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The Alaska Public Safety Commissioner dismissal, also known as Troopergate,[1] involves the possibly illegal July 2008 dismissal of the Alaskan Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan by Republican Governor Sarah Palin. A complaint alleged that Palin dismissed Monegan because he did not fire Alaskan State Trooper Mike Wooten, who was in a bitter divorce with Palin's sister, Molly McCann.
On October 10, 2008, the twelve-member bipartisan Alaska Legislative Council hired investigator Stephen Branchflower to investigate whether Palin had dismissed Monegan for not firing Wooten. The Branchflower Report found that Palin had violated the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act covering state executive employees, and released it to the public.[2][3][4]
Under Alaska law, the state's three-member State Personnel Board, not the Legislative Council, decides whether a governor has violated the ethics laws.[3] On November 3, 2008, the bipartisan Personnel Board, all of whom had been appointed by Palin, released the findings of its own investigation which concluded that Palin did not violate any ethics laws.[5][6][7][8] No action was ever taken.
- ^ The term "Troopergate" has appeared in (among others) the Anchorage Daily News [1] Archived 2008-09-01 at the Wayback Machine, U.S. News & World Report [2] and The New York Times[3]. Other unrelated uses of the word Troopergate have involved Bill Clinton (Paula Jones) and Eliot Spitzer (political surveillance controversy).
- ^ Branchflower, Stephen (October 10, 2008). "Stephen Branchflower report to the Legislative Council" (PDF). State of Alaska Legislature. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
- ^ a b "GOP's Palin denies abuse-of-power finding". NBC News. AP. October 11, 2008. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
- ^ [4] | 10/11/2008 | Ethics investigation finds Palin abused power, Legislative committee releases investigation into public officials firing | msnbc.com news services | [www.nbcnews.com/id/27105917/ns/politics-decision_08/t/ethics-investigation-finds-palin-abused-power/#.W32pcuhKi1s]
- ^ State of Alaska Personnel Board Report of Findings and Recommendations November 3, 2008. pdf file of Independent Counsel Timothy Petumenos' report. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
- ^ 2nd Alaska Probe Finds Palin Did Not Violate Ethics Rules The Washington Post, November 3, 2008.
- ^ 2nd probe clears Palin in trooper case Archived 2011-01-14 at the Wayback Machine CNN.com November 3, 2008.
- ^ Yardley, William; Kowvleski, Serge F. (November 3, 2008). "Report Backs Palin in Firing of Commissioner". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2020.