Alaska Legislature: Palin abused her authority

[Bob78164]

The Alaska Legislature is releasing its report, now that Republican efforts to get the courts to stop the investigation have failed. The Legislature has concluded that Palin abused her authority in the "troopergate" incident. --Bob

[ToLiveIsToFly]

I don't understand. By the time the courts said the investigation could go forward, it was already done?

[SportsFan68]

I don't understand. By the time the courts said the investigation could go forward, it was already done?

As I understand the sequence, the investigation was ordered months ago which Palin was still buried in VP short lists.

The Alaskan Legislative Council had to decide whether to release the report. Apparently they released the 263 page report without the thousands of backup pages.

[Bob78164]

I don't understand. By the time the courts said the investigation could go forward, it was already done?

The investigation continued while the Republicans tried to find a court, anywhere all the way up to the Alaska Supreme Court, that would shut it down. They failed, and the Republican-controlled Legislature (actually, a committee of the Legislature) issued its report as scheduled today. --Bob

[thguy65]

Link to the Anchorage Daily News report

[NellyLunatic1980]

True, the Legislature said that she abused her authority...

BUT, the caveat is they also said that she did not break the law.

[Bob78164]

True, the Legislature said that she abused her authority...

BUT, the caveat is they also said that she did not break the law.

I'm not comforted. Bush could probably say the same thing. --Bob

[SportsFan68]

True, the Legislature said that she abused her authority...

BUT, the caveat is they also said that she did not break the law.

IIRC, the report wasn't ordered as part of a legal action. It was ordered under Alaska's ethics rules.

I would love for Skoop to weigh in on this.

[Weyoun]

And since as a scandal it ranks up there with Travelgate, no one should give a crap and we can mercifully move along.

[Bob78164]

True, the Legislature said that she abused her authority...

BUT, the caveat is they also said that she did not break the law.

That's not accurate. It was a breach of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. --Bob

[danielh41]

The Alaska Legislature is releasing its report, now that Republican efforts to get the courts to stop the investigation have failed. The Legislature has concluded that Palin abused her authority in the "troopergate" incident. --Bob

Yawn...

Given Obama's lack of ethics or morals (Ayers, ACORN, Wright, Born Alive Infant Protection Act, Rezko, etc.), trying to get a man who abused his wife, tasered his 11 year old stepson, and threated to kill his father-in-law removed from the state police force sounds downright admirable.

[Weyoun]

True, the Legislature said that she abused her authority...

BUT, the caveat is they also said that she did not break the law.

That's not accurate. It was a breach of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. --Bob

Poor Ms. Palin should have focused on being corrupt by special interests, or asleep at the wheel when a disaster happens - she'd stay off the front page tht way.

[Bob78164]

True, the Legislature said that she abused her authority...

BUT, the caveat is they also said that she did not break the law.

That's not accurate. It was a breach of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. --Bob

Poor Ms. Palin should have focused on being corrupt by special interests, or asleep at the wheel when a disaster happens - she'd stay off the front page tht way.

I dunno -- I seem to recall a few headlines about Bush, back when he was relevant. --Bob

[thguy65]

Poor Ms. Palin should have focused on being corrupt by special interests, or asleep at the wheel when a disaster happens - she'd stay off the front page tht way.

As far as special interests go, her calendar indicates there was quite a bit of access by lobbyists.

[Bob78164]

Poor Ms. Palin should have focused on being corrupt by special interests, or asleep at the wheel when a disaster happens - she'd stay off the front page tht way.

As far as special interests go, her calendar indicates there was quite a bit of access by lobbyists.

What I found most interesting about that story is that she doesn't seem to be terribly interested in hearing opposing viewpoints. --Bob

[mrkelley23]

1. If anyone thinks she can be governor of Alaska without meeting with Big Oil lobbyists, I would have to think she's being pretty naive.

2. Listening to opposing viewpoints is one thing. Granting private meetings in the governor's office is quite another. I laughed when the one specific example they actually cited was a group that actually had had a meeting, but were pouting because they didn't get a followup.

