The Alaska “Troopergate” investigation has been completed, and the news isn’t good for Governor Sarah Palin, who was found to have unlawfully abused her power as governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper. The investigation faulted Gov. Palin for taking no action to stop her husband Todd from using his “extraordinary access” to the governor’s office to try to get trooper Mike Wooten fired, and what’s more, the investigation also noted there is evidence the governor herself participated in the effort. The investigation also noted Gov. Palin violated a statute of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.
Former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, who was fired as a result of his unwillingness to cooperate with the Palin family’s efforts to fire Mike Wooten, commented, “I feel vindicated.” Monegan went on to say, “It sounds like they’ve validated my belief and opinions. And that tells me I’m not totally out in left field.”
So tell me…how does abusing your power and breaking state law as governor represent a new kind of politics and make Sarah Palin a “maverick?” After all, it sounds to me like a lot of what we’ve had over the past eight years from the current Republican administration.
illyT has more.
I was pretty sure the report found that she did not break any laws.
elliot, here’s the relevant statute, which I borrowed from Illusory Tenant: