Story Comments

This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

I have read the entire 200+ page report. Therefore:
1. Finding No. 1 of the report states that Palin "abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.11(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act." Violating an existing statute is by definition breaking the law.
2. The report itself later uses the word "unlawful" in describing her actions.
3. Legislatures always have power to investigate alleged executive branch misconduct, in every state in the union as well as the federal level. It's part of the U.S. and every state constitution, including Alaska's. You can read the Alaska Constitution online.
4. Two courts, including the Alaska Supreme Court, ruled within the past two weeks that the Alaska Legislature had the right to conduct this investigation. This was based on the Alaska Constitution and precedent. You can read these rulings online.
5. The report did not say that no repercussions would be sought. It simply left it up to the legislature to make that call. That is different than saying none will be sought or that none were recommended. Again, you can read the report online.
5. This did not start before she was governor; that is, the actions covered in this investigation pertained solely to her role as governor, so it couldn't pre-date her term. The investigation itself was launched in July of this year. Her attacks on Trooper Wooten did start before she became governor, and a court warned her and Todd to cease and desist such actions. But those actions were not part of the conclusions in this investigation. Again, you can read the report.
6. She lied publicly not only about her willingness to cooperate in the Legislative investigation (she said she "welcomed it"), but also lied about the pressure applied concerning Wooten's employment. She has said neither she nor Todd nor any of her staff initiated any contact. Then she said her staff initiated contact without her knowledge. Then she said Todd initiated contact without her knowledge. She also contradicted herself on numerous occasions about the reasons she fired Monegan.
7. The only part of this issue the report said was legal was that the governor of the state of Alaska does have the legal right to fire at-will employees. But that is an entirely separate issue than whether there were abuses of power in the events leading up to the dismissal. It is not a hair-splitting point. For example, a police officer has a legal right to discharge a gun in public, but the actions and reasons for a shooting may still be illegal and subject to investigation and punishment. Having a right to do something does not give anyone - you, me, a cop, a governor - carte blanche to carry it out for any reason at all. That is totalitarianism.

1 Reply