Troopergate Report: Palin 'Abused Power'

By: E&P Staff The Anchorage Daily News camped out all day in the hall -- and blogged -- as the state's legislative committee read and then voted on the release of the much-awaited "Troopergate" report involving Gov. Sarah Palin. In the end, the committee voted 12-0, with all Republicans joining in, to release it.

The New York Times noted that the report "was commissioned and released by a bipartisan state legislative panel made up of 10 Republicans and 4 Democrats." The McCain campaign had released its own report yesterday absolving his running mate of any wrongdoing whatsoever.

The Associated Press lede: "Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, the chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded Friday. The politically charged inquiry imperiled her reputation as a reformer on John McCain's Republican ticket.

"Investigator Stephen Branchflower, in a report by a bipartisan panel that investigated the matter, found Palin in violation of a state ethics law that prohibits public officials from using their office for personal gain."

One key finding: Palin used claims involving personal threats to her family as "cover" for what was really a vindictive action against the trooper for personal reasons.

Here are the four findings from the report, now up in PDF form at the paper's www.adn.com site.
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FINDINGS:

--Finding Number One

For the reasons explained in section IV of this report, I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) provides

The legislature reaffirms 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.

--Finding Number Two

I find that, although Walt Monegan's refusal to fire Trooper Michael Wooten was not the sole reason he was fired by Governor Sarah Palin, it was likely a contributing factor to his termination as Commissioner of Public Safety. In spite of that, Governor Palin's firing of Commissioner Monegan was a proper and lawful exercise of her constitutional and statutory authority to hire and fire executive branch department heads.

--Finding Number Three

Harbor Adjustment Service of Anchorage, and its owner Ms. Murleen Wilkes, handled Trooper Michael Wooten's workers' compensation claim property and in the normal course of business like any other claim processed by Harbor Adjustment Service and Ms. Wilkes. Further, Trooper Wooten received all the workers' compensation benefits to which he was entitled.

--Finding Number Four
The Attorney General's office has failed to substantially comply with my August 6, 2008 written request to Governor Sarah Palin for information about the case in the form of emails.