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BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. and Conoco Phillips Alaska told the Senate Resources Committee there are projects the companies could do on Alaska's North Slope to increase oil production, but those projects will have trouble attracting capital investment because of high state taxes. Damien Bilbao, head of finance, developments and resources for BP, discussed a proposed reduction in the "progressivity" of the state oil production tax from 0.35 from 0.40. He told the committee: "A change of five-hundredth of a percentage point will not sway our investment decisions in Alaska." (He was discussing an earlier version of Senate Bill 192 than...

An unintentionally hilarious assertion was made by Alaska State Senator Hollis French on Rachel Maddow's MSNBC cable show Friday night. Maddow and French were discussing the so-called Troopergate scandal and Gov. Sarah Palin's alleged grudge in firing former Alaska public safety commissioner Walt Monegan for not reopening an investigation of a state trooper who went through a nasty divorce with Palin's sister. Hollis, a Democrat who led the state legislature's investigation into Palin's actions in firing Monegan last July, cited "severe logical fallacies" in claims made by Palin and her husband Todd, including the Palins' request for reduced security despite...

Today, 02:33 PM Sandy in PA Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 5,450 Poster Rank: #7 (10/12/08) "Top Investigator In Palin Troopergate Smear Campaign Is Phony Soldier" (Gateway Pundit) Obama Supporter Hollis Lied & Claimed He was a Marine Quote: Democratic state Senator Hollis French, the lead investigator in the smear campaign against Governor Palin, promised his party that the results of the Troopergate probe would be an "October surprise" that would "likely be damaging to the administration." French is one of the 20%'ers in Alaska who does not approve of Governor Sarah Palin. He also is a staunch Obama...

STATEMENT FROM MCCAIN-PALIN SPOKESWOMAN MEG STAPLETON Friday, October 10, 2008 ARLINGTON, VA — McCain-Palin 2008 spokeswoman Meg Stapleton issued the following statement on today’s release of Stephen Branchflower’s report: “Today’s report shows that the Governor acted within her proper and lawful authority in the reassignment of Walt Monegan. The report also illustrates what we’ve known all along: this was a partisan led inquiry run by Obama supporters and the Palins were completely justified in their concern regarding Trooper Wooten given his violent and rogue behavior. Lacking evidence to support the original Monegan allegation, the Legislative Council seriously overreached, making a...

Corruption: Wooten - Tip of the Iceberg Oct 2 Written by: Seth Church 10/2/2008 1:31 AM My turn: "Troopergate" allegations expose new corruption By Jim Crawford - I've known and respected many Alaska State Troopers in my 60 years in Alaska. But amazingly, now it appears that the most corrupt 'Good Old Boy' network is Alaska's Department of Public Safety. "Troopergate" allegations that Gov. Sarah Palin, her staff, or husband, Todd, used undue influence to get Trooper Mike Wooten fired were unfounded since he wasn't fired. The "Troopergate" investigation, however, documented the reasons why he should have been. I believe...

The results of the investigation into Sarah Palin's firing of Walt Monegan, her Commissioner of Public Safety, are out. (pdf) Here is what Investigator Stephen Branchflower wrote: As Flap noted in his post on the report, Sarah Palin's abuse of power stems from her INACTION, meaning she did little or nothing to stop her husband Todd from pushing the issue. However, a sworn affidavit, Todd Palin says Sarah told him to "drop it": In his sworn statement to legislative investigators, released yesterday, Mr Palin is unapologetic about his efforts to get Mr Wooten fired, but denied his crusade had anything...

(FAIRBANKS) – In response to the political turn taken by the Legislative Council's inquiry into Walt Monegan's removal from office, today Christopher Huffman, a Fairbanks small business owner, filed an Alaska Freedom of Information Act request with Senator Kim Elton, Senator Hollis French, Stephen Branchflower, and Walter Monegan. The request seeks "all documents pertaining to the Alaska State Legislature inquiry" into the Monegan matter, including all documents related to the hiring of Stephen Branchflower and the evaluation of any other candidates for the position; all communications between Mr. Branchflower, Mr. Monegan, Sen. Kim Elton, or Sen. Hollis French and other...

