Posted on 08/30/2008 6:54:09 AM PDT by airedale
t’s been over 12 hours now since Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin, has been named as GOP choice of Veep. Already, a desperate Obama camp of supporters are in search of talking points… other than the obviously poor choice of “inexperience”… or a scandal to take back what they perceive as the DNC ticket superiority.
Knowing the Palin-Monegan-Wooten investigation of abuse of power was their prime target, I’ve been spending time this AM researching the chain of events in hopes of beating the media to the political and biased distortions creating a new, and false “truth. I took into consideration that journalists… and ardent supporters like Markg8 on Curt’s thread… will be quick to post what they believe is damning evidence without reading more material on the issue.
So on that note, settle back and catch up with the reality of rural country politics. I’d like to share with you what appears to be the crux of the story, using both pro and con Palin bloggers and news media.
A timeline of events in the so-called “scandal”
4-11-05: Investigation of Mike Wooten by AST (Alaskan State Troopers) over two year allegation of misconduct involving family members commences.
5-1-05: Domestic complaint incident involving Mike and Molly Wooten, Sarah and Todd Palin. Transcript of Sarah Palin with troopers. Also, Trooper notes on the same interview.
SUMMARY: Molly calls Sarah (not yet Governor) in fear from husband. They leave an open phone line where both Sarah and Molly’s son hear Wooten threaten Molly and Sarah’s father (he’ll “eat an f*#king bullet). Palin doesn’t call police because she doesn’t want to hurt Wooten’s trooper career, nor make the situation worse…. Providing it didn’t get physical. Other incidents with Wooten noted.
8-18-05 Re’interview of both Sarah and Todd Palin. Trooper notes on Sarah interview. And Trooper notes on interview with Todd Palin, plus with bartender of Mug Shot Saloon.
SUMMARY: Sarah confirms an email on Aug 10th, 2005 to Col Julia Grimes, Director of AST (Alaska State Troopers) complaining of Wooten’s negative representation of the department. Wooten’s abuse of his authority and position in various instances. His racist attitudes towards native Alaskans (Todd Palin is a native Alaskan…), abuse of state resources (free gas/credit), illegal hunting activities, and Sarah’s daughter (Bristol) being a witness to Wooten’s tasering of his 11 year old stepson (verified)
SUMMARY: Todd also confirms Wooten’s disparaging remarks about Alaskan natives, his consistent abuse of authority and position, plus his hunting violations. Bartender confirms Wooten involving himself in bar fight, misusing his position as a trooper. Also bartender confirms Wooten with “girlfriend” at the bar, who was later arrested for DUI.
This is no means a complete picture of all that happened… but enough to give you a picture of an “out of control” trooper. ~~~
NOTE: Palin was not Governor of the State at this time… and this transpired BEFORE her primary campaign against GOP competitor, Andrew Halcro. Coincidently, the same man leading the pack screaming “scandal” over the “firing of Monegan”.
The investigations against Wooten started more than a year before she was elected governor, and about two months before launching her campaign”. ~~~
11-2005: Palin elected Governor of Alaska
3-1-06: Col. Julia Grimes findings on Wooten investigation results in suspension…. for only *five* days.
What we can derive from the timeline is that the investigations and complaints against Wooten as a State Trooper (not to mention with problems exhibiting a derelict father who tasers his step son, and is a physically and verbally abusive, unfaithful husband per the transcripts and testimony) had started prior to Palin’s term as Governor.
We can also determine that this is a man who most certainly does not need to be a trooper, armed with a badge and gun. And, if not in rural Alaska, Wooten is a law official who would have been run out of most departments as a seriously troubled man with violent tendencies.
Per Col. Julia Grimes in the Fairbanks Newsminer on July 28, 2008… and showing how long this “scandal” has dragged out…
The record clearly indicates a serious and concentrated pattern of unacceptable, and at times, illegal activity occurring over a lengthy period, which establishes a course of conduct totally at odds with the ethics of our profession,” Col. Julia Grimes, then head of Alaska State Troopers, wrote in March 1, 2006, letter suspending Wooten for 10 days. After the union protested it, the suspension was reduced to five days.
She warned that if he messed up again, he’d be fired.
<>
The degenerate Democrats (but I repeat myself) and their Propaganda Machine are going to have a tough time digging up dirt on the Palins. They’ll be driven to making it up—something certainly not beneath them (nothing is), but it’ll be a tough job, and they have little more than two months. I’m sure their nasty little minds are in overdrive right now.
Wooten tasered an 11 year old family member, his step-son. He should be arrested for assault. He should be charged with child abuse. He should be fired and not provided with government weapons by law enforcement agencies to use against family members.
If I were a governor and knew personally of such things...I would fire the individual myself and slap a restraining order on him and make sure my own were safe from him...being apart from him and well armed should he come around...and never take a second thought for it, knowing that I had served the public good, and hopefully protected the innocent.
bttt
This says Todd Palin is a native Alaskan. To clarify.... his mother is a quarter Yu’pik Eskimo.
So a bad trooper got fired. And it sounds like he may have been rough with his wife. The Dems are going to run with this? This should actually get Palin a few more votes.
Plus it’s nothing compared to Obama having a buddy in domestic terrorist Ayers. Or Obama’s Annenberg cover up. Or his Rezko ties. Or his 20 years with Rev Wright. Etc.
Bring it on!
Troopers are civil service.
This sounds more like Arkansas than Alaska.. ;)
During my career as a Police officer and Police Administrator in Maine, I had several cases where I had to terminate the employment of officers. In every case the fired officer and his loyal associates claimed it was “Personal” and an “abuse of authority”. This is the norm for these cases, which is why the administrator is routinely meticulous about fairness and documentation of the investigation. Union challenges and lawsuits are anticipated. The fact that the union could only get a token reduction in the suspension time means that the AST investigators dotted the “I’s and crossed the T’s”. The Dems and the MSM had better think twice before going too far down this road, because they will very likely highlight the picture of a sister, not a governor, blowing the whistle on an abusive cop who was abusing HIS power.
I heard two pundits this morning saying they couldn’t be happier with mac’s choice, liberal women but their faces didn’t show that emotion.
Such a predictable situation.
I am sending this link to Bill O’Reilly, who should have at least investigated the whole story before blurting out that Sarah Palin had a “dust up” going on in Alaska and not yet a full “scandal”. O’Reilly is a mouthy moron and a bloviating buffoon.
I had already wondered what type of abusive/criminal behavior this idiot had participated in.
Thanks for posting this.
O’Reilly can sometimes be amusing, but in many cases, such as this one, he shoots from the lip.
The “scandal” involves firing Monegan who had been appointed Palin for supposedly not firing Whooten who was the trooper married to her sister. She didn’t have the authority to directly fire Wooten. The really important part of the piece at Flooping Aces is the source of much of the story and the heat it’s gotten: the guy Sarah Palin beat in the last election. Also she’s been shaking up the power structure in Alaska and I’d guess they don’t like that. Liberals would really hate her because of her positions on abortion, guns, etc. and since they dominate the media in Alaska like they do most places you can see the advantage of going along to get her.
O’Bloviator is still working on his investigation of the Swift Boaters so it’s unclear when he’ll get to what you sent. You’ll recall how he disparaged them first and said he’d say no more till he investigated the matter.
The Taser incident is well documented.
I could imagine some eager 10 year olds asking to get tasered. Having an adult actually do such a thing is really just beyond the pall of reason.
O’Reilly is a total hypocrite for accusing MSNBC of bias, while he committed his own character assault on Sarah Palin. He is no better than the moonbats at NBC News that he constantly complains about.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.