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Official at Center of Trooper Gate: Sarah Palin Lied to ABC
Former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, whose firing is at the center of Trooper-Gate, says the Sarah Palin lied in her interview with ABC when she told Charlie Gibson that she dismissed Monegan based on poor job performance and said she "never pressured him to hire or fire anybody."
"She's not telling the truth when she told ABC neither she nor her husband pressured me to fire Trooper Wooten," Monegan told ABCNews.com, "And she's not telling the truth to the media about her reasons for firing me."
According to Monegan, he met with Todd Palin in December of 2006, just two months after Palin had been elected to office.
From ABCNews.com:
"I was called to her Anchorage formal Governor's office to talk with Todd Palin about an issue that was a private family matter," recounted Monegan. Todd became "upset," Monegan recalled, when told the allegations had already been investigated and the case would not be re-opened."When Sarah later called to tell me the same thing, I thought to myself, 'I may not be long for this job.'" But, Monegan said, he stood by his position. "I held the public trust. As Chief, I was responsible."
Josh
Zachary
Let's face it. From what we already know, if you do not do what SP wants, you are on her #$%&* list! If they pressured him in any way, and we know they did, then it was fraught with all sorts of threats. And the gentleman knew that. He knew he risked his job, doing the right thing.
But good he called her on the lying!
September 15, 2008 3:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
This just gives Obama another round to chamber in his "McCain is an IDIOT for choosing this wacko" gun.
Maybe Obama can paint the landscape as "Poor McCain was drawn in and misled by this lying harpie". He's a good guy but too gullible to be CIC. Not in control of his campaign, easily manipulated, etc.
Create a theme around his dodderingness while sounding like he feels sorry for poor ole' John, so lost in this new age of technology and cynicism
September 15, 2008 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
You've never been to the South Side of Chicago, have you, DoDSlave. LOL
September 15, 2008 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Forgot the quote:
"He's a good guy but too gullible to be CIC. Not in control of his campaign, easily manipulated, etc."
You've never been to the South Side of Chicago, have you, DoDSlave. LOL
September 15, 2008 6:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
What was Todd Palin doing in the Governor's office talking official business? Was he an elected officer?
If Palin gets in, what is Todd's roll going to be? Is he gonna go after all of those "haters" who dissed on Palin during the campaign?
So many questions for Palin that she will probably never answer. It befuddles me how this chick is so beloved but has so many unanswered questions.
September 15, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent question for Palin (if she ever decides to answer any questions): Will you use the office of the Vice President to punish those who aren't loyal to you?
September 15, 2008 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now you've got something to go on. This is direct evidence from a personal witness saying he was summoned to the formal governor's office. Seems like an official imprimatur on the inquiry despite the language "personal family matter," alleged to have been used.
One thing Monegan doesn't say is that they demanded that he fire Wooten. Or demanded that he reopen the investigation. It sounds like he was asked if he would, and refused, and that the governor and her husband were frustrated at that. That's enough for a strong argument that his dismissal was related. OTOH, Palin could argue that because the investigation on the merits should have been reopened but wasn't, so he was dismissive about his duties and needed to be replaced. Remember the investigation DID FIND that Wooten made the threat despite his denial, suggesting that something about his denial was not believable to investigators.
The kicker for Palins: if they want to rest on the idea that Monegan was remiss in his duties to protect Alaskans, no matter who they were related to, they had a way to argue that if Todd Palin didn't say it was a "personal family matter." That made it look like personal influence instead of a gubernatorial confrontation.
Did his successor receive pressure to reopen the investigation of Wooten?
And despite Monegan's self-serving representation that he kept the "public's trust," did he really? Should the investigation have been reopened under the circumstances? A trooper making a death threat about a private citizen and using it as an abusive coercion against his spouse and to improperly influence the outcome of a court proceeding (divorce)?
September 15, 2008 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
5 day suspension because he tasered an 11 year old kid?
Police forces are notorious for their faillure to respond to misbehavior of their own.
If the welt on the child had been on a welfare child there would have been a foster care investigation.
If Palin fired because of poor performance by this man unrelated to her belief that her ex-brother in law was a hazard she should be able to cite particulars.
Just because the family --as most families in that position was angry and frustrated by the failure of the state police to take strong action to rebuke the trooper -- does not mean that Monegan was otherwise competent.
September 15, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, a Governor of a state should be spending ALL her time making sure that ....
ex-brother in laws get scued in their divorce proceedings. sure, every Governor does that. yeah.
On "Secret Storm" maybe. LOL
September 15, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Uh, not so much. But, thanks for playin'…
As a former police officer who has been on both sides of the disciplinary process, let me explain a couple of things to. In criminal matters, law enforcement offices and prosecutors don't get additional shots as the accused: you typically have one chance, and once the matter is adjudicated, it's not normally subject to reexamination. I can hear you now:
"I know that he did something wrong - why don't the just fire him?"
The issue now is NOT Wooten's misconduct, or a failure on the part of Monegan. It is Governor Palin's misconduct, and that of those who conspired with her to violate Alaska administrative rules and the law. It is time to adjudicate HER misconduct.
Wooten, however inadequately you may believe, has already paid a price. Case closed. And Monegan? Paid a price he surely should not have for upholding the rule of law, as Palin set about attempting to circumvent it.
Good luck in that little fantasy world of yours. And, nice straw-man argument you chose to end with: "Just because… [the family behaved improperly] does not mean that Monegan was otherwise competent.
Sure. 'cause, after all, that's what we're talking about here, right? Monegan's competence?
Need I actually say it? That was an idiotic claim to make!
September 15, 2008 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
ML:
Monegan's behavior is relevant to Palin's adjudication because the abuse of power issue centers on whether Monegan was properly or improperly fired. His behavior is integral to answering that issue with harder evidence, if possible.
September 16, 2008 1:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's another "Just like Bush"
If you put honesty or the law above loyalty to the Party you will be punished.
September 15, 2008 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Forgot the quote:
"He's a good guy but too gullible to be CIC. Not in control of his campaign, easily manipulated, etc."
You've never been to the South Side of Chicago, have you, DoDSlave. LOL
September 15, 2008 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why won’t Palin have a press conference? Why doesn’t Palin release her tax returns?
What is she hiding?
September 16, 2008 3:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Remember: She believes in Abstinence!
September 16, 2008 9:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Abstinence is the true feminism and the key to a man learning how to be a committed, quality father once married. Abstinence practices self-control, and says he and she can control themselves and make their decisions count.
I guess it would be a progressive value since you and many others assume this level of personal discipline cannot be achieved to the extent that you make it a joke when others say "yes it can."
It is really a vile thing to use her daughter's experience against the self-discipline argument. A higher standard is a higher standard.
Teams don't quite striving for higher standards of play because one or another of their players foul out or miss free throws etc. etc. Babe Ruth didn't quit hitting homers just because he struck out on the way. He took responsibility for both.
September 17, 2008 1:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is there any truth to rumor that Palin has requested that Cheney leave the 'man-sized' safe in the office after she is coronated vIce pResident?
September 16, 2008 9:07 AM | Reply | Permalink