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Subpoenas to be issued to speed up Palin-trooper probe
By Steve Quinn
Associated Press
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Alaska Legislature is hastening its ethics investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner, making it far more likely it will be completed before November's election.

State Sen. Hollis French said Friday that seven witnesses told the Legislature's investigator they will refuse depositions and canceled their meetings. French, who is overseeing the investigation into whether Palin abused her power, said the Legislature will subpoena these witnesses, who do not include the governor.

Lawmakers say they have put the investigation on a fast track now that Palin is Republican John McCain's running mate. The investigation previously was expected to end on Oct. 31. French said the new target date for investigator Stephen Branchflower to complete the report is Oct. 10.

"It's just basic fairness to the governor," said French, an Anchorage Democrat who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee. "We started to focus on Oct. 31 because that's the end of Mr. Branchflower's contract, but our motion says prepare a report in a timely manner."

In July, a state oversight committee approved $100,000 for an investigation into whether Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan because he would not dismiss a trooper, Mike Wooten, who went through a messy divorce with her sister before Palin's election as governor.

"I would like to put this behind me and move on with my life," Wooten said in an interview with The Washington Post, published on its Web site Friday night. "I don't wish ill will on anyone. I think that the nomination that Sarah got is great for the state of Alaska. I wish her good luck and the family good luck. I honestly think that everyone involved in this wanted to put this beyond us."

Wooten said he was proud he had once been part of the Palin family, but he contradicted Palin's statement that she overheard him in 2005 threaten her father during an argument with Palin's younger sister, Molly McCann, Wooten's wife at the time. Wooten noted that an internal investigation failed to sustain the death-threat allegation.

"That did not happen," Wooten said. "There was obviously arguments between Molly and I, but there were no confrontations where I threatened to kill her father. I haven't threatened to kill anyone in that family."

Wooten said he had no direct information about efforts to have him fired after Palin became governor in 2006.

French and Branchflower, both former Anchorage prosecutors, said the state's Legislative Council has the right to authorize the investigation.

But Palin's state-hired attorney Thomas Van Flein said the matter should be taken up by the state's personnel board, made up of three people appointed by former Gov. Frank Murkowski. Van Flein and Palin have asked the three members to resolve the dispute over the firing.

In the meantime, several state employees working for the governor or her administration and deemed crucial witnesses by Branchflower have canceled appointments to give depositions. All potentially could be subpoenaed.

The state's two judiciary committees will meet Sept. 12 to call for the subpoenas, but Palin will not be among those targeted.

"I'm pleased that Gov. Palin will not be subpoenaed," said Rep. Jay Ramras, R-Fairbanks, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "I don't think it's appropriate that we attach a tinkerbell to her sweater. That would be a bad show on our behalf."

One of the employees is Frank Bailey, the governor's director of boards and commissions. He was recorded on tape questioning why Trooper Mike Wooten was still employed.

Wooten divorced Palin's sister and served a five day suspension after the Palins filed a complaint against him for threatening Palin's father.

The Palins also accused Wooten of using a Taser on his stepson, drinking in his patrol car and illegally shooting a moose.

In the recorded conversation, Bailey is heard telling a lieutenant with the state trooper's office: "Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, why on earth hasn't, why is this guy still representing the department? He's a horrible recruiting tool. ... You know, I mean from their perspective, everyone's protecting him."

Bailey is on paid leave. Last week he gave a sworn statement to Van Flein, telling the attorney he acted on his own.

But Bailey's lawyer Greg Grebe had kept Bailey from meeting Branchflower because, like Van Flein, he questioned Branchflower's jurisdiction.

Separately, senior Assistant Attorney General Mike Barnhill wrote a letter to Branchflower, complaining that the investigation is moving beyond the scope of Palin's firing of Monegan.

Barnhill says the investigation is now looking into whether employees from the Department of Administration illegally obtained confidential information from Wooten's personnel file.

Barnhill wrote that depositions of employees from the Department of Administration are "canceled until further notice."

French, however, said the written mission of the investigation, as approved by the Legislative Council, is clear. It states Branchflower is to "investigate the circumstances and events surrounding the termination of former Public Safety Commissioner Monegan, and potential abuses of power and/or improper actions by members of the executive branch."

Take a look
Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin pumps her fist during her speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 3. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, file)
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Reader comments on this story - 8 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

old biker wrote on Sep 8, 2008 12:06 AM:

" So then, what is a "slim"? Am I to suppose that realist meant "slime" and just didn't know how to spell it? Zeva, you have not read enough written by me to assess my ability to comprehend the writings of anyone else. I do not post as much as you do. I have a life. When you write a name in a possesive tense you should use an apostrophe as in "realist's post". Geez I hope I'm "with it" enough...dude. "

Zeva wrote on Sep 7, 2008 11:08 PM:

" Gee, old biker, seems like you have a hard time understanding anyone's blog. I understood it perfectly fine and I understood realist post too. You should get with it dude. "

Max Sniler wrote on Sep 7, 2008 8:24 AM:

" Good luck libs! Its your only hope of winning the election now... "

old biker wrote on Sep 6, 2008 11:00 PM:

" Realist What is a "slim"? and Zeva by saying you could care less about her past you're actually saying that you do, to a degree, care. If the past doesn't matter what do you base an opinion on? Think about what you're writing (maybe even read it back to yourself before you send it) and maybe my head won't hurt so much as I try to dechipher your post. "

Zeva wrote on Sep 6, 2008 9:00 PM:

" They had better hurry and get this scandal a rolling. Why do all the scandal's come out at the last minute? What is the fear if we don't divulge the hidden secrets in a person's past? I could care less about her past, it's her present should she get in office. "

Realist wrote on Sep 6, 2008 8:07 PM:

" The dude was a slim and deserved to be fired. Do the research instead of reading what some nobody DEMOCRAT is wanting you to believe. "

bushIQis6 wrote on Sep 6, 2008 5:19 PM:

" what is she trying to hide? why would she want the personnel board, the members of which, is selected by her, to make a finding? Sounds like a sham by the caribou queen. "

answerman wrote on Sep 6, 2008 1:22 PM:

" Ahhhh, skeletons, without them we would just be a blob. "
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