Sarah Palin, Troopergate, and Abuse of Power

The 'Troopergate' report is out, and the determination has been made that Governor Palin's firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan falls within her authority to hire and fire executive branch department heads. However, as the report - composed of eight findings - states in Finding Number One, "Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act."

At the heart of the matter was a bitter divorce and custody battle between Governor Palin's sister Molly and her husband, state trooper Mike Wooten. Wooten, who had previously been accused of illegal activities including drinking beer in a patrol car and Tasering his stepson, allegedly made threats against the Palin family after Sarah Palin became governor. Monegan claims he lost his job because he resisted pressure by the Governor's family, namely Todd Palin, to fire Wooten. (Earlier, Wooten had been disciplined in September 2006, prior to Palin's election to governor, and continued to work as a state trooper)

According to the Asociated Press:

Gov. Palin knowingly "permitted Todd to use the governor's office and the resources of the governor's office, including access to state employees, to continue to contact subordinate state employees in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired," Branchflower's report reads.

The AP article describes in detail the abuse of power that investigator Stephen Branchflower has determined Palin committed. Although the Mike Wooten issue was not the sole reason for Monegan's dismissal, Branchflower found it did influence Palin's decision-making.