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's attorney general says state employees subpoenaed in the investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin will not testify. In a letter to the Democratic state senator overseeing the investigation, Attorney General Talis Colberg asks that the subpoenas be withdrawn. He also says the employees will not appear before the investigator unless either the full state Senate or the entire Alaska Legislature votes to compel their testimony.

I have run across some very explosive audio from an Alaska Joint Judicial Committee Hearing. What you will hear is the committee discussing who's really running the investigation. One of the committee members tells the "independent" investigator Branchflower that he has the right to put someone on the subpoena list who was omitted for some reason. However, investigator Branchflower refuses to do so, saying that he must consult with Mr. French, the Alaskan Democratic Senator leading the "troopergate" investigation. This confuses the committee member, who wonders why he has to consult with Hollis French at all. Does that mean Hollis...

A Friday hearing revealed that an Obama partisan has manipulated an independent investigator’s subpoena list of a controversial inquiry against GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The investigation is intended to determine whether Palin abused her office by firing Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. Palin says she fired him over budget issues. Her foes believe the firing was due to Monegan’s unwillingness to fire Palin’s former brother-in-law State Trooper Mike Wooten, a man who has admitted to “tasering” his stepson, illegally shooting a moose and has been accused of threatening his former father-in-law with violence and drinking in his police car....

Todd Palin among 13 subpoenaed in 'Troopergate' Daily News and wire reports (09/12/08 11:50:02) The state Senate Judiciary Committee voted 3-2 today to subpoena 13 people -- including the husband of Gov. Sarah Palin -- in an investigation of whether Palin abused her power in trying to get her former brother-in-law fired. -snip- The Senate committees granted the request. Voting for were Sens. Charlie Huggins, R-Wasilla, and two Anchorage Democrats, Hollis French and Bill Wielechowski. Voting no were Sens. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, and Gene Therriault, R-North Pole. Branchflower said he wants to interview Palin herself but did not ask for...

Not WRIGHT for America has pointed out previously that the Troopergate investigation, which was supposed to be handled fairly, impartially, and independently of the Legislature and partisan Democrat state senator Hollis French (hence the hiring of "independent" investigator Stephen Branchflower), appeared to be anything but independent. But now, thanks to a report from AFP and a review of a letter French wrote in regard to the investigation, it is clear that French has admitted to directing at least parts of the investigation, even while he claims not to be influencing the investigation in any way!

Greetings, Please take a moment today to thank Senator Hollis French – our pro-choice champion! It was an intense legislative session in Juneau. We battled two bills, House Bill 301 and House Bill 364, that would have had disastrous affects on the state of reproductive health in Alaska. Thanks to our champion, Senator Hollis French, we were able to stop these bad bills in the Senate. Please take a moment today and thank him and his staff for supporting the reproductive health and rights of thousands of women, men and teens across this great state. It has been a tough...

ANCHORAGE -- A Republican state representative says the Democrat overseeing a legislative investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's dismissal of her public safety commissioner seems intent on damaging her vice presidential candidacy. The Republican wants the Democrat removed from the post. Democratic state Sen. Hollis French "appears to be steering the direction of the investigation, its conclusion and its timing in a manner that will have maximum partisan political impact on the national and state elections," state Rep. John Coghill said in a letter dated Friday.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Alaska lawmaker leading an investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's dismissal of her public safety commissioner should be removed because he appears to be manipulating the probe to damage her vice presidential candidacy, a Republican legislator says.

Yesterday Not WRIGHT for America questioned the impartiality of Hollis French, the liberal Democrat lawyer/state senator who is in charge of the legislative "inquiry" (read: witch hunt) into whether Governor Palin abused her power by pressuring her Public Safety Commissioner to fire a state trooper who was in a custody dispute with Palin's sister. Today we get confirmation that we were right to question Hollis French. ABC News quotes him talking about the final report of the ethics committee, which is not even due out until October 31: "It's likely to be damaging to the Governor" and "She [Palin] has...