Troopergate Inquiry To Go On, Says Court

Report On Ethics Investigation Into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin Due Friday; Husband Says V.P. Nominee Was In The Dark

(CBS/AP)  Alaska's Supreme Court has refused to shut down an ethics investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee.

The decision Thursday sets the stage for state lawmakers to release a report on their investigation Friday. The report could prove to be an embarrassment for Palin and a distraction for John McCain's presidential campaign in the final weeks of the race.

Lawmakers are investigating whether Palin abused her power to settle a family dispute. Her former public safety commissioner says he was dismissed after resisting pressure to fire a state trooper, Mike Wooten, who had gone through nasty divorce from Palin's sister.

Republican lawmakers had sued to block the report, saying it had become politicized.

Palin's husband and top aides said in affidavits provided to The Associated Press that the governor remained in the dark while Todd Palin repeatedly asked top state officials to help get his former brother-in-law kicked off the state police force.

The affidavits filed with investigators late Wednesday will probably help Palin's defense that the firing was not a tit-for-tat, but they also portray her as uninvolved while her husband met repeatedly with her aides about family affairs. That could provide fodder for her political opponents.

“Todd Palin’s statements may help provide the Governor some degree of cover in the probe,” said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs, “but the level of his involvement here will probably raise even more questions and this continues to be a political distraction to the McCain campaign.”

"I have heard criticism that I am too involved in my wife's administration," Todd Palin wrote in his affidavit. "My wife and I are very close. We are each other's best friend. I have helped her in her career the best I can, and she has helped me."

The documents, released on the same day the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a lawsuit designed to block the probe, describe Todd Palin's extraordinary level of access to a variety of the governor's top aides.

He told them emotional stories about Wooten threatening and emotionally abusing his family. He said he talked to anyone who would listen. He gave them photos and documents, which they forwarded to others in the administration, and he questioned how Wooten kept his job.

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Todd Palin's Affadavits In "Troopergate" Investigation

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Even Gov. Palin's special assistant, Ivy Frye, said she was distraught when she was told about the situation.

"I've felt empathy for the Palin and Heath families in having to endure harassment, intimidation, threats and abuse from a former family member," Frye wrote.

But Frye said she never talked about it with the governor or mentioned the idea of asking Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan to fire Wooten.

Monegan says he was fired for not dismissing Wooten, a claim that touched off the politically charged investigation just before McCain chose Palin as his running mate. Palin says she fired Monegan over a budget dispute. The documents filed late Wednesday bolster that claim and also describe an effort by Monegan to wrest control of the department away from Palin.

Todd Palin said he never pressured anyone - including his wife. In fact, he says that after talking about the matter with her repeatedly, she finally told him to "drop it."

"Anyone who knows Sarah knows she is the governor and she calls the shots," Todd Palin wrote. "I make no apologies for wanting to protect my family and wanting to publicize the injustice of a violent trooper keeping his badge."

Republican lawmakers argued Wednesday before the state Supreme Court that the legislative inquiry should be shut down and the report not released. Palin is not a part of that lawsuit. The state's personnel board also is looking into the matter and Palin has said she feels that inquiry is more appropriate.

The Supreme Court said it would rule promptly but did not say when.

[irmcvet97]

HOW was she kept out of the LOOp here ??? How ?? Isn''''t this an admission ?

Posted by parrots121 at 11:21 AM : Oct 09, 2008

Sure sounds that way to me. IF she isn''t responsible what kind of Executive is She? Her Boy Toy is a little on the slimy side in his own right... belonging to a party that wants to rip the Northern State SO critical to our defense out of the Union? Pretty sick Family if you ask me.

[strangeworld]

One thing''s for sure...Sarah Palin is in the dark!

This latest revelation by Todd Palin is just another chapter in the McCain campaign''s attempt to hide the results of the Alaskan Troopergate investigation report until after the election. If true, why didn''t Todd Palin make this statement a month ago?...Why are Texas law firms involved in trying to get the Troopergate report quashed?...Why doesn''t Palin just come clean about the situation if she didn''t do anything wrong? Palin''s behavior is more of the same from the bush/cheney era...as a matter of fact, Palin has the same advisors and lawyers as bush/cheney did. She''s as crooked as a corkscrew - honesty and transparency indeed.

[smurfcrusher]

Yeah, Sarah is as innocent as a cat in a goldfish bowl.

