Alaska report clears Palin 0f ethics violations
Troopergate investigator finds Alaska governor broke no laws

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A report has cleared Gov. Sarah Palin of ethics violations in the firing of her public safety commissioner.

The report, released Monday, said: "There is no probable cause to believe that the governor, or any other state official, violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in connection with these matters." It was prepared by Timothy Petumenos, an independent counsel for the Alaska Personnel Board.

A separate legislative investigation recently concluded that Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, abused her office by allowing her husband and staffers to pressure the public safety commissioner to fire a state trooper who went through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister.

Palin fired Walter Monegan, but denies his dismissal was related to the trooper.

Alaska Personnel Board investigations are normally secret, but the three-member board decided to release this report, citing public interest in the matter given Palin's status as a candidate for national office. Election Day is Tuesday.

Palin had earlier waived her privacy rights, but others in her administration did not and Petumenos sought to keep the matter from playing out in the media.

Petumenos said documents to be released Monday would not include transcripts of separate depositions given by Palin and her husband, Todd.

That deposition was the only one given by Sarah Palin. She was not subpoenaed to answer questions in the Legislature's investigation, though her husband, Todd, gave an affidavit in that probe.

Day late and a dollar short on this one....

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I'm the kind of woman when my feet hit the floor in each morning, the devil says "Oh crap, she's up."

Wasn't this a couple weeks ago...or is this a new story??

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And yet, an independent investigation by the Alaska state legislature done earlier found she DID ABUSE HER POWER.

"A separate legislative investigation recently concluded that Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, abused her office by allowing her husband and staffers to pressure Monegan to fire the trooper. However, it upheld the firing because Monegan was an at-will employee."

So, maybe a third investigation will break the "tie"

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"Well-Behaved Women SELDOM make history."Laurel Thatcher Ulrich


"Yesterday is but a vision, and tomorrow is only a dream. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a dream of hope." Anonymous

"Your candle does not lose it's light by lighting another candle" Generosity

Have the courage to be yourself.

This was just released this afternoon. The previous investigation was by the legislature. This was the personnel board's investigation. Two separate bodies, separate reports. She was cleared today of any wrongdoing by the personnel board.

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Proud Wife of an Army Soldier and proud mother of an Army MP currently serving in Iraq.


"To any critics who say a woman can't think and work and carry a baby at the same time, I'd just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave." - Sarah Palin

This is a different investigation by the Alaska Personnel Board a three member board under Palin’s authority (members are appointed by the governor). Not a surprise that they found no violations

And still guilty by the Legislature as this report does not negate that one....

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"Well-Behaved Women SELDOM make history."Laurel Thatcher Ulrich


"Yesterday is but a vision, and tomorrow is only a dream. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a dream of hope." Anonymous

"Your candle does not lose it's light by lighting another candle" Generosity

Have the courage to be yourself.

I said it before--you find me one politician who hasn't abused their power to some extent, and I'll not post for a week!

Whether it's using "company" bought office supplies at home, or using your influence to get "free" haute couture, or finding a place in your office for you youngest sister's husband's brother--all politicians misuse their power to some extent. Of course, some are more disturbing than others.

*sigh* I know someone will bring up Bill Clinton, so I'll say it for you: Yes, he is guilty as well. But don't fool yourself--not all those women he diddled with were sweet innocent young things who didn't understand that going up to the Gov.'s suite at 230AM wasn't to discuss the current state of the State. One in particular was a doorknob--everyone got a turn.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Actually, my best friend is related to the doorknob...at least the Southern doorknob I think you are talking about....and you couldn't have hit that more on the head if you had a mallet the size of Linda Tripps ass.

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I'm the kind of woman when my feet hit the floor in each morning, the devil says "Oh crap, she's up."

Umm, an independent investigator issued the report. Not someone appointed by Palin. Let's get the facts straight:

Per Anchorage Daily News:

A new report just released -- hours before the polls open on Election Day -- exonerates Gov. Sarah Palin in the Troopergate controversy.

The state Personnel Board-sanctioned investigation is the second into whether Palin violated state ethics law in firing her public safety commissioner, and it contradicts the earlier findings by a special counsel hired by the state Legislature.

Both investigations found that Palin was within her rights to fire Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

But the new report says the Legislature's investigator was wrong to conclude that Palin abused her power by allowing aides and her husband, Todd, to pressure Monegan and others to dismiss her ex-brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten. Palin was accused of firing Monegan after Wooten stayed on the job.

The Palins have argued that Wooten was a loose cannon who had tasered his stepson, drank beer in his patrol car, and threatened Palin's father, and that their complaints that he shouldn't be on the force were justified.

The Troopergate matter became sharply politicized after Palin was announced as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate in Tuesday's election.

The report, released at a Monday afternoon press conference at the Hotel Captain Cook, presents the findings and recommendations of Anchorage lawyer Timothy Petumenos, hired as independent counsel for the Personnel Board to examine several complaints against Palin.

Petumenos wrote the Legislature's special counsel, former state prosecutor Steve Branchflower, used the wrong state law as the basis for his conclusions and also misconstrued the evidence.

His findings and recommendations include:

- There is no cause to believe Palin violated the state ethics law in deciding to dismiss Monegan as public safety commissioner.

- There is no cause to believe Palin violated the state ethics law in connection with Wooten.

- There is no cause to believe any other state official violated the ethics act.

- There's no basis to conduct a hearing to "address reputational harm," as requested by Monegan.


- The state needs to address the issue of using private e-mails for government work and to examine how records are kept in the governor's office. Palin used her Yahoo e-mail account for state business until it was hacked.

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Proud Wife of an Army Soldier and proud mother of an Army MP currently serving in Iraq.


"To any critics who say a woman can't think and work and carry a baby at the same time, I'd just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave." - Sarah Palin

LMAO! I think I'm getting giddy - but that was hilarious.

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Proud Wife of an Army Soldier and proud mother of an Army MP currently serving in Iraq.


"To any critics who say a woman can't think and work and carry a baby at the same time, I'd just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave." - Sarah Palin

Miss "I fixed my nose"???
OMG! H went to school with her! Small world isn't it!?

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

VERY small world!

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I'm the kind of woman when my feet hit the floor in each morning, the devil says "Oh crap, she's up."

Again, I have my moments.

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I'm the kind of woman when my feet hit the floor in each morning, the devil says "Oh crap, she's up."

HAHAHA..that indeed was one of your finest moments!