Question:
What did Palin do that was considered abuse of power?
anonymous
2008-10-10 19:41:07 UTC
From the way I understand it, she fired a dangerous man who was threatening her family. Plus, the governor has a right to remove someone from their cabinet anytime they want. How is this abusing power?
Nineteen answers:
anonymous
2008-10-10 19:52:23 UTC
She had her husband Todd work at her behalf, intimidate and harrass the supervisor to fire her brother-in-law.



"The investigation revealed that Palin's husband, Todd, has extraordinary access to the governor's office and her closest advisers. He used that access to try to get trooper Mike Wooten fired, the report found.



Branchflower faulted Sarah Palin for taking no action to stop that. He also noted there is evidence the governor herself participated in the effort.



Wooten had been in hot water before Palin became governor over allegations that he illegally shot a moose, drank beer in a patrol car and used a Taser on his stepson.



In proceedings revealed by the report, former Alaska State Trooper Col. Julia Grimes told investigators that Sarah Palin called her in late 2005 to discuss why Wooten hadn't been fired, and Grimes told her the inquiry was confidential by law.



"Her questions were how can a trooper who behaves this way still be working," Grimes said. "I asked her to please trust me, that because I can't tell her details I would ask her to please trust me that I would take the appropriate action if and when I knew what the findings were. ... I couldn't have another conversation with her about it because, again, it's protected by law."



Grimes said Todd Palin also contacted her by telephone in late 2005 to discuss the confidential investigation of Wooten.



Wooten's disciplinary case was settled in September 2006 — months before Palin was elected governor — and he was allowed to continue working as a trooper.



After Palin's election, her new public safety commissioner, Monegan, said he was summoned to the governor's office to meet Todd Palin, who said Wooten's punishment had been merely a "slap on the wrist." Monegan said he understood the Palins wanted Wooten fired. "I had this kind of ominous feeling that I may not be long for this job if I didn't somehow respond accordingly," Monegan told the investigator.



For months afterward, Todd Palin filed complaints about Wooten, saying he was seen riding a snowmobile after he had filed a worker's compensation claim and was seen dropping off his children at school in his patrol car. Monegan said Wooten's doctor had authorized the snowmobile trip and his supervisor had approved his use of the patrol car. Monegan said Alaska's attorney general later called him to inquire about Wooten, and Monegan told him they shouldn't be discussing the subject. "



When you become Govenor, like most high official jobs and military, you take a vow to uphold the constitution and its laws. The Palin circumvented the laws for their own personal goals.
Sunshine
2008-10-14 03:59:13 UTC
She did not have the right to remove her ex-brother-in-law. That decision was supposed to be made by the Director of Public Safety. However, when the Director chose to keep the ex-brother-in-law as an employee despite her unethical, illegal pressures on him, she then had him fired for refusing her personal agenda. The governor is not supposed to use her political powers to influence personal matters. She blatantly violated this law and blatantly abused her power. It was an outrageous breach of ethics. The kind of behavior you see in despots. I don't want this woman having any political power in our national government after seeing evidence of this kind of behavior.
Ariel
2008-10-11 02:47:56 UTC
She claimed he was, but there's nothing to that. She never acted to protect anyone from rogue troopers, either, so she wasn't apparently as scared as she pretended she was. If she really thought he was a danger, she could have put legislation in place to neutralize him and protect the public. She didn't. She just went after his job.



Her husband also harassed the guy nonstop, including following him around taking pictures of him.



And no, he didn't tase a five-year-old. He let his son see what a training taser set on the lowest setting felt like. It was stupid, but not the same as actually up and shooting a child with a taser.



So basically, I'm not sure why in the light of an ethics investigation which looked at all the evidence, your first reaction is to believe everