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Panel: Palin 'unlawfully abused' authority

Posted: Friday, October 10, 2008 8:35 PM by Carrie Dann
Filed Under:

From NBC's Carrie Dann
The panel of legislators investigating the "Troopergate" controversy in Palin's home state has concluded that the Alaska governor "unlawfully abused her authority" in the firing Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan, per the AP.

More: "The investigative report concludes that a family grudge wasn't the sole reason for firing Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan but says it likely was a contributing factor."

*** UPDATE ***  The report by investigator Stephen Branchflower found that Palin's dismissal of Monegan was "proper and lawful" and within her executive authority, but that she violated the state's ethical code in that she "knowingly ... permitted Todd Palin to use the Governor's office and the resources of 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 [Michael] Wooten fired."  

Although Palin has said she was afraid of a safety risk posed by the trooper whom Monegan refused to fire, the investigator writes in the report that "such claims of fear were not bona fide and were offered to provide cover for the Palin's real motivation: to get Trooper Wooten fired for personal family related reasons."

Supporters of the governor believe that the investigation was politically motivated.

*** UPDATE 2 ***  The McCain-Palin campaign reacted to the report with the following statement from spokesperson Meg Stapleton: ""Today's report shows that the Governor acted within her proper and lawful authority in the reassignment of Walt Monegan. 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."

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karma can be a funny thing...
Soul reason or not she ABUSED her authority as govener and proves she would do the same as VP! She does not deserve the position of VP nor the position she currently holds as Govenor of Alaska!
Good Game.

Watch these number increase...

Obama 343, McCain 195
http://voteforamerica.net/electoral.aspx

For Obama anyway.

Time to disband the entire criminal enterprise.  The Republicans are one sheet away from being recognized as a hate group.  Walter Monegan is lucky that Sarah did not attempt to make him out to be a terrorist in hopes that a deranged lunatic would "eliminate" her obstacle.

There just seems to be no limit at all to the depth to which a Republican politician will stoop to realize their agenda.
This from the woman who thinks that the vice-presidency, should she get elected, needs more legislative power......This is how McCain puts 'Country First'? Despicable.
Bye Bye William Ayer's, Hello Sarah Palin along with McCain's JUDGEMENT!


Oh, this weekend is gonna be FUN FUN FUN here in Rural Kentucky.

The Chickens have come Home to roost !


LMAO !!!!!!
There is a new sense of ethics being born again in this "country first"...
Republican Reformer = Crooked Politician

Unbelievable!
And this is from McCain who says Obama does not have the judgement? He needs to ask her to step down- and then bring like Rommney- who wil bring Michigan back to play. Today, he realized that he has to stop to negative attacks from his supporters. He does not have any positive economic news to give. He voted for a bailout with earmarks that he has promised to veto when he is elected. He has chased away independents. Now Palin has been found guilty! Out of the frying pan- into the fire!!
A republican vice-presidential candidate abusing the power of her office?!? Why I never!!!

HA HA HA HA HA.. spin that McShame/PitPalin...
now we know  whose a liar and proves she wasn't vetted. drip!  drip!  drip!
Now thats a Maverick for ya.
I thought they said it would be an october surprise?

This is no surprise
I'm not surprised. This is a dangerous woman. I have no respect for her.
McCain should have never picked her as a running mate.
Palin and her husband have some serious issues. Their involvement with this Alaska separatist group, along with this witch doctor preacher really scares me.
SHe is a hateful woman and I wonder if that preacher was trying to drive "witch craft" out of her....
With her on the ticket, there is no way that I can consider voting for McCain.
Good going, John! Kiss it goodbye and thank "Caribou Barbie"
I thought Governor Palin said we couldn't trust Senator Obama.  Well, it looks like she is the one that can't be trusted.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Obama/Biden 08
This is the end...... the end my friend.

She is an embarrassment to the GOP and all hockey moms, "like her".  Do hockey moms lie and abuse they're  power? I guess so.  She should go back to Alaska and hide in an igloo until she runs for president in '12.

She  just put a stake though the heart of Mccain's campaign!
Wow, that's a revelation; Gov. Palin abused her power. There's been an "Impeach Gov Palin Movement" gathering steam in Alaska for some time. She appoints unqualified cronies from her high school class of all things. There are people in this country that think she's a shining example of conservative family values. What the hell happened to the Republican Party? Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ike and Reagan were Republicans. Absolute class acts, each and every one. How do they attract bottom feeders like WBush and Palin? My dog would make a better President than either of those jackasses. John McCain, go to the light. Show those stones you had in Vietnam, fire her and pick someone that's ethical. You're going to lose anyway. Man up.
Now the spinning by the McCain camp will be in full force.
So, actually ABUSING authority is ok and you are more than fit for VP or President, but sitting on a board with a man who was a "domestic terrorist" (in the making when you were 8 years old), but changed his ways and is currently a college faculty member...makes you a "terrorist's pal" and unfit to be president.  Ugh.  Why has the Republican Party let two people turn it into a party of hypocracy?? I bet their next accusation will be that the Alaskan Panel was made up of liberal media elitists.  This campaign season has just gotten to the point of ridiculous.  See you at the polls.
McBush.... I mean McCain did made his very best judgement in picking a running mate is Sarah Palin....good judgement Sir! :o(
Game over
I find it very displeasing that on tonights national news that nothing was covered on the Palin "Trooper Gate Scandal." Even my local news announced it. I have linked a website with a great article about the findings and events that took place before this decision was made today.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/palin_under_fire_at_home_for_t.php
I am not at all suprised that she abused her power.  I just hope we don't hear the same old story of how it is the fault of the media.  This is a back woods woman that doesn't seem to have any scruples.  Maybe now John McCain can replace her with someone that makes sense.
From earlier To:
Sheila Robinson, Baltimore, MD (Sent Friday, October 10, 2008 10:06 AM)

