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Trooper-Gate Report Initiated By Palin Clears Her Of Wrong-Doing
The Alaska State Personnel Board's Trooper-Gate report has been released, and it clears Sarah Palin of any wrong-doing.
CNN reports:
"There is no probable cause to believe that the governor, or any other state official, violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in connection with these matters," Timothy Petumenos, the Anchorage lawyer hired to conduct the probe, wrote in his final report.
Of course, this was an investigation that Palin herself initiated, by filing an ethics complaint against herself. The three members of the Personnel Board are appointed by Palin, and she cooperated with the investigation.
By contrast, the only independent investigation into the matter -- which was conducted by the state legislature and with which Palin did not cooperate -- found that Palin had violated state ethics laws by pressuring subordinates to fire Mike Wooten, a trooper with whom she was embroiled in a family dispute.
The report's "Summary of Public Findings and Recommendations" follows after the jump...
1. There is no probable cause to believe that Governor Palin violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act by making the decision to dismiss Department of Public Safety Commissioner Monegan and offering him instead the position of Director of the Alaska Beverage Control Board.
2. There is no probably cause to believe that Governor Palin violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in any other respect in connection with the employment of Alaska State Trooper Michael Wooten.
3. There is no basis upon which to refer the conduct of Governor Palin to any law enforcement agency in connection with this matter because Governor Palin did not commit the offenses of Interference with Official Proceedings or Official Misconduct.
4. There is no probable cause to believe that any other official of state government violated any substantive provision of the Ethics Act.
5. There is no legal basis or jurisdiction for conducting a "Due Process Hearing to Address Reputational Harm" as requested by former Commissioner Walter Monegan.
6. The Amended Complaint by the PSEA should be dismissed.
7. Independent Counsel recommends that the appropriate agency of State government address the issue of the private use of e-mails for government work and revisit the record retention policies of the Governor's Office.
These findings differ from those of the Branchflower Report because Independent Counsel has concluded the wrong statute was used as a basis for the conclusions contained in the Branchflower Report, the Branchflower report misconstrued the available evidence and did not consider or obtain all of the material evidence that is required to properly reach findings.
Josh
Zachary
"the Branchflower report misconstrued the available evidence and did not consider or obtain all of the material evidence that is required to properly reach findings."
LOLOLOL
you mean the evidence that sarah REFUSED to produce???????
November 3, 2008 7:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Something tells me there will be further lawsuits regarding Mrs. Palin. And the pesky national media will probably further much of what has been documented here at TPM
November 3, 2008 7:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
She will go back to Alaska and the media will be releived that she is out of the mainstream. While she will try to mount a national position as the Republican party tries to recreate itself she will be relegated to a small position because she won't reflect the new base that they are going to try to attract.
November 3, 2008 8:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a surprise. I mean this report coming out hours before the voting opens, you knew it was going to be favorable to Palin and the GOP.
Why so late? So the MSM and the Dems can't push back showing how ridiculous the report is considering it was brought against Palin by herself and her handpicked investigator and handpicked board were making the findings.
November 3, 2008 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I will send Obama a personal check for a courier service if he will provide the docs to the court (that is the key - to the court - the Constitutional court, not the court of public opinion and the questionable PhotoShop court that is fightthesmears.com) that he:
1. has the Constitutional standing to run for President of the United States of America. Otherwise damn the Constitution.
2. an affidavit that he has not in the past lied about knowing the Theology and teachings of Wright's church while he gave $27,000 to the church in question.
3. a full transcript of the infamous Khalidi going away party where apparenty plenty of Isreal bashing was going on. (imagine if we bashed Kenya?)
4. is not and never has been, as he has claimed, a Muslim, when I see plenty of proof that he has been up and until it was politically convenient to become an infidel 20 years ago.
Understand one thing ... I don't give a wit if I am right or wrong about this guy. I just don't want to have his mug on the TV for an impeachment proceeding that lasts weeks if not months, and cost YEP, YOU GUESSED IT, U.S. taxpayers millions of dollars! We went through that with the LAST Democrat in the White House.
PS: How can you tell if Obama is lying? His lips will be moving!
November 3, 2008 8:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Trolls smell funny when they are desperate.
Is that because they cry through their armpits?
November 3, 2008 8:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why would you send Obama a check for a courier service? I'm sure he already has people to do that kind of stuff for him.
November 3, 2008 9:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is this Joe the Plumber????
Or is it Sam the Angry Bitter Bald White Dude????
November 3, 2008 9:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Would 'sanity' care to send that same check to Mcrage. We have proof that he was born in Panama which the last time I checked was not part of the U.S. and given that he wasn't born on U.S. territory but on Panamanian soil shouldn't he be prohibited from the presidency.
man I can smell your desperation from a thousand miles. Get used to losing, your party is finished- if only we could have stood up for the stolen elections of 2000 and 2004.
November 3, 2008 8:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought Walt Monegan was filing a civil suit against Palin, no?
November 3, 2008 9:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
So Blanchflower was faulted for not obtaining all of the evidence needed to make his finding of an ethics violation. Now that is just about a funny as it can get since Palin ordered State employees not to cooperate just as she didn't cooperate.
I think the State Bar needs to investigate whether this attorney himself voilated ethics in his conclusion.
November 4, 2008 12:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Has anyone noticed she is gov of a state owned and operated by oil. Do you think oil would have someone in that seat other than who they choose?
Connected brain cells not required. Ability to walk and move lips required.
btw: who decided she should investigate herself with her own team?
Is everyone around that part of earth mmmmmmmm passive??
Did this just slip by?
This is really a small issue but the handling done with less than zero tact.
Forget intellect.
That was way way back there.
November 4, 2008 12:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
You know, I could several people together that are organized by me and that take direction from me and get them to come to a conclusion that I direct them to come to as well. "We find that Tony is an all around nice guy who would be a great King of the US." Come on...this shouldn't even be in the main stream media.
November 4, 2008 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink