Is he claiming executive privilege from the Bush White House? On Sep 19, 6:26 am, "mike532 [ Republicans for Obama ]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Palin's husband refuses to > testifyhttp://www.capitolhillblue.com/cont/node/11309 > Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband has refused to testify in the > investigation of his wife's alleged abuse of power, and key lawmakers > said Thursday that uncooperative witnesses are effectively > sidetracking the probe until after Election Day. > > Todd Palin, who participates in state business in person or by e-mail, > was among 13 people subpoenaed by the Alaska Legislature. Palin's > lawyer sent a letter to the lead investigator saying Palin objected to > the probe and would not appear to testify on Friday. > > "The objections boil down to the fact that the Legislative Council > investigation is no longer a legitimate investigation because it has > been subjected to complete partisanship and does not operate with the > authority that it had at the time of its initial authorization," > McCain-Palin presidential campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan said. > > Sarah Palin initially welcomed the bipartisan investigation into > accusations that she dismissed the state's public safety commissioner > because he refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper. > "Hold me accountable," she said. > > But she has increasingly opposed it since Republican presidential > candidate John McCain tapped her as his running mate. The McCain > campaign dispatched a legal team to Alaska including O'Callaghan, a > former top U.S. terrorism prosecutor from New York to bolster Palin's > local lawyer. > > In the letter, Palin attorney Thomas Van Flein lists nine objections > to the Legislature's investigation into Gov. Palin. Van Flein also > argues the subpoena is "unduly burdensome" because Palin has travel > plans that require him to be out of the state. > > Earlier this week, Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg said the > governor, who was not subpoenaed, declined to participate in the > investigation and said Palin administration employees who have been > subpoenaed would not appear. > > State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, a Democrat, said the McCain campaign is > doing all it can to prevent the Legislature from completing a report > on whether the GOP's vice presidential nominee abused her power as > governor. > > Wielechowski and another member of the panel that summoned the > witnesses, told The Associated Press that the witnesses can avoid > testifying for months without penalty and that court action to force > them to appear sooner is unlikely. > > Republican Sen. Gene Therriault agreed with Wielechowski's analysis. > > "If we had turned the rhetoric down and turned the pressure down to do > some things we might have gotten voluntary cooperation," said > Therriault, who opposed the subpoenas. > > The McCain-Palin campaign said Thursday that Gov. Palin is cooperating > with a separate Alaska State Personnel Board investigation into > Troopergate. Palin initiated that investigation after she joined > McCain's ticket. The three-member board is appointed by the governor. > > "I can't say it enough, the governor is an open book on this matter," > McCain spokeswoman Meg Stapleton said. "She is fully cooperating with > the unbiased, legally appropriate and independent investigation of the > State Personnel Board." > > Palin fired Walt Monegan in July. It later emerged that Palin, her > husband, Todd, and several high-level staffers had contacted Monegan > about state trooper Mike Wooten. Palin maintains she fired Monegan > over budget disagreements, not because he wouldn't dismiss her former > brother-in-law. > > Wooten had gone through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister before > Palin became governor. While Monegan says no one from the > administration ever told him directly to fire Wooten, he says their > repeated contacts made it clear they wanted Wooten gone. > > Alaska Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican foe of Palin, said > Wednesday that the investigation is still on track. > > "The original purpose of the investigation was to bring out the truth. > Nothing has changed," she said. > > Without the testimony, the retired prosecutor hired to head the > investigation could still release a report in October as scheduled, > based on the evidence he's already gathered. As of Thursday, Steven > Branchflower had interviewed or deposed 17 of the 33 people he had > identified as potential witnesses in the probe. > > The Legislature does not have the leverage to compel any witness to > testify before Nov. 4, said Wielechowski, a member of the Senate > Judiciary Committee. > > Wielechowski said he did not know whether Branchflower has enough > material for a complete and fair report with so few witnesses. But he > said delaying the probe would only politicize the matter more. > > "It would be to appease the McCain camp," Wielechowski said. "They're > doing everything they can to delay." > > Ignoring a legislative subpoena is punishable by a fine up to $500 and > up to six months in jail under Alaska law. But courts are reluctant to > intervene in legislative matters and the full Legislature must