Either she knew nothing, and is incompetent, or she was involved, and is wrong.

She must have attended the George W. School of Mismanagement.

[lemonskink]

Now, the husband is a liar. One big lying bunch. She''s in the dark alright.

[cello646]

so I get it Todd Palin was more concerned about Sarah''s SISTER, so he pressured or questioned government officials about why the tropper wasn''t fired and not his wife...YEAH RIGHT!

[strangeworld]

From all reports coming out of Alaska, she''s had her husband involved in many day to day decisions - in effect he''s acted as the governor of Alaska on many occasions. Maybe the Alaskans like this kind of thing, but it''s got a lot of people wondering why Todd Palin was allowed by his wife to have access to information that should have been privy just to her. Nobody voted for Todd Palin. What a weird situation.

[dysmn]

Palin her husband,McCain and his wife are a joke. The Pepublician Party needs to lock them all up in a room and not let them out until Nov. 5th. Then they just might have a chance to win.

[gop_will_win]

Thats right you liberals. This, like everything else Sarah is in the dark about. You cant pin anything on her. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[heero2020]

So if they leave Alaska will they still be considered husband and wife or just brother and sister?

[heuristic1]

Another lie from a pair of accomplished liers. Nothing these two say can be believed. Sarah Palin, lier, ignoramus and candidate for vice president?

[gop_will_win]

From all reports coming out of Alaska, she''''s had her husband involved in many day to day decisions - in effect he''''s acted as the governor of Alaska on many occasions. Maybe the Alaskans like this kind of thing, but it''''s got a lot of people wondering why Todd Palin was allowed by his wife to have access to information that should have been privy just to her. Nobody voted for Todd Palin. What a weird situation.


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Posted by Strangeworld
=========================
Ya just like the Clintons.

[harbinger09]

So.. we are to believe that the governor''s husband was trying to get someone in the government fired and he and the government''s employees all conspired, talked about and tried to do stuff behind Palin''s back? Either that makes her a flake and a puppet who does not have a clue--or it makes Todd and the rest liars who are just trying to cover for her. So What has been on her two blackberries all these months? Subpoena those--they say in meetings, Sarah did not even pay attention--she was so intent on texting, etc on her 2 blackberries. We''d like to know what she was texting and if, at any time, they contained any reference to Monegan or the brother in law.

Then Todd can explain how he had Sarah''s blackberries. Keep it up Palins--it is not the crime that usually destroys politicians--it''s the coverup--one day you will tell a lie that can be refuted--on that day--you will join Scooter as people who got in trouble for perjury. :)

[that-one-2009]

He''s covering for her....plain and simple. She knew.

[blancadebree]

Which is worse: abuse of power or cluelessness? Either Palin had her hand in the firings, or she wasn''t running the state. Either should disqualify her from the second highest position in the land.

http://blancadebree.blogspot.com

[imotorist]

In their haste to latch on to the Hillary vote, the Republicans pick will cause a domino effect. The skeletons will tumble out of the closet.

[brianp55]

Could they possibly be more blatantly obvious in their attempts to deflect blame away from Sarah? We''ve all grown accustomed to aides and other administration subordinates taking the blame (while claiming that the boss knew nothing)...but now we have the husband falling on his sword. This is a new one. At the end of the day this is all moot because McCain and Palin are DOA with respect to the national election in November.

[gangesdak]

Poor Sarah! On one hand she is the azz kicker, on the other hand she is the vulnerable woman under the thumb of her "dominating" husband. Everybody knows that husbands are so dominating. right Sarah!

[honesttalk]

Listening too all the Obama cult people here, to them this troopergate is huge; but they don'' mind that Obama knew about Ayers, Rezko, etc. LOL
Hilarious to see their blind eye on the Obama isssues and the immediate judgment in a the so called "troppergate"
The firing of the commissioner is legal, a Governor can fire or hire anyone!

[pam1sadge]

This pales in comparison to the evidence we''ve seen regarding Obama and who he chooses to befriend.

[ichabod57]

That''s like saying Pat Nixon was calling the shots in the Watergate scandal.

Sarah Palin is a disgrace to the nation, and so is her husband.

[midvale3]

IT''''S INSANE!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by mdwoman at 11:35 AM : Oct 09, 2008


No, you and your ilk are insane. No one wants to hear your racist, bigoted hate talk.

