Breaking: "Troopergate probe casts wider net"

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Tuesday October 14, 2008 · 12:59 AM PDT

2008/10/14 · 00:59

Just when people are getting frustrated with the limited traction that the troopergate report and Palin's 100% lying denial of it gets, out comes some news from Alaska via Anchorage Daily News

The state Personnel Board investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of Walt Monegan has broadened to include other ethics complaints against the governor and examination of actions by other state employees, according to the independent counsel handling the case.

Two other ethics complaints involving Palin are known. One, by activist Andree McLeod, alleges that state hiring practices were circumvented for a Palin supporter. The case is not related to Monegan's firing. The other, by the Public Safety Employees Association, alleges that trooper Mike Wooten's personnel file was illegally breached by state officials. John Cyr, the PSEA executive director, said Monday the union plans to amend its complaint to be sure the board investigates "harassment" of Wooten as well.

It doesn't seem like there will be a resolution before the elections though. On Thursday the Legislative Council will meet to vote if they want to hand over the complete report, including the redacted pages, to the personnel board. Than the board has meetings scheduled on October 20th and November 3rd (oooooooh).

Some info about the people involved: all three members of the personnel board were appointed by Gov. Frank Murkowski, Palin's predecessor and the man she beat in the Republican primaries in 2006. She reappointed one of them.

Tim Petumenos is the investigator for the board. The McCain campaign was pissed off with his appointment, as he had donated to Palin's Democratic opponent in the 2006 election.

But for everyone who is frustrated with the reactions to the Troopergate report, there is still progress being made and there will be a couple of times in the next three weeks until the elections that the American public will be reminded of Sarah Palin's unethical dealings. The funny part of it is that the investigation was requested by Palin herself and that she has promised to be interviewed by Petumenos. Most likely, if the Senate doesn't like the outcome of the investigation, they can ask for a redo as well and in that case they probably won't give Petumenos the full report and hand that over to a different investigator.

Update [2008-10-14 4:19:14 by Calouste]:: More fire coming from a different direction for Palin. Via Andrew Halco

In a bold move, former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan filed a request with the personnel board on Monday for a "Due Process Hearing To Address Reputational Harm", inflicted by Governor Sarah Palin.

Monegan is basically contending that Palin indeed did have the right to fire him, but that she made "untrue and defamatory statements [ed: doesn't she always?] about her reasons for doing so". I.e. saying that he went to Washington without approval and such, and basically was a rogue employee.

Update [2008-10-14 5:38:27 by Calouste]:: Nice summary of the legal statutes involved and the implications by Uncle Moji in the comments.

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