"Gov. Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda,"This according to an official Alaska state investigator's report.
Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan's refusal to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten from the state police force was "likely a contributing factor" to Monegan's July dismissal, but Palin had the authority as governor to fire him, the report by former Anchorage prosecutor Stephen Branchflower states.However, it states that her efforts to get Wooten fired broke a state ethics law that bars public officials from pursuing personal interest through official action.
More details here and here.
Comments
While I think this report highlights what we could expect from Palin in an even higher office, I suspect it should be considered as no more than a mere diversion on the campaign trail. Senator Obama should (and will) win this campaign on issues and solutions and not merely on the shortcomings of his opponents. If the Right can use this noise to paint the "media as liberal" and somehow "unfair" then the the real stakes of this election can be ignored by too many people. A sympathy vote for the Dark Side is still a vote.
Posted by: Paul Lamb | October 11, 2008 7:05 AM