them to appear sooner is unlikely.

Republican Sen. Gene Therriault agreed with Wielechowski's analysis.

"If we had turned the rhetoric down and turned the pressure down to do some things we might have gotten voluntary cooperation," said Therriault, who opposed the subpoenas.

The McCain-Palin campaign said Thursday that Gov. Palin is cooperating with a separate Alaska State Personnel Board investigation into Troopergate. Palin initiated that investigation after she joined McCain's ticket. The three-member board is appointed by the governor.

"I can't say it enough, the governor is an open book on this matter," McCain spokeswoman Meg Stapleton said. "She is fully cooperating with the unbiased, legally appropriate and independent investigation of the State Personnel Board."

Palin fired Walt Monegan in July. It later emerged that Palin, her husband, Todd, and several high-level staffers had contacted Monegan about state trooper Mike Wooten. Palin maintains she fired Monegan over budget disagreements, not because he wouldn't dismiss her former brother-in-law.

Wooten had gone through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister before Palin became governor. While Monegan says no one from the administration ever told him directly to fire Wooten, he says their repeated contacts made it clear they wanted Wooten gone.

Alaska Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican foe of Palin, said Wednesday that the investigation is still on track.

"The original purpose of the investigation was to bring out the truth. Nothing has changed," she said.

Without the testimony, the retired prosecutor hired to head the investigation could still release a report in October as scheduled, based on the evidence he's already gathered. As of Thursday, Steven Branchflower had interviewed or deposed 17 of the 33 people he had identified as potential witnesses in the probe.

The Legislature does not have the leverage to compel any witness to testify before Nov. 4, said Wielechowski, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Wielechowski said he did not know whether Branchflower has enough material for a complete and fair report with so few witnesses. But he said delaying the probe would only politicize the matter more.

"It would be to appease the McCain camp," Wielechowski said. "They're doing everything they can to delay."

Ignoring a legislative subpoena is punishable by a fine up to $500 and up to six months in jail under Alaska law. But courts are reluctant to intervene in legislative matters and the full Legislature must be in session to bring contempt charges, Wielechowski said. The Legislature is not scheduled to convene until January.

[proudtobenfl]

Why do you think Bush always wants to talk but only when he is "not under oath"? Simple - he can "legally" lie like a leaky bucket and can''''''''t be touched.

Posted by indevoter

Sounds like the clinton years and beyond. That''s bill clinton your thinking about.

[heuristic1]

Obama, ahead in the polls by eight points. Read it and weep, Sarah floozies

[proudtobenfl]

If you teach responsible, age appropriate *** education including the proper use of birth control

Posted by maxmckapoh

Depends on who decides what the appropiate age is. That''s the sticking point. If libs had their way they would take the little kiddies to the local strip clubs where all the low life libs hang out, for a field trip concerning the class topic. Pathetic libs mentality. A lib is the last person on earth anyone wants around their kids. Jails are too full of liberals now for crimes against the little kids in this country.

[proudtobenfl]

Posted by Truthhonor at 10:11 PM : Sep 19, 2008

None of them. The democrapic party has ties to the KKK, does that make them all KKK members?

Posted by StormeyOne

True. They even vote them into office, like byrd. Where were the jesse jacksons and the ally sharptons when they voted in a person that was klan leader. I''ll tell you. since I''m sure no libs really know. They were hiding keeping their mouths shut because they didn''t want to bring any harm to their party. You see jackson and sharpton and all libs like them, they don''t really believe in truth and justice or any of all the good things that they warp into a tool of hate. It didn''t swerve their purpose, so they said nothing. If a republican had been elected in office that was a memeber of the kkk, they''d have a cow and other kinds of animals. There''s that double standard again.

[proudtobenfl]

TAKE A LOOK AROUND NOTHING NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THIS COUNTRY IN THE LAST 50 YEARS.

Posted by femaledem

Typical liberal attitude, ignore the facts and the truth and keep spouting lies and misinformation because it''s all you have. The dems put us in this situation, by being totally partisan in their efforts to thwart every thing the republicans tried to legislate. Why? Because that''s how libs are. They have no ideas of their own. So their only hope is to block everything they can, knowing that the country is going to get in worse shape. When it does get in bad shape, then they lie once again saying just what you said. They never take responsibility for their acts. It''s their best hope to blame someone else and hope there''s enough idiot''s in America to believe it and vote the dems in to fix it. They did that the last time around, what happened? NOTHING as usual when dems are in control, they are inept pure and simple.

[bbinfla]

Scofflaws

[maxmckapoh]

I''m a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight
*If you teach responsible, age appropriate *** education including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
*If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, no other option in *** education in your sate''s school system, while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you''re very responsible.
*If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family''s values don''t represent America''s.
*If your husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn''t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable
*Now* I understand McCain and Palin

[femaledem]

Todd Palin cannot answer thre subpoena bacause it is "unduly burdensome" to WHO.
MORE TROOPERGATE LIES....
Sarah Palin:"i will fully co-operate"..FALSE
" i welcome any and all investigations" FALSE
"Started her OWN internal probe with three of her own appointed panel members...TRUE
"I have nothing to hide"..FALSE
So let''s recap;Todd Palin is not available, Sarah Palin is not available..THEY BOTH cannot be held accountable to answer anything asked of them..and yet we the voters of this country are supposed to VOTE for her.." in a pigs eye" i will..Yet Ed O''Callaghan dispatches a whole team including himself(One of the McCain handlers)to intimidate anyone in Alaska that is probing "troopergate"...IT ALL STINKS..THINGS ARE BEING SQUASHED..and STILL no speaking with anyone other than "canned speeches"..spoon fed to the public..VOTERS IF YOU DO NOT DO YOUR HOMEWORK IT WILL BE EVEN WORSE THAN THE BUSH YEARS(which has been a sell out of the american people)TAKE A LOOK AROUND NOTHING NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THIS COUNTRY IN THE LAST 50 YEARS..HE PUT US IN THIS MESS..MCCain/Palin will only finish us off!!!!!!

[proudtobenfl]

Does Palin have any control over the Alaska National Guard? If so, can she explain key achievements that she has had in managing the Guard the past 18 months?

Posted by mjoseph1958

What are you talking about? Your really stretching, it''s hard not to laugh when I read these questions. I think your a comedian honing your skills here. Well, let''s be fair and cover both sides. How much experience has you boy obama have managing the Guard the past 18 months, lol, he''d probably laugh at you too though. So I''d be interested in what your community organizer has done in that respect.

[proudtobenfl]

It''''s enough to make most Americans very afraid of this UNKNOWN, BUSH-LIKE, CONSERVATIVE POLITICIAN!

Posted by mjoseph1958

Actually it''s a whole lot about nothing. Sounds kind of fruity to worry about silly enquirer type questions. According to the polls I''ve seen, and we know how much libs like polls, they say MOST people like Palin, and are very comfortable with her.

[proudtobenfl]

THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS FOR SARAH AND TODD PALIN?
BUT, THEY ARE ANSWERING VERY FEW QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC OR MEDIA!

Posted by mjoseph1958

sounds like standard operating procedures for libs. Seems like there are a lot more important questions that obama and biden aren''t answering. Of course they''ve spent their careers hiding stuff from the public, so their good at it.

[proudtobenfl]

Why did she never travel outside of the US and Mexico, until last year? Does she have any world interest?

Posted by mjoseph1958

Why didn''t you?

[proudtobenfl]

so sc-rew you twice like my bud donnie would say...

Posted by shazam128

You two get together often do you? That''s perverted you know.

[proudtobenfl]

Todd Palin is too busy supporting his ANTI-AMERICAN Alaska first secessionist movement to appear in a U.S. Court...

Posted by jw218389

You have a link to a news report or something backing up that statement? or is it just a baseless accusation? We''d love to see it.

[jgg000]

At least Biden doesn''''t think Alaska should be its own country...


actually, Biden and Obama both voted for Hawaii to secede.

[jw218389]

Todd Palin is too busy supporting his ANTI-AMERICAN Alaska first secessionist movement to appear in a U.S. Court...

He is (IMO) part of a fringe group that wants Alaska to secede from the USA... Can you believe it!!!??

A militia nut 1 heartbeat away from the Presidency???

At least Biden doesn''t think Alaska should be its own country...

PALIN IS A PRETTY WHACKO!!

[ncvoter2]

shazam the scam or shazam the sham? if your''re worth so much money, how come you waste your time on here, shammy? liar

[ncvoter2]

have you heard about biden going around telling everyone that his wife was killed by a drunk driver? he lied and i hope he gets sued

[ncvoter2]

i haven''t heard that one. hahaha

[ncvoter2]

you sound the same, must be inbreeds