Troopergate report released: Abuse of powers

October 12, 5:23 PMProgressive Politics ExaminerJay McDonough

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Note: I have modified the original post to clarify Ms. Palin's abuse of her power.

The Republican dominated panel overseeing the investigation found Governor Sarah Palin "abused her powers" when working alone and with others to have Alaskan Trooper Wooten fired.  The report says "(The governor) knowingly...permitted Todd Palin to use the Governor's office, including access to state employees, to continue to contact subordinate state employees in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired."  In so doing, Palin's violated Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of Executive Branch Ethics Act.

The report goes on: "Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissable pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired.  She had the power and authority to require Mr. Palin to cease contacting subordinates, but she failed to act."

The full report can be found here.

From the Anchorage Daily News:

The report by investigator Steve Branchflower found that Palin violated the state's executive branch ethics act, which says that "each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust."

The abuse of power conclusion was the first of four findings by Branchflower.

In the second, Branchflower says Monegan's refusal to fire Wooten was not the sole reason for his dismissal, but that it was a "contributing factor." Still, he said, Palin's firing of Monegan was "a proper and lawful exercise" of the governor's authority.

The third finding says a workers compensation claim filed by Wooten was handled appropriately.

Number four concludes that the attorney general's office failed to comply with Branchflower's Aug. 6 request for information about the case in emails.

Again, is anyone else wondering why Todd Palin was involved in this at all?  Mr. Palin is a private citizen of Alaska.  How is it that he was calling Mr. Monegan and putting pressure on him?  Would anyone else think it odd if Laura Bush had Condeleeza Rice fired?  Or Michelle Obama had a President Obama's Treasury Secretary terminated?

And no one seems all that bothered by Todd Palin's fingers all over this affair.  I don't get it.