3. Twelve lobbyists out of two years as governor is actually pretty good, in my opinion, if you're trying to keep lobbyists out. I'm pretty sure my governor would've had more than that, and so would most governors.

This comes off as a slanted article by a newspaper trying to burnish its "investigative" credentials by filing FOIA requests and then trumping up the results. Sorry, even for an Obama-leaning independent, there's no there here.

[Estonut]

This comes off as a slanted article by a newspaper trying to burnish its "investigative" credentials by filing FOIA requests and then trumping up the results. Sorry, even for an Obama-leaning independent, there's no there here.

That's the L.A. Times for you.

[silverscreenselect]

They said she abused her authority in trying to get her former brother-in-law fired, not in dismissing the chief.

This sorry excuse for a man and a state trooper abused his wife and child (and probably the other women he was married to), drank on the job and tasered an 11-year-old boy. He also threatened other members of the Palin family with physical harm. The good-old-boy network stood up for him.

If this was a case of Republicans trying to cover for this trooper by protecting him from being fired, liberal and women's groups would be screaming to high heaven. But because Sarah Palin is running for VP, she's to be condemned for trying to get rid of him as a cop.

If this guy tasered my nephew, I'd probably do a lot more than try to get him fired.

I hope everyone who is happy about this development realizes just what sort of sleazeball you are standing up for.

[Bob78164]

The Alaska Legislature is releasing its report, now that Republican efforts to get the courts to stop the investigation have failed. The Legislature has concluded that Palin abused her authority in the "troopergate" incident. --Bob

Yawn...

Given Obama's lack of ethics or morals (Ayers, ACORN, Wright, Born Alive Infant Protection Act, Rezko, etc.), trying to get a man who abused his wife, tasered his 11 year old stepson, and threated to kill his father-in-law removed from the state police force sounds downright admirable.

I'm aware that the Palin family has contended Wooten did these things. As far as I know, though, the people in position to make that decision concluded that although Wooten engaged in some inappropriate conduct, for which he was punished, the more lurid accusations were unsubstantiated. Should he have been subjected to worse punishment than another trooper because he had the misfortune to piss off the governor's family? --Bob

[silverscreenselect]

I'm aware that the Palin family has contended Wooten did these things. As far as I know, though, the people in position to make that decision concluded that although Wooten engaged in some inappropriate conduct, for which he was punished, the more lurid accusations were unsubstantiated. Should he have been subjected to worse punishment than another trooper because he had the misfortune to piss off the governor's family? --Bob

Wooten admitted tasering his nephew which he claimed was a "joke" although he said it was "poor judgnment." This is exactly the type of excuse and rationalization that domestic abusers use all the time. He has been married and divorced four times (at age 35). He threatened the Palin family. He was caught drinking in his patrol car at least one time. Prior to the investigation that led to his suspension, he had a long list of driving offenses in his patrol car that led to lesser discipline.

Sadly, due to civil service rules and the natural "close ranks" tendency the police have, it's often difficult to get rid of bad cops unless or until they are caught doing something felonious. And everyone knows how tough it can be to prosecute domestic abusers. But let's not beat around the bush. This guy is bad news: a wife and child abuser with a drinking problem who should not be driving around in a police car carrying a gun.

If his victims were not related to the governor of Alaska, he wouldn't have made the news and no one would have heard about him unless or until someone turned up dead, literally, either a family member or someone he encountered on the job. Then all the liberals on this Bored and in the media would have been decrying the justice system that allows guys like this to go about untouched until it's too late.

This guy is a disgrace to police everywhere and a public menace and Sarah Palin should be commended for trying to get him out of a position where he can harm anyone else. People who see this as an opportunity to score points against her should think about the type of guy they are defending.