[scooby7749]

I cannot believe the injustice and audacity these people have for the law. They want to cooperate, but when it gets heated, let''s take a page out of the Bush/Cheney/ Rove book and hide beind he curtains and above the law. No one elected Todd so it makes me think how much access he has had before. If she had n clue, what knd of govorner was she?

Righttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt.

All you have to do is tell the truth, but, as we''ve seen the truth escapes both her and McCain

[bm6005]

So do the Alaskan people know who''s running their state? Does this mean that this dipstick would be interferring in VP affairs for the country? And he''s a fisherman? What a background!!

[ncwriter-2009]

CONFIRMED: Barack Obama WAS a member of the Socialist New Party in the 1990s.

Click here for more:
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/10/08/obama-and-the-socialists/

http://politicallydrunk.blogspot.com/

[midvale3]

The other thing to remember is that if he''s saying this now, there must be something there and they know it and are trying to spin it.

[bigbowler5]

These two back-wood couple needs to go where they come from. McLame did a biggest disservice to all Americans by picking this corrupt chic to be the VP.
OBAMA ''08

[benice6]

I AM NOT A RACIST.

I DO WANT TO QUESTION WHETHER LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENTS ARE PREPARING WHAT MAY HAPPEN IF OBAMA LOOSES THE ELECTION.

SOME SAY THE NEGROS WILL RIOT LIKE WHEN THE RODNEY KING VERDICT DID NOT GO THEIR WAY.

AGAIN,I AM NOT A RACIST,..MY PROM DATE MANY YEARS AGO WAS A MIXED RACE GIRL WHO WAS 1/16''TH AFRICAN AMERICAN.

I JUST HOPE IF THE NEGROS DO RIOT, OUR LOCAL POLICE FORCES WILL BE PREPARED TO PROTECT THE GOOD CITIZENS CAUGHT IN THE MELAY.


WORRIED MISSISSIPPIAN!

[bm6005]

I feel sorry for you...and others like you, who will potentially bring our country down with your vote for Obama and his black panther wife. Our poor beautiful White House.
Posted by mdwoman

What a maroon, the 50''s are over fool!!!

[hatesthecolt]

First and foremost let me say to all of you Ayers/Acorn nuts out there, unlike you, I don''t base my vote on peripheral matters. THIS IS NOT A REASON to not vote for the McCain/Palin ticket. There are PLENTY of reasons without this. Most importantly, she''s ignorant; but she''s also some kind of religious loony and I don''t know where that would take her policies (and I can''t find out because she won''t talk to anyone not from Faux News and they won''t ask the tough questions).

That aside, I don''t believe for a second that she had "no idea" what was going on.

[joker1944-2009]

Wow. What a great week the McCain campaign is having! McCain manages NOT to wet himself on national TV and the VP candidate''s spouse DOESN''T implicate her in an ongoing ethics probe (which he had refused to testify under oath.)

Way to hit it out of the park Republicans!

[pensacola98]

This speaks very poor of Sarah Palin''s personal effectiveness. Firing an employee because the governor''s husband told them to do it is very lame.

The governor is responsible for the actions of the office they were sworn in to serve. Sarah Palin is responsible for the actions of her office.

If she claims her husband is out of control, then how can the citizens of the USA trust Sarah Palin to serve her duties without contamination from her husband, who may pursue initiatives that contradict the interests of the United States or its citizens?

[midvale3]

WORRIED MISSISSIPPIAN!


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Posted by benice6 at 11:44 AM : Oct 09, 2008


More like a worried troll trying to get a rise.

[misha128-2009]

How can she be in he dark -- some of here e-mails have already shown involvement -- what a whopper.

[joker1944-2009]

CONFIRMED: Barack Obama WAS a member of the Socialist New Party in the 1990s

Posted by ncwriter at 11:44 AM : Oct 09, 2008

CONFIRMED: McCain supporters are losing more and more ground with each baseless smear against Obama, but they''re too clueless and out of ideas to stop themselves.

[mkcscbs]

Oh, this makes headline news - but not the risky dangerous news and investigation into BARACK OBAMA and ACORN, AYRES, HIS JUDGEMENT, INSTICTS, MUSLIM ROOTS, ETC...ETC..!!!! UNBELIEVABLE.
Posted by mdwoman at 11:35 AM : Oct 09, 2008

Possibly it made the news and the above didn''t because they have facts on this issue and not on the political postering you posted.

