Panel: Palin Abused Her Power in Firing of Commissioner (But broke no laws!)

Fox News ^

[DocT111]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A state legislative panel has concluded that Sarah Palin abused her power in the firing of the state's public safety commissioner.

The findings were released after lawmakers emerged Friday from a private session in Anchorage where they spent more than six hours discussing a politically charged ethics report into the firing by Gov. Palin.

[P-Marlowe]

If I had a guy working with me who had bad breath and BO and refused to follow my orders, I suspect that someone could conclude that the fact that he had bad breath and BO was "likely a contributing factor" in his firing. They'd probably be right.

Having bad breath and BO brings a little more attention to the fact that you are not following orders.

[dogbyte12]

I have to disagree some.

She had every right to fire Monegan.

Todd Palin had no right to use state offices to talk to officials who were subordinates of the Governor about trying to fire Wooten.

Let me reiterate. Wooten is pond scum. It’s irrelevant. The spouse of a Governor doesn’t get to do what Todd did because the target is a flaming bleep.

[StarFan]

All the sheeple will remember will be: "Sarah Palin Abused Her Power" and will vote for Obama

Could not disagree more. If the Sheeple are that disgusted that a Gov. abused power and is not entitled to their vote, are we then to believe that same group treats Ayers, Wright, & Co. as small players in comparison?

Just listened to Morris on H&C who had an interesting assessment of where the populace finds itself. They're disgusted with the GOP believing they're the cause of the financial mess YET are afraid to elect someone they know little about. The more they hear about Ayers, ACORN and now a Farrakkan (sp?) video that surfaced, the more they are unlikely to pull the lever for him.

I know, I know -- the toe sucker is the same man who said Hillary will be our next President so he should be ignored but with foxnews saying the Ayers controversy is beginning to leave a mark, I'm apt to listen to him. He said the polls will tighten before election day and I'm clinging to that hope. It really is up to McCain to tell voters precisely who is responsible for the financial mess everytime he speaks.

[oiler]

what ever happened to Merry Fitzmas?
Didn’t Obama:
Conspire to commit massive voter fraud?
Conspire to deny freedom of speech (talk about abuse of power!)?
Conspire to undermine our nations foreign policy in Iraq?

Damn the Marxists, the MSM and the top of the ticket who refuses to stand up for his VP and his base.

I am so tired...

[Aliska]

Governor Palin LEGALLY firing a wife-beter and a snake who would taser a 10 year old kid

She didn't fire Wooten who did what you said because she did not have the authority to do that.

Instead she fired Monegan, and they are trying to make it sound like she did it because he refused to fire Wooten.

[diamond6]

Here’s another point.

Does her husband not have the right as a private citizen to complain about a violent and incompetent police officer?

If he has fear for his own family, is he supposed to keep his mouth shut?

Does his right as a citizen mean nothing?!!!

The findings do not tie her directly to the pressure to fire Wooten.

I think if there’s an appeal process, they would have a damn good case for appeal.

[supercat]

Wooten has grounds to sue Todd Palin in civil court. He has a decent shot of winning.

What would be the basis for the lawsuit, and how sympathetic do you think a jury would be to a cop with Wooten's record versus the man against whom Wooten had made death threats and whose nephew Wooten had zapped with a Taser?

[smalltownslick]

What exactly does that mean - abused power but broke no laws? That’s craxy.

[Gondring]

I’d recommend reading the report, as well as the other documents. Trooper Wooten should be rotting away in a cell, from the evidence, but Gov. Palin seemed to have acted a bit too forcefully in her claims. Some don’t hold up, such as why she listened in on the cell-phone and had Track do so... As has been pointed out, some of her other actions don’t seem to support the “fear” claim.

[redk]

“Yeah. They could impeach her.

Good luck with that!

She only has an 80% approval rating.

But they’ll probably try it.”

She is the Democrats karmic retribution for Slick. If anytthing the taxpayers will not be happy with this waste of tax money and time.

[mnehring]

Remember what was said when she was first chosen, she left piles of bodies of corrupt politicians in her wake, Democrats and Republicans. They are coming back to try to get revenge now.

[xzins]

Having bad breath and BO

You come to my business smelling and with Barak Obama in tow, and I guarantee you'll get fired.

[dogbyte12]

What would be the basis for the lawsuit, and how sympathetic do you think a jury would be to a cop with Wooten's record versus the man against whom Wooten had made death threats and whose nephew Wooten had zapped with a Taser? He is a union police guy. He was disciplined (crappily) for infractions. 3 years later, Todd Palin was given access to government office space, and government officials to try to get him fired for the offenses he was already "punished" for by the 5 day suspension. He could argue stalking, abuse of authority. I am not saying he would win, but this would be a case that wouldn't be tossed out before trial.

[Gondring]

MSNBC has an absolute LIE. It says in the document directly "Governor Palin's firing of Commissioner Monegan was a proper and lawful exercise of her constitutional and statutory authority to hire and fire..."

Again...

The Abuse of Power finding had NOTHING TO DO WITH MONEGAN!


**The Abuse of Power finding was with respect to issue one (Violated Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a)).

**The firing of Monegan was issue two (Finding: Lawful).

[Gondring]

I think they should go after Wooten based on his reported admission of illegally bagging game.

[Gondring]

She said,he said. She says she was within her rights to can him.

AGAIN...the Abuse of Power had NOTHING TO DO with firing Commissioner Monegan. It was an entirely different accusation against her that they said violated the law.

[ArchAngel1983]

"The people who really like her are going to be really angry now."

YEAP...

[anglian]

"Todd Palin had no right to use state offices to talk to officials who were subordinates of the Governor about trying to fire Wooten." Todd Palin was ORDERED by the head of the Governor’s security detail, Special Agent Bob Cockrell, to discuss Trooper Wooten with Walt Monegan, as Wooten presented a credible threat to the Governor’s safety. Here’s a direct quote from Special Agent Cockrell, who is now providing security for his sixth consecutive governor: “When made aware of the security concerns regarding a state trooper, I instructed the First Gentleman to contact the commissioner of Public Safety. It is standard protocol to ask every governor about any threats they perceive or have realized. “I will not hesitate to set the record straight in answering these false allegations by former Commissioner Monegan.” http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/2008/08/accusations-against-palin-imploding.html

[Gondring]

She did break a law.

Basically, view it like she was facing multiple charges and got NOT GUILTY on firing Monegan, but GUILTY on Abusing her Power WRT trying to get Trooper Wooten fired.

[Gondring]

She did break a law.

To clarify, I am saying that's what the report finding states.