Palin seeks review of Monegan firing case

[brooklynite]

Source: Anchorage Daily News

Gov. Sarah Palin wants a state board to review the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan -- taking the unusual step of making an ethics complaint against herself.

Her lawyer sent an "ethics disclosure" Monday night to Attorney General Talis Colberg. The governor asked that it go to the three-person Personnel Board as a complaint. While ethics complaints are usually confidential, Palin wants the matter open.

The lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, also asked the state Legislature to drop its own investigation into the Monegan matter. He says the Personnel Board has jurisdiction over ethics.

A senator running the investigation immediately refused.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/monegan/story/514163.html

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The Alaska Attorney General is appointed by the Governor. Yup, that'll clear things up...

[C_U_L8R]

1. More of the same Bush tactics

Refer it over to your cronies to bury the matter.

Fortunately the State Legislature seems to be having none of Plain's bullshit.

[George II]

6. I did see somewhere yesterday that one of her contemporaries called her "a quick study"!

She learns bush/Rovian tactics FAST!!

[Solly Mack]

2. the 3 member- personnel board is appointed by the governor (Palin)

so...Palin wants her own handpicked panel to investigate her

That's like Bush's DOJ investigating him


"Van Flein indicated the governor likely will not agree to a deposition unless lawmakers turn the matter over to the Personnel Board.

"Assuming you agree to submit to proper jurisdictional process, we can check the Governor's schedule to see when she and the First Gentleman are available for an interview," Van Flein wrote."

Much like Bush and Cheney refusing... and claiming Congress has no authority over them


""Our concern is that Hollis French turns into Ken Starr and uses public money to pursue a political vendetta rather than truly pursue an honest inquiry into an alleged ethics issue," Van Flein said in an interview."

Now that's funny because Palin wrote a letter harping on the "liberal media" picking on some guy in Alaska screwing around and accused them of not going after Clinton that way...



http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/51539.html


"Van Flein said the investigation should be handled by the state Personnel Board, not the legislature, because it's "statutorily mandated" to handle ethics cases. The three-member Personnel Board is appointed by the governor."


and here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26517013/

not the "fair inquiry"....framing the current inquiry as unfair and that Palin is getting a raw deal

and this was interesting

"Van Flein, who also previously represented the Palin family in another matter, said there was no conflict of interest in the dual representation arrangement. Van Flein is permitted to bill the state up to $95,000 for work in the current case.

Van Flein saw no problem with the arrangement. "Our representation is dual but the billing is not," Van Flein said before Palin's legal filing was disclosed Tuesday evening. "Matters involving a personal issue will not — and have not — been billed in the government contract."

Van Flein said that prior to his hiring by the state's Department of Law on Aug. 21, "We represented the governor and her husband privately." He declined to provide further details on that matter.

The attorney said he doesn't know whether Palin suggested to the Alaska Department of Law that it hire him and said he bid for the work. Van Flein and another lawyer in his firm are billing the state $185 an hour under the contract. "

[drm604]

3. Have your own appointees judge you. Where else have I seen that?

I think she learned this from someone else's example or, more likely, someone else is telling her what to do. Didn't I hear something about a bunch of McCain lawyers heading to Alaska?

[iconicgnom]

4. Nice timing. I wonder (hehe..) who explained that tactic to her?

[George II]

5. Maybe they'll put Alberto Gonzalez in charge of the investigation?

[gratuitous]

7. Why does Gov. Palin need an investigation?

Can't she answer for her own actions? Or isn't she sure why she fired Monegan?

Boy, the Republicans sure wanted us to focus on Gov. Palin's record, not her family, not her personality, not her public pronouncements, but her record. Now that we're doing so, I'm sure we're going to hear the stuck-pig squealing of the Republicans whining about how "sexist" and "unfair" it is to ask hard questions about Gov. Palin's record. But again, why does she need to call for an investigation into her own actions? Why can't she put on her big girl panties and speak for herself?

[MiniMe]

8. She is trying to take the matter out of the Senators hands

and put it into somebody she can control's hands, where the investigation will be delayed until after the election. I'm not sure she was around when Spiro Agnew was vice president, but if this crap comes out then, she is in big trouble.