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Posted on 09/17/2008 5:49:59 AM PDT by Kaslin
Troopergate Investigator Stephen Branchflower has been slapped with two lawsuits, one by a group of Alaskan residents who believe his inquiry represents an abuse of their tax dollars and the other by five Republican lawmakers who called Branchflower’s tactics “McCarthyistic.”
Both suits were filed at the Third Judicial District in Anchorage on Tuesday.
Citizens Robert Bettishworth, James Dodson, Seth Church, David Eichler, Thomas Temple and Alan Simmons complained the $100,000 allocated to determine whether Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin abused her power in firing of a political appointee is “a statutorily unauthorized waste of public monies.”
The citizen suit raised doubts about Branchflower’s neutrality, citing public statements from the investigator’s “Project Director” Democratic Sen. Hollis French.
French, who is actively supporting Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy, handpicked Branchflower to conduct an investigation to determine whether Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin violated ethics rules in firing Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. French has publicly said he expects Branchflower’s inquiry to culminate in an “October surprise” that would hurt Palin’s chances of becoming vice president in November.
Their suit specifically detailed an exchange Branchflower had with Alaskan lawmakers during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last Friday. “Branchflower admitted that not only did Senator French actually remove a name from Branchflower’s subpoena list, but that he was not sure why French had done that,” their suit said. “When asked specifically about the removal of the name, Branchflower stated that he ‘would have to defer that question to Mr. French,’ thus admitting that the investigation was under the de facto control and direction of Senator French.”
At that hearing lawmakers approved 13 subpoenas to further Branchflower’s investigation, including one for Palin’s husband, Todd.
Upon receiving the citizen suit, the court issued a summons to Branchflower requiring him to file a written answer to the citizen complaint within 20 days. This date lands smack in the middle of his investigation. Branchflower has said he expects to release a final report between October 10 and October 31, but answering his own summons would surely increase his workload.
The Republican lawmakers’ suit, not only targeted Branchflower, but French and his Democratic colleague Sen. Kim Elton as well. “The defendants are conducting a ‘McCarthyistic’ investigation in an unlawful, biased, partial and partisan political manner in order to impact the upcoming Alaska’ general and national presidential elections,” it said.
Elton is chairman of Alaska’s Legislative Council, which is overseeing Branchflower’s investigation. He is also ardently supporting Obama’s candidacy and has donated $2,000 to his presidential campaign.
The Republicans argued Commissioner Monegan gave Palin “ample cause” for firing by defying her, in concert with Senator French, on budget issues.
“Working with Sen. French, and contrary to directions from Governor Palin, Monegan had attempted to include items in the Alaska state budget appropriating funds for various items within the Department of Public Safety that Governor Palin had previously vetoed,” their suit said. “Afterwards, contrary to the instructions of the Governor and contrary to the Governor’s budgetary plan, Monegan attempted to travel to Washington D.C. at state Executive Branch expense, in order to request federal funding through ‘earmarks’ for line items from Alaska’s congressional delegation.”
Yes, Rush suggested this Tasergate thing ... and you’re claiming the trademark?
Alaskans: “We don’t take chet from no one”.
Hee, hee ...
McCarthy was correct!
I’ve talked to someone in AK who has told me that the guy was NOT fired but offered another job and quit instead.
I’m having a hard time seeing why she couldn’t fire him for not removing the officer for making threats to her family. But, then politics has a way of confusing the heck out of me.
“Troopergate” has the validity of a Stalin Show Trial...
Wasn’t it Liz Weihl who said she had the right to fire him because she didn’t like his height? I sympathize with the citizens of Alaskans concerned about misuse of their tax dollars. I have to imagine Sarah Palin has better things to do with her time over these next 49 days than travel back and forth between depositions, testimony and court appearances.
I have an incredible cartoon to post on this, but don’t knwo how to post it. Can anyone tell me? Thanks!
Liz is also the FNS Lawyerette that stated as legal fact that it was MALPRACTICE for a divorcing mother not to accuse the husband in the action of CHILD ABUSE on their children!!!
She is an embarrassment to the legal profession.
BUMP
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I’m confused - the only way I could interpret what you’re saying is if the mother accuses the husband of child abuse that had not happened. Is that what you’re saying? Or is your comment specific to Sarah Palin’s sister whose husband tazered her son (his stepson)?
I know I’d be calling for removal of more than his badge for doing something like this. Just because you’re in politics, you don’t have the right to try to prevent harm to your family members?! Hogwash.
I’m referring to a case Liz was discussing with BOR a feww weeks ago. In the case. the mother had accused the husband of abusing the kid and literally ruined him. Later, she recanted as she had absolutely no evidence, including a kid that refuted the charge. Liz said the lawyer had a legal responsibility to make the charge whether true or not.
No connection to Palin, just a comment on Wheel’s veracity and ability as an attorney. She should be disbarred, and in fact, I e-mailed her state bar asking she be investigated.
Joseph McCarthy is and was a National HERO.. The question “Are you now or have you ever been a socialist dupe, operative or supporter” should be asked everyone in Juneau..
If anyone knows the true story of “humpty dumpty” then they will know that the cartoon is quite accurate.
“Humpty Dumpty” was a mortar, a short range cannon that shot large bore cannonballs. It was used to keep the Parliamentarians at bay during the siege of Colchester during the British Civil War.
To improve it’s range, the Royalists had hauled the mortar to the top of a church tower, (St Mary’s at the Wall Church). The church was built right onto the Roman wall that surrounded and protected the city. From the top of the tower the mortar could keep the Parliamentarians at sufficient distance that they could not use their artillery on the Royalists.
Eventually someone came up with the strategy of shooting out the tower from underneath the mortar. The Parliamentarians were successful with this strategy and brought the mortar tumbling down.
That was the origin of the nursery rhyme which was a used as away to spread the news as was customary in that time.
The Church and wall still exist and you can see where the top of the tower has been rebuilt with different stone.
“McCarthy was correct!”
Maybe they’ll call him “Nixonian” next. Gee whiz.
“McCarthy was correct!”
Maybe they’ll call him “Nixonian” next. Gee whiz.
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