ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) – Aides to Gov. Sarah Palin won't comply with subpoenas issued by state lawmakers investigating the firing of Alaska's former public safety commissioner, since Palin "has declined to participate" in the probe, her attorney general says.
"As state employees, our clients have taken an oath to uphold the Alaska Constitution, and for that reason, they respect the legislature's desire to carry out an investigation in support of its law-making powers," Attorney General Talis Colberg, a Palin appointee, told the investigation's manager in a letter released Wednesday. "However, our clients are also loyal employees subject to the supervision of the governor."
Palin once pledged to cooperate with the state Legislature's investigation into the July firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. After his dismissal, Monegan accused Palin of trying to pressure him into firing her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper who had been involved in an
acrimonious divorce from the governor's sister.
Palin has denied any wrongdoing, and her advisers said this week that Monegan was fired for insubordination after he continued to press for funding for projects the governor opposed.
Her allies argue the investigation has become a "partisan circus" since she became Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain's running mate, and they argue that any investigation should be handled by the state Personnel Board.
"Moreover, two lawsuits have been filed challenging the legitimacy of the investigation," Colberg wrote. "On behalf of our clients, we respectfully ask that you withdraw the subpoenas directed to our clients and thereby relieve them from the circumstance of having to choose where their loyalties lie."
It was unclear whether the letter covered Palin's husband, Todd, who was among those subpoenaed by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. Colberg's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The letter was sent to Sen. Hollis French, the Democratic chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, which approved the subpoenas last week. Palin's allies have blasted French over comments he made to ABC News in early September, warning that the investigation into Monegan's firing could yield an "October surprise" for the GOP ticket in the form of criminal charges.
From CNN Politics
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i thought the a.g.'s "clients" were the people of alaska. when did he become the defense attorney for palin and her staff? isn't that a huge conflict of interest? i say throw them all in jail until they realize that they are just as, or maybe more, accountable as any other citizen.
Another reason not to vote for this ticket.
Everyone who has been subpoenaed should be held in contempt and locked up including the governor and the first dude. Then Mr. Monegan should take his testimony to the public. There should be consequences for abusing your power in office to settle personal grudges. Nip it in the bud now, God forbade if she is the VP on 11/5, the tax dollars which will be wasted for this wom'ans vanity will be staggering.
Birds of a feather........lose the election together.
Wow, she must have a lot to hide. Just a bunch of crooked Republicans. Can you see her and McCain in the White House?? I have a feeling that it would be worse than the last 8 years.
Funny, I thought you shouldn't be afraid of investigations if you have nothing to hide. It has become partisan because she won't cooperate.
Something smells fishy....
Why is that something they can choose either to do or not do? Could I choose not to answer a subpeona? Doubt it.
And this is who is supposedly going to reform Washington. Sounds to me like republican politics as usual. Do the crime and then cover it up.
Thanks but no thanks to Palin politics. I will vote for the two people I can trust to tell me the truth. Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
The longer this goes on, the more and more it reminds me of the whole whistle blower trial that brought down Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and the whole text messaging scandal that ensued afterward. Much like Kilpatrick, she and buddies sound defiant with their refusal to cooperate, which probably means they got something to hide. Lord knows Kwame sure did!
More signs of a Cover-up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wonder what happened to Reform, Tranparency and the "Straight-Talk Express"
I guess that bus has left the station, without a driver, headed straight for the side of the cliff!
There you have it America. Another politician who cannot be trusted. Bush-Cheney 2... do you seriously want the same failed and unfaithful government we've had for 8 years. Trust me, if we were supoened, we'd have to show up or go to jail. Why are she and her staff above the law.
Wake up America!
How can you first say you will cooperate with the investigation (that started well before you accepted the nomination) and then come back and decline. How is that for a VP???
Obama all the way....
Really this is not a shock...very reminiscent of the actions by the Bush administration.
Palin will make a wonderful Cheney-in-a-skirt-and-lipstick.
She's definitely guilty of something. If I were the McCain campagin, I'd think twice before using the "transparency in government" line again.
So if someone keeps requesting things from her over and over, she just fires them, when all they are trying to do is their job and get more funding for their employees, better and safer working conditions. The McCain campaign and the GOP would not be trying so desperately to stop this investigation if there really wasn't something to hide. More poor judgement from McCain when he nominated this joke without vetting her in in way, shape or form. All he saw was a beauty queen, to bad he couldn't comprehend she had not brains to go with the beauty. Maybe he did know and thought she would fit right in with the way he plans to runs the White House. More lies and deception from the Repigs.
If she and her staff have really done nothing wrong...they why hide? I know they are saying "the investigation has become a "partisan circus" since she became Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain's running mate,"
But if she had really truly done nothing wrong and has nothing to hide, why not prove the "infidels" in the democratic party that is so "sexist" and after her like a "pack of wolfs" them wrong, that she is above their petty games. Why act the way we all expect from Republicans?
It makes me think she has more to hide than just this one issue of abuse of power...which makes me not want her in any office of power on the federal level.
Flip-flopping on her commitment to cooperate....
But hey, I think we can all sympathize with why she'd want the Personnel Board to investigate, instead of the independent and bipartisan committee. The Personnel Board report to the governor.
That's what I love about Republicans. Never afraid to take advantage of conflicts of interest.
OK People GET WISE IF SHE DOESN"T HAVE ANY THING TO HIDE WHY WON"T SHE SPEAK.......................... WHY SHOULD SHE GET TO SLIDE WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT WENT ON HOW CAN SHE BE TRUSTED IF SHE HIDES I THINK IT STINKS HOW IS THAT TRANSPARENT?????????????????IF YOU ARE HONEST YOU DON"T HIDE THAT"S THE WAY I WAS RAISED
I'm sure McCain did see all this coming when he picked her as VP...judgment huh!
Chaney in a skirt, Rove in lip stick...more of the same? No worse!!! Palin/McCain
Ok?????????? what does this mean to voters
Palin = Bush 44 with lipstick
What is she so afraid of?
LIe, cover-up, lie some more. Haven't we had enough of this after eight years of Bush?