GUILTY! Rachel Maddow reports on the Sarah Palin Troopergate scandal

The just-released Trooper-Gate report finds that Sarah Palin abused her power in the firing of Walt Monegan, by violating an Alaska law holding 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."

In addition, the report found that the office of Attorney General Talis Colberg failed to substantially comply with the legislature's written request for information about the case in the form of emails.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/troopergate_report_finds_pa...
Monegan's firing was just the tip of the iceberg. The report details the extraordinary lengths that Gov. Palin, largely through her husband Todd, went to get her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired because of personal family reasons (namely, his nasty divorce from Palin's sister). It was this effort, which led to pressure being improperly brought to bear on numerous state employees, that constituted an abuse of power by Palin. As it should be. State employees should not be subject to personal vendettas from elected officials.

While the report also finds that the governor in Alaska has the inherent power to fire her department heads for any reason or for no reason, it concludes that Monegan's refusal to fire one of his state troopers at the insistence of the governor and her family was a contributing factor in his own firing.

So rather than the firing of Monegan itself being the abuse of power, the wide-ranging effort to retaliate against her sister's ex-husband, of which Monegan's firing was merely a part, was the real abuse.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/223561.php
We have been given a clear warning about the vice-presidential nominee for the Republican party. We already know she is a pathological liar. We already know she refuses even basic transparency and accountability, refusing to hold a press conference as veep nominee for the first time in modern American political history and refusing to provide even minimal documentation of her fifth pregnancy. Barely into her first year as governor, as one might expect of such a person, she abused her power as governor of Alaska to persecute a former family member:

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 infomration about the case in the form of emails.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/abuse-of-power.h...

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Rachel
• Maddow
• Sarah
• Todd
• Palin
• Alaska
• State
• trooper
• gate
• Walt
• Monegan
• Wooten
• firing
• john
• Mccain
• Barack
• Obama
• Joe
• Biden

[lstl5]

She needs some kind of punishment for this. How come nothing is happening to her? So, if you are in a high position, you can just walk away. Not Fair!!

[hkjonus]

I dont know why McCain chose this stupid woman. It's like he wanted to choose a woman that could help him get the Hillary vote. He's trying to sell a cheap Folex to people that want a real Rolex. Why didn't he show some real balls and pick Hillary as his VP? That would have made things very interesting...

[MisterJokerToker]

No...say it isn't so...Sarah Palin wasn't ethical?! She's the Republican darling...how could she be dishonest?! This is SO shocking!!!...NOT!!!

[daoudrafik]

Sarah Palin as an elected official violated public trust twice. (1) When she abused her power (2) When she quit as a Gov. Can this power-hungry woman be trusted in 2012? She blatantly lied about "the bridge to nowhere" and the "death panel" She couldn't handle her own local "frivolous lawsuits", do u think she can handle China or Russia or Afghanistan or North Korea or Castro? She cited being able to see Russia from Alaska as her foriegn policy credential.

[IMAGINARYphilosophy]

@dannyiscool8888 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[clevy911]

Rachel is not and doesnt claim to be fair and balance. Duh. Palin doesnt know anything. She never sounds like she knows what she is talking about. Perhaps you that like her dont know any different, therefore cant see her lack of knowledge? Guilty

[galanie]

If you have ever watched Rachel Maddow you could not possibly think she was in any way fair and unbiased. If it isn't to slam a republican in some way, she won't report it. And of often seen sneering and adding her own biased 2 cents in there. Truth or not, makes no difference. In fact Sarah Palin was found innocent of all charges in this. But this video predates the actual verdict. GUILTY, Rachel Maddow!

[benbenben888888]

rogue official should be fired.

[dannyiscool8888]

"Pat206387 "- I totally agree with you. The liberals have done everything in their power to rip Sarah Palin. She is a very smart person and would make an outstanding President.

[pat206387]

The guy tasered her nephew. Rachel is NOT fair and did not objectivelly cover the story. Cover it right Rachael. Typical MSNBC. Dont tell the truth. Palin did not abuse her power. NOT A FAMILY FEUD. She was protecting the state from the lawsuit, the guy was dangerous, and she should have fired incompetant people who wouldn't fire the guy!!!!

[pat206387]

It is only the opinion of the board. They strictly made a statement and she did not get into trouble since she never abused her power. Why dosen't MSNBC ever talk about Obams racist anti- american reverand, or William Ayers. That would be right. so much for objective journalism. Sarah Palin would be a great leader, Obams approval rating is falling quickly. Palin 2012- shes really smart but liberals painted her as stupid with SNL and the news. She really is a smart good person

[soubari]

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