be in > session to bring contempt charges, Wielechowski said. The Legislature > is not scheduled to convene until January. > > Palin's husband refuses to > testifyhttp://www.capitolhillblue.com/cont/node/11309 > Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband has refused to testify in the > investigation of his wife's alleged abuse of power, and key lawmakers > said Thursday that uncooperative witnesses are effectively > sidetracking the probe until after Election Day. > > Todd Palin, who participates in state business in person or by e-mail, > was among 13 people subpoenaed by the Alaska Legislature. Palin's > lawyer sent a letter to the lead investigator saying Palin objected to > the probe and would not appear to testify on Friday. > > "The objections boil down to the fact that the Legislative Council > investigation is no longer a legitimate investigation because it has > been subjected to complete partisanship and does not operate with the > authority that it had at the time of its initial authorization," > McCain-Palin presidential campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan said. > > Sarah Palin initially welcomed the bipartisan investigation into > accusations that she dismissed the state's public safety commissioner > because he refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper. > "Hold me accountable," she said. > > But she has increasingly opposed it since Republican presidential > candidate John McCain tapped her as his running mate. The McCain > campaign dispatched a legal team to Alaska including O'Callaghan, a > former top U.S. terrorism prosecutor from New York to bolster Palin's > local lawyer. > > In the letter, Palin attorney Thomas Van Flein lists nine objections > to the Legislature's investigation into Gov. Palin. Van Flein also > argues the subpoena is "unduly burdensome" because Palin has travel > plans that require him to be out of the state. > > Earlier this week, Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg said the > governor, who was not subpoenaed, declined to participate in the > investigation and said Palin administration employees who have been > subpoenaed would not appear. > > State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, a Democrat, said the McCain campaign is > doing all it can to prevent the Legislature from completing a report > on whether the GOP's vice presidential nominee abused her power as > governor. > > Wielechowski and another member of the panel that summoned the > witnesses, told The Associated Press that the witnesses can avoid > testifying for months without penalty and that court action to force > them to appear sooner is unlikely. > > Republican Sen. Gene Therriault agreed with Wielechowski's analysis. > > "If we had turned the rhetoric down and turned the pressure down to do > some things we might have gotten voluntary cooperation," said > Therriault, who opposed the subpoenas. > > The McCain-Palin campaign said Thursday that Gov. Palin is cooperating > with a separate Alaska State Personnel Board investigation into > Troopergate. Palin initiated that investigation after she joined > McCain's ticket. The three-member board is appointed by the governor. > > "I can't say it enough, the governor is an open book on this matter," > McCain spokeswoman Meg Stapleton said. "She is fully cooperating with > the unbiased, legally appropriate and independent investigation of the > State Personnel Board." > > Palin fired Walt Monegan in July. It later emerged that Palin, her > husband, Todd, and several high-level staffers had contacted Monegan > about state trooper Mike Wooten. Palin maintains she fired Monegan > over budget disagreements, not because he wouldn't dismiss her former > brother-in-law. > > Wooten had gone through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister before > Palin became governor. While Monegan says no one from the > administration ever told him directly to fire Wooten, he says their > repeated contacts made it clear they wanted Wooten gone. > > Alaska Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican foe of Palin, said > Wednesday that the investigation is still on track. > > "The original purpose of the investigation was to bring out the truth. > Nothing has changed," she said. > > Without the testimony, the retired prosecutor hired to head the > investigation could still release a report in October as scheduled, > based on the evidence he's already gathered. As of Thursday, Steven > Branchflower had interviewed or deposed 17 of the 33 people he had > identified as potential witnesses in the probe. > > The Legislature does not have the leverage to compel any witness to > testify before Nov. 4, said Wielechowski, a member of the Senate > Judiciary Committee. > > Wielechowski said he did not know whether Branchflower has enough > material for a complete and fair report with so few witnesses. But he > said delaying the probe would only politicize the matter more. > > "It would be to appease the McCain camp," Wielechowski said. "They're > doing everything they can to delay." > > Ignoring a legislative subpoena is punishable by a fine up to $500 and > up to six months in jail under Alaska law. But > > read more »... --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
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