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Last Updated: Oct 11, 2008 - 8:46:07 AM |
Sarah Palin, the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee and the
governor of Alaska, violated her state's Ethics Act in the events
surrounding the firing of the state's Public Safety commissioner, an
investigator for Alaska's state legislature has concluded in a report
approved this evening on a 12-0, bipartisan vote by Alaska's
Legislative Council.
We've been updating the news as it has come in:
9:50 p.m. ET. Here's the reaction from Republican presidential nominee
John McCain's campaign. It accuses the Legislative Council of
overreaching and calls the investigation a "partisan-led inquiry" even
though it was launched by a bipartisan vote and even though the report
was approved 12-0 and there are more Republicans than Democrats on the
panel:
"Today's report shows that the governor acted within her proper and
lawful authority in the reassignment of Walt Monegan," says Meg
Stapleton, a campaign spokeswoman. "The report also illustrates what
we've known all along: This was a partisan led inquiry run by Obama
supporters and the Palins were completely justified in their concern
regarding Trooper Wooten given his violent and rogue behavior.
"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. The governor is looking
forward to cooperating with the Personnel Board and continuing her
conversation with the American people regarding the important issues
facing the country."
The council, which meets when the state legislature is not in session,
has 10 Republican members and 4 Democrats. Two apparently did not
participate in today's events.
9:40 p.m. ET: On MSNBC a few minutes ago the former Public Safety
commissioner, Walt Monegan, said he how feels "somewhat more at ease,
all the way around. It wasn't just me imagining it."
9:10 p.m. ET.The Anchorage Daily News summarizes the news here. It
leads the story this way:
"A legislative investigation has concluded that Gov. Sarah Palin abused
her power in pushing for the firing of an Alaska state trooper who was
once married to her sister."
8:55 p.m. ET: Republican John McCain's presidential campaign released a
defense of Palin earlier today. The executive summary is here.
8:45 p.m. ET: The Ethics Act is designed to "discourage executive
branch employees from acting upon personal interests in the performance
of their public responsibilities," the report states.
But, it continues, "the evidence supports the conclusion that Governor
Palin, at the least, engaged in 'official action' by her inaction if
not her active participation or assistance in attempting to get Trooper
Wooten fired [and there is evidence of her active participation]."
The trooper was Palin's former brother-in-law. The Public Safety
commissioner, Walt Monegan, did not dismiss the trooper.
Palin has denied any wrong-doing. And, the report does conclude that
while Monegan's decision not to fire the trooper was a "contributing"
factor in Monegan's dismissal, it was not the sole reason and that
ultimately the governor did exercise her lawful authority in firing the
commissioner. The actions she took that allegedly violate the ethics
act involved the efforts to fire the trooper, not Monegan.
8:30 p.m. ET: In a report just released by the Alaska state legislature
after a unanimous, bi-partisan, 12-0 vote of its Legislative Council,
an investigator concludes that Gov. Sarah Palin "abused her power" in
the events that led to the firing of the state's public safety
commissioner.
8:26 p.m. ET: From the Associated Press:
"Legislative panel finds Palin abused her power in firing of public
safety commissioner."
Our original post:
Alaska state's Legislative Council just voted 12-0 to release most of
an investigator's report into the July firing of state public safety
commissioner Walt Monegan by Gov. Sarah Palin -- now the Republican
Party's vice presidential nominee.
At issue is whether Palin fired Monegan because he wouldn't dismiss a
state trooper who had been married to her sister. Palin says she did
nothing wrong.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, the report will be released
"except for certain parts (committee members) consider confidential."
It adds that "the reports were to be available immediately, but no one
seems to know where to get them here at the Legislative offices"
Source:Ocnus.net 2008
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