[bigbowler5]

INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, INSANE IS McCAIN!
INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE, MCLAME HAS NO BRAIN!

AM NOT A RACIST.

I DO WANT TO QUESTION WHETHER LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENTS ARE PREPARING WHAT MAY HAPPEN IF OBAMA LOOSES THE ELECTION.

SOME SAY THE NEGROS WILL RIOT LIKE WHEN THE RODNEY KING VERDICT DID NOT GO THEIR WAY.

AGAIN,I AM NOT A RACIST,..MY PROM DATE MANY YEARS AGO WAS A MIXED RACE GIRL WHO WAS 1/16''''TH AFRICAN AMERICAN.

I JUST HOPE IF THE NEGROS DO RIOT, OUR LOCAL POLICE FORCES WILL BE PREPARED TO PROTECT THE GOOD CITIZENS CAUGHT IN THE MELAY.


WORRIED MISSISSIPPIAN!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by benice6 at 11:44 AM : Oct 09, 2008

If you are not you don''t need to defend yourself, based on your comments you are.

[tx_doughboy]

So do we need to worry about her husband flexing the power of her position if she were to become VP?

[bobnjersey]

[Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin remained in the dark while her husband repeatedly asked top state officials to help get his former brother-in-law kicked off the state police force, Palin''s husband and top aides said in affidavits provided to The Associated Press. ]

interesting. this is affectionately known as plausible deniability ... right out of the cheney play book. such good republicans they have shown themselves to be.

i think this calls for ''freedom medals'' all around.

[walt1944-2009]

Todd "First Dude" Palin has admitted that he meddled in the Troopergate affair and that his Moose-hunter wife wasn''t in the loop in this.

One might ask the question, Who''s the Governor here???

I am sure that Palin will be quick to point out that First Ladys in the White House influence what the President does, and sometimes thinks, so why shouldn''t he?

The fallacy of this kind of thinking is that First Lady''s DON''T go around calling Congressmen if they want something done; they have their husband do it, because, after all it''s in HIS job description!

So, I don''t buy "First Dude''s" attempt to cover up for "Caribeau Barbie" and the BOTH of them are at fault!

SIG HEIL, LET''S GIVE AIG MORE MONEY!!!, BUSH!!!
sig heil, WHO SAY''S I''M CRANKY, EHH??, McBush!!!
sig heil, I LIKE SHOOTING GUNS!!!, Palin!!!

[dubya_luvr]

Awesome.

So, even if McSame and Caribou Barbie win, they''ll take office under a cloud of perjury, suspicion and investigations.

Republicans: hitting the ground running...straight to a criminal defense lawyer...

[mkcscbs]

pam1sadge - This pales in comparison to the evidence we''''ve seen regarding Obama and who he chooses to befriend.

You have innuendo not evidence otherwise McCain would have nailed Obama on the issue in the debate. He didn''t because you can''t stand face to face with someone on national TV and throw out the accusations without proof. That is what stump speeches are for.

So, if Sarah becomes President the headlines will be:
US declares War on Russia, Todd takes responsiblity.

[dredigga]

Okay, I am a proud Conservative but not even I can buy this. Now I feel as if they are trying to insult my intelligence...

[dubya_luvr]

I''''ll leave you all now, to go onto a more intelligent website; with rational realistic people.
Posted by mdwoman at 11:48 AM : Oct 09, 2008

Bwaaahahahah!

Yeah, go log in as your other screen name and return to astroturfing, FoxNews troll.

You''re only helping to sink your own ship.

[dburfears]

Palin is EXACTLY LIKE CHENEY-

THEY ALL try to stop investigations, hide the truth, deny-deny-deny, claim executive privilege, mix personal and government business, and generally show disdain for the rule of law.

Just more of the same "we are above the law" Republican garbage.

[colvinatch]

mdwoman the reason these are not reported is that they have been proven over and over again as outright lies. Obviously you enjoy drinking the right wing kool-aide.

[moosbrth]

The party of lies cranks it up already, what a sad party! She denys and blames husband.

The Neocons have trashed to country and we want more of it?

25 billion to retool the 3 automakers or 10 BILLION A WEEK FOR THE WARS!

[oregon4usa]

Mississippian,
If you have to scream ''I AM NOT A RACIST'', you ARE a racist. You''re an insult to your species. Are you the one at the rallies screaming for Obama''s assasignation (Kil him)? I''ll bet you wet yourself at that vile thought you coward.