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On Oct 9, 6:06 am, "[ a patriotic Republican ]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 'Troopergate' report set for Friday, despite Palin > resistancehttp://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/53632.html > With his "troopergate" report due Friday, legislative investigator > Steve Branchflower appears to have the makings of a fairly complete > account, despite weeks of resistance from the Palin family and > administration. > > Branchflower has, or soon will have, answers from nearly all the > people he'd hoped to question regarding Gov. Sarah Palin's firing in > July of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. > > Some of the final witnesses include seven state employees, including > the governor's chief of staff, who lost a court fight to kill > subpoenas Branchflower obtained through the Alaska Senate Judiciary > Committee to compel their testimony. > > The seven this week are answering a list of questions known as > interrogatories. The answers are submitted under oath. > > Another key witness, Todd Palin, the governor's husband, also is > answering a list of questions in writing, and has a deadline of today > to turn them in. > > A legislative panel has scheduled a meeting for 9 a.m. Friday to > receive Branchflower's report on Monegan's firing and whether Palin or > members of her administration abused their powers in pushing for the > dismissal of a state trooper involved in a child-custody fight with > the governor's sister. > > The legislative inquiry into the so-called troopergate affair has > gathered huge national interest because of Palin's run for the vice > presidency, and because of campaign charges that biased Democrats in > the Legislature have manipulated the investigation to damage the > McCain-Palin ticket. > > When they launched the troopergate probe on July 28, about a month > before John McCain chose Palin as his vice presidential running mate, > legislators designated state Sen. Hollis French, an Anchorage Democrat > and Judiciary Committee chairman, as director of the Branchflower > investigation. > > French said Tuesday that Branchflower, a retired state prosecutor, is > working as fast as possible to finish his questioning and draft his > report. > > Whether in person or in writing, Branchflower has been able to > interview nearly all the witnesses he wanted to question regarding > whatever they might know about events surrounding Monegan's firing. > > The big exception is the governor herself, who had said initially she > would cooperate but has since resisted. Legislators decided against > hitting the governor with a subpoena, saying they wanted to "de- > escalate" tensions between her and the Legislature. > > "We tried to schedule a statement from her but it never worked out," > French said. > > By Friday, Branchflower is expected to have heard from at least 15 > witnesses, including Mike Nizich, Palin's chief of staff, and Annette > Kreitzer, Palin's commissioner of administration. He's also gathering > e-mail and other documents. > > French said Branchflower will have to speak for himself as to whether > he was able to gather enough witness cooperation and facts to prepare > a proper report. > > "That's a question that's going to have to get answered Friday," > French said. "I've been pretty careful not to peer over his shoulder. > He's a very experienced investigator." > > Some Republican legislators have criticized French, however, saying he > made media remarks that seemed to presage an unfavorable outcome for > the governor. > > Palin has said she fired Monegan over budget and policy conflicts, not > the trooper issue. > > At 3 p.m. today, lawyers for six Republican legislators who last week > lost a court case seeking to halt the legislative investigation will > try to persuade the state Supreme Court to overturn Superior Court > Peter Michalski's dismissal of the case. > > Meg Stapleton, a local spokeswoman for the McCain-Palin campaign, said > Todd Palin is answering Branchflower's questions but isn't hopeful of > a fair outcome. > > "Todd certainly wants to make sure that everyone knows he has nothing > to hide," she said. "But Todd and the governor both feel the outcome > was predetermined and prejudged back when the governor was named a > vice presidential candidate." > > Monegan, the man at the center of the Troopergate affair, said he > spent nearly a day answering Branchflower's questions in person. He > said he also turned over some documents. > > "I'm looking forward to whatever Steve finds out," Monegan said. "One, > I want the truth to come out. But two, I am sure I'm like the rest of > the state in that we'd like to see some conclusion to this thing." > > Monegan said he wasn't sure at first, but has come to believe that his > failure to heed pressure from Palin, her husband and others to sack > state Trooper Mike Wooten is what cost him his job as public safety > commissioner. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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