"A McCain lawyer scrambles to block a Palin ethics inquiry."

[ProSense]

Can He Stop 'Troopergate'?

A McCain lawyer scrambles to block a Palin ethics inquiry.

By Michael Isikoff | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Sep 16, 2008 | Updated: 7:15 p.m. ET Sep 16, 2008

A former top Justice Department prosecutor now working for John McCain's presidential campaign has been helping to direct an aggressive legal strategy aimed at shutting down a pre-election ethics investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The growing role of Edward O'Callaghan, who until six weeks ago served as co-chief of the terrorism and national security unit of the U.S. attorney's office in New York, illustrates just how seriously the McCain campaign is taking the so-called "troopergate" inquiry into Palin's firing last summer of Walt Monegan, Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner.

O'Callaghan emerged publicly for the first time this week when he told reporters at a McCain campaign press conference, in Anchorage, that Palin is "unlikely to cooperate" with an Alaskan legislative inquiry into Monegan's firing because it had been "tainted" by politics. That new stand appeared to directly contradict a previous vow, expressed by her official gubernatorial spokesman on July 28, that Palin "will fully cooperate" with an investigation into the matter.

But O'Callaghan (who resigned from the U.S. attorney's office at the end of July to join the McCain campaign) is doing more than just public relations when it comes to "troopergate." He told NEWSWEEK that he and another McCain campaign lawyer (whom he declined to identify) are serving as legal "consultants" to Thomas Van Flein, the Anchorage lawyer who at state expense is representing Palin and her office in the inquiry. "We are advising Thomas Van Flein on this matter to the extent that it impacts on the national campaign," he said. "I'm helping out on legal strategy."

more

McCain Camp Takes Over Palin's Alaska Press Operation
The Associated Press reports that the McCain campaign has taken over media access to Sarah Palin's record as governor, with Palin's gubernatorial press office referring all questions to the campaign itself. In particular, the campaign is carefully managing any and all press involving the Trooper-Gate scandal, and are managing Palin's own legal maneuvering.

link

Trooper-Gate: Palin's Shifting Stories

[cdb]

1. It's almost as if they have something to hide!!

criminal scum -- GOP as usual

[nc4bo]

2. No doubt left in my mind, there is someBIGthing there that needs some sunlight. nt

[ProSense]

3. I'm sure a lot of people would like to see this go away

Republicans and their apologists

[JBoy]

4. I feel another Obama ad coming on:

Video of her saying she'll cooperate fully; news headline saying they're trying to shut down the inquiry. What are they hiding?? It's just more of the same.

[ProSense]

5. This isn't going away. n/t