ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) – Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin abused her power as Alaska's governor and a violated state ethics law by trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the state police, a state investigator's report concluded Friday.
"Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda," the report states.
Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan's refusal to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten from the state police force was "likely a contributing factor" to Monegan's July dismissal, but Palin had the authority as governor to sack him, the report by former Anchorage prosecutor Stephen Branchflower states. However, it states that her efforts to get Wooten fired broke a state ethics law that bars public officials from pursuing personal interest through official action.
Monegan has said he was fired in July after refusing pressure to sack Wooten, who had gone through an acrimonious divorce and custody battle with Palin's sister. Palin and her husband, Todd, have consistently denied any wrongdoing, describing Wooten as a "rogue trooper" who had threatened their family - allegations Branchflower discounted.
"I conclude that such claims of fear were not bona fide and were offered to provide cover for the Palins' real motivation: to get Trooper Wooten fired for personal family reasons," Branchflower wrote.
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
She might have had the authority BUT the reason she was using her authority it was WRONG!!!
Obama/Biden '08
Duh! She is so shady! People are nuts if they want this woman as their VP!
Great. Another VP who has no qualms about using the office for personal vendettas? No thanks.
oooooooooopss!!! i smell GWB third term of abuses?
.. ohH wow.. what a SHOKER!.. go home PALIN!
oh boy ms. sarah!!!! you'se ins a littles trooubles...misssy!!!!
In other words, what this means is; she's guilty but she's fit to run for the 2nd most highest office in the world. After all, VP Dick Cheney and his cohorts are alive and well!
I can hear her say with a sigh of relief "Praise the Lord this is America"
Talk about "equal under the law" in the U.S of A!!!
Everything goes in America..........if you are a republican!!!
This is so typical of Republicans. Plausable denial, It's not my fault, It's the Democrats, The sun was in my eyes. They will NEVER take responsibility for their own actions. Abuse of Power............Guantanamo..............Suspension of Habeus Corpus...............Torture............Misleading Statements..............Taking words COMPLETELY out of context. And this is the person who they want to be the next VP of the USA! No integrity, no ethics, no morals. Her way or the highway, her country, love it or leave it. A throwback to the middle ages. Way to go John McCain. Great choice. Just hope you don't get elected John. You'll have to watch your back 24/7
Did anyone doubt it?
She might have had the authority BUT the reason she was using it was WRONG!!!
Obama/Biden '08
Again,say it it so Palin lol.
No surprise here at all – and certainly if she were elected as V.P. there would be many more "no surprises here". A megalomaniac who feels so comfortable that with enough support on her side she can ignore those who disagree and ignore ethics and the laws – very much like G.W. Bush!
The report said she abused her pwer and violated her public trust. This is another example of why McCain and Palin do not belong in the white House!
To Bad You Wont Get The Chance To Abuse The American People As Vice President!
What does this said about Sarah Palin's character? Lies and abused power, what type of candidate is on the Rep. ticket. Ethnic mis-conduct of a candidate should disqualifies her.
Ohhh...as long as it was a LEGAL abuse of power, I'm fine with it. I was afraid it was one of those illegal types. Legal abuses of power are absolutely something I'd like to see in the vice president. Yay!!!
She really is Sarah Cheney!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I guess this make Mama Dearest Palin a criminal....you guys need to stop spewing hate and divisiveness at your campaign rallies before it gets out of hand...One question "Who is the real Sarah Palin"?
Obama/Biden08
no surprise here. but mccain/palin will spin this as an attempt to smear her. abuse of power is what we have experienced with 8 years of bush/cheney. we don't need more wilingness to abuse power in the white house
Given her bullying behavior lately on the campaign trail, I don't find this to be much of a surprise.
Now to sit back and see how loudly the McCain/Palin camp cries it was politically motivated. Nevermind the fact that this investigation started before she was ever the VP candidate.
How goes Sarah Palin – there goes the Republican presidential campaign! You cannot run for VP and have that kind of reputation – she will abuse power as a federal offical also!!
Well what is it? Did she abuse her power or break the law.
Abuse of power is one of the fundamental reasons why we have the legal and judicial system in place so how can one abuse power without breaking the law? This is the same kind of abuse of power that has characterized Washington under the current regime and even as a Washington outsider she is already up to speed on how to miss use public office.
Now I see how this tongue talking Christian who believes war, slander, false accusations and ABUSE OF POWER are part of the Christian witness can sleep well at night... it's already in her system HYPOCRISY!
Please note these things don't represent my God!
Ah who cares...the economy is tanking!!!!!
Sarah Chaney has hopefully met her waterloo. Good by sarah have a good life in the alaskan wilderness. By the way John's going back and having to say Obama was not an Arab or dangerous was only said because he could no longer deny knowing it was being said because the two who said those things were face to face with him.
This is a character issue. I could care less if she broke any laws. the fact that she abused her power is enough to show there are flaws in her character. Soon enough Palin will be a footnote in history as one of the biggest flops in American politics.
As an independent, the McCain/Palin ticket and their 'dirty politics' has done nothing more than solidify my vote for Obama.