Kudos and Amen Sister!
the most appropriate thing to say is "na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye"!
Tip of the Alaskan Iceberg. The AIP and Todd Palin is next.

If you are an American voter YOU MUST SEE THIS if you missed it on previous posts! Let no one make a mockery of America!!!! ... at 28 seconds you will hear a very incriminating sentence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eniG9l_7its

***Guilt-by-association means McCain & the rest of the Republican Party pal around with this brand of Anti-Americanism and will continue to destroy America.

Vote Against McCain-Palin; they are anti-American and wolves in sheep’s clothing.

MORE insight…

Here is video of Dexter Clark, Vice Chairman of the AIP Northern Region during an Oct 3-4 Secessionist Convention in Chattanooga, TN stating twice that Sarah Palin was a member of the AIP (6:15-6:45 on the clock on PART 1)   CLARK: "... There was alot of talk about her moving up. She was an AIP member before she got the job as the Mayor, that was a non-partisan job, but to get along, to go along, she eventually joined the republican party...she also had about an 80% approval rating and is pretty much sympathetic because of her former membership..."


PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NK2sFJebGc
PART 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqa896wYatk&NR=1


Of course the McCain Campaign has stepped in and the AIP Chairman Lynette Clark (Dexter’s wife seen seated next to Dexter in the video) issued a public statement on Sept 03, 2008 ( http://www.akip.org/090308.html ) announcing that Sarah Palin had never been an AIP member. Meanwhile I believe I read somewhere that the McCain Campaign has produced records that Sarah had been a registered republican for quite sometime. The reasoning provided by Lynette for the discrepancy on her membership was that Dexter had been "misinformed."  Regardless of actual membership Sarah Palin's association is inextricable because of Todd's membership during their marriage. These videos are incredibly insightful. Aside from a very purposeful ideology, the methodology by the AIP is to infiltrate politics through the cloak of the republican party in order to obtain power. Todd was an AIP member from 1995-2002 while married to Sarah. Sarah was non partisan Mayor until 2002. The connection between Todd relinquishing his membership in order for Sarah’s ascension into the political theater is pretty clear. Being a member of the AIP is not a benign act, one favors very specific goals and clearly unpatriotic succession is one of them. Do some research on its founder Joe Vogel. This is what happens when a VP is not properly vetted. The GOP cover-up of truth is upon us.

There are tidbits of interesting anecdotal evidence and furthermore these videos offer a unique and important perspective inside the AIP. Oil and money seem to be a big part of the movement for Alaskan independents as well. These folks sure got that "mavericky" kind of personality all-the-while espousing little or no government infiltrating their lives.

I don’t think McCain had this kind of unpatriotic “maverick” in mind.

See also 10/10/08 Salon article: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/index.html

Please copy the url's and review the data when you have time. Pass it along if you wish.
This can't be good for that campaign.  Thank goodness for honest lawmakers who provided transparence on this shameful Cheney-esque behavior.  I have all respect for Steven Branchflower and the panel
I'm shocked.. no I'm just horrified... Not Sarah, please say it ain't so Sarah.
ha So much for Sarah being a reformer. For all of her talks that we can't trust Obama, the report said that Palin violated the public trust. Maybe we didn't know the Sarah very well prior to this report which shows the vindictive side of her. Karma is a witch.
Caught'cha (wink, wink)
If Sarah Palin is acting like that as a Governor...what kind of crazy deals/personal vendetta would she use our military for..God forbid's that she becomes the VP of the free world....????? She needs to keep that hockey-mentality in Alaska and stay there as well.
Hum..........This can't be good.  Not good at all.

Even if it is not found to be criminal, there is still the hint of abuse of power.
I am so glad that this report has been made public before the election so that everyone can see her true character.  Now I want to know what they said about her husband's deep involvement into her public job.  That is wrong, also, she is the governor, not him.
Buh-Bye, Sarah!!! And don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out! You were humorous to watch while you lasted, wish we could have watched you make a fool of yourself for more than 6 weeks, but it's about 5 weeks further than I thought a dope like you could get.

I believe that aside from this clown's recent antics, McInsane's campaign was over. This officially removes all doubt. John McCain has chosen this way to end his pathetic pursuit of power and respectability. Now he has neither.

It was an entertaining sideshow while it lasted.


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