[Bob Juch]

I'm aware that the Palin family has contended Wooten did these things. As far as I know, though, the people in position to make that decision concluded that although Wooten engaged in some inappropriate conduct, for which he was punished, the more lurid accusations were unsubstantiated. Should he have been subjected to worse punishment than another trooper because he had the misfortune to piss off the governor's family? --Bob

Wooten admitted tasering his nephew which he claimed was a "joke" although he said it was "poor judgnment." This is exactly the type of excuse and rationalization that domestic abusers use all the time. He has been married and divorced four times (at age 35). He threatened the Palin family. He was caught drinking in his patrol car at least one time. Prior to the investigation that led to his suspension, he had a long list of driving offenses in his patrol car that led to lesser discipline.

Sadly, due to civil service rules and the natural "close ranks" tendency the police have, it's often difficult to get rid of bad cops unless or until they are caught doing something felonious. And everyone knows how tough it can be to prosecute domestic abusers. But let's not beat around the bush. This guy is bad news: a wife and child abuser with a drinking problem who should not be driving around in a police car carrying a gun.

If his victims were not related to the governor of Alaska, he wouldn't have made the news and no one would have heard about him unless or until someone turned up dead, literally, either a family member or someone he encountered on the job. Then all the liberals on this Bored and in the media would have been decrying the justice system that allows guys like this to go about untouched until it's too late.

This guy is a disgrace to police everywhere and a public menace and Sarah Palin should be commended for trying to get him out of a position where he can harm anyone else. People who see this as an opportunity to score points against her should think about the type of guy they are defending.

It's the way she (and her husband) she went about it. She's a perfect candidate for dictator.

[danielh41]

I'm aware that the Palin family has contended Wooten did these things. As far as I know, though, the people in position to make that decision concluded that although Wooten engaged in some inappropriate conduct, for which he was punished, the more lurid accusations were unsubstantiated. Should he have been subjected to worse punishment than another trooper because he had the misfortune to piss off the governor's family? --Bob

Wooten admitted tasering his nephew which he claimed was a "joke" although he said it was "poor judgnment." This is exactly the type of excuse and rationalization that domestic abusers use all the time. He has been married and divorced four times (at age 35). He threatened the Palin family. He was caught drinking in his patrol car at least one time. Prior to the investigation that led to his suspension, he had a long list of driving offenses in his patrol car that led to lesser discipline.

Sadly, due to civil service rules and the natural "close ranks" tendency the police have, it's often difficult to get rid of bad cops unless or until they are caught doing something felonious. And everyone knows how tough it can be to prosecute domestic abusers. But let's not beat around the bush. This guy is bad news: a wife and child abuser with a drinking problem who should not be driving around in a police car carrying a gun.

If his victims were not related to the governor of Alaska, he wouldn't have made the news and no one would have heard about him unless or until someone turned up dead, literally, either a family member or someone he encountered on the job. Then all the liberals on this Bored and in the media would have been decrying the justice system that allows guys like this to go about untouched until it's too late.

This guy is a disgrace to police everywhere and a public menace and Sarah Palin should be commended for trying to get him out of a position where he can harm anyone else. People who see this as an opportunity to score points against her should think about the type of guy they are defending.

It's the way she (and her husband) she went about it. She's a perfect candidate for dictator.

Your blind devotion to Barack Hussein Obama the Merciful is rather disturbing.

[smilergrogan]

Your blind devotion to Barack Hussein Obama the Merciful is rather disturbing.

Maybe, but it's nowhere near as disturbing as the use of someone's "foreign" middle name to imply something negative about the person. That's beyond despicable.

[danielh41]

Your blind devotion to Barack Hussein Obama the Merciful is rather disturbing.

Maybe, but it's nowhere near as disturbing as the use of someone's "foreign" middle name to imply something negative about the person. That's beyond despicable.

Why would you think that? It is his full name. Although I will admit that it doesn't sound nearly as good as Ronald Wilson Reagan.

And before you start throwing around words like despicable, perhaps you should go look that word up. What is truly beyond despicable is allowing the death of innocent babies who have survived abortions because it would cause women to "second-guess" their choice or that it would undermine Roe V. Wade.

[ne1410s]

dh:

Although I will admit that it doesn't sound nearly as good as Ronald Wilson Reagan.

Oh, the RWR that opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965? Yes, he was quite the enlightened one.