SEARCH
Last Update: 11:09 AM
News
Anchorage
Mat-Su
Eagle River
Kenai
Bush
AP Alaska
Crime
Education
Environment
Politics
Legislature
2008 Election
Military
Alaska Ear
Alaska Statehood
Nation
World
Sports
Aces
AK Baseball
College
Hockey Blog
Iditarod
Local events
Preps
Professional
Motorsports
Mushing
Skiing
Wild
Sports section
South-side showdown
UAA mens hoops adds two guards
Champions seek Klondike gold
South tops E. River
West 8, Dimond 1
Outdoors
Craig Medred
Fishing
Iditarod
Mushing
Skiing
Snowmachining
Wildlife
Features
Life
Arts
Lende
Taste
Entertainment
Fashion
Gardening
Knitting
Health
Hometown
Perfect World
Reading the North
Travel
Anniversaries
Engagements
Weddings
Money
Gas pipeline
Oil
Aviation
Commercial fishing
Mining
Native Corp.
Tourism
Entertainment
Arts
Bars & Clubs
Dining
Games
Movies
Music
Recreation
Wayne & Wanda
Dining Guide
Arts Blog
Music Blog
Fashion Blog
Nightlife Blog
Opinion
ADN Editorial
Blog: Inside Opinion
Letters
Letters: Unfiltered
Local columnists
Compass: Guest columnists
Name That Toon
Blogs
- NEWSROOM BLOGS -
Alaskology
Art Snob
Alaska Politics
Crime Blog
Dog Blog
Editor's Blog
Garden Blog
Inside Opinion
The Highliner
Lush Life
Mat-Su View
Pebble Blog
NEW: Photo Blog
Woody on Hockey
- COMMUNITY BLOGS -
AK Root Cellar
AK Tech Girl
Animal Rescue
Bartender Blog
Brides2Be
Childbirth Blog
Church Visits
Eye on Beauty
Faith & Values
Health4all
Horse Training
Indietravel
Iraq Amputee
ParentPoints
Recycling Rap
Shop Girl
Spirit of Youth
Strong Bodies
TASTE! Alaska
Underage Thinking
Multimedia
- PHOTOS -
Most recent
Best of
Wildlife
Outdoors
Sports
Military
Gardens
Aviation
Reader-submitted
- VIDEO -
News
Outdoors
Opinion
Politics
Sports
Reader-submitted
- SLIDE SHOWS -
Most recent
'Excursions'
ClassifiedsHome | Alaska Newsreader | Obituaries | Archives TV Listings | Movies | Music | Restaurants | Submit Event DealsJobsHomesCarsRentalsMore Opinion stories ยป
Palin's stall
Palin must do magic to pull off a win
What writers around the country are saying about Palin
Palin's night
Palin took socially conservative stands in 2006 election
Palin's stall
Governor is stonewalling the Troopergate investigation
Published: September 5th, 2008 12:11 AM
Last Modified: September 5th, 2008 03:03 AM
Gov. Sarah Palin is taking the wrong approach to Troopergate. She should be practicing the open and transparent, ethical and accountable government she promised when running for governor and boasts about now that she's on the national stage.
Story tools
Comments
E-mail a friend
Print
Digg this
Seed Newsvine
Send link via AIM
Yahoo! Buzz
Font size : A | A | A
Instead, Gov. Palin has begun stonewalling the Legislature's attempt to get the bottom of allegations that she, her family or staff violated ethical or state personnel rules.
As a result, the Troopergate allegations hang over Palin's future and cloud her candidacy for vice president.
The allegations are that she, her family or administration improperly pressured then-Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire Gov. Palin's ex-brother-in-law, state trooper Mike Wooten, who had been in the middle of a custody dispute with Palin's sister.
In July, when legislators started talking about conducting an investigation, Palin denied any wrongdoing and said she welcomed an investigation.
"Hold me accountable," she said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Legislature took her up on that offer. But this week, she basically told the Legislature, "Never mind."
Palin's lawyer has asked the Legislature to drop its investigation. He had the governor file an ethics complaint against herself, in a bid to turn the entire matter over to the state Personnel Board, which would hire an independent investigator.
This is not an open and transparent attempt to establish Gov. Palin's accountability. It is an attempt to drag out the investigation until after voters decide the fate of her vice-presidential bid.
Instead, Gov. Palin should honor her pledge to cooperate with the Legislature's investigation, conducted by former state prosecutor Steve Branchflower.
She could start by telling aide Frank Bailey he has to talk to the legislative investigator. She should fire him if he doesn't.
Bailey was caught on an audio recording of a phone conversation with a Public Safety Department official, in which Bailey pushed to get Wooten fired.
Bailey was put on paid leave, not fired. A spokeswoman for Palin said that while Bailey is on the state payroll, Palin can direct him to cooperate with the legislative investigation.
So why is Bailey still on the payroll, after he bailed on a scheduled interview with the legislative investigator Wednesday?
The Legislature hasn't given its investigator the power to subpoena, or compel, testimony of witnesses. Subpoenas appeared unnecessary, since it appeared the governor and administration would be cooperating.
That's over. It's time for the subpoenas.
The Legislature's investigation is supposed to be wrapped up by Oct. 31. That's obviously poor timing from the standpoint of the McCain-Palin presidential campaign, coming just a few days before the national election.
Instead of trying to delay the whole thing, Palin should take a cue from U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, who asked that his corruption trial be moved up so it would be completed well ahead of the November general election. Voters deserve to know the outcome of Sen. Stevens trial and the investigation into Palin.
When this investigation into Troopergate started, Gov. Palin's response was refreshingly open. Since she became the Republican candidate for vice president, her approach has changed for the worse. America deserves the same openness and ethics from vice-presidential candidate Palin that she promised to Alaska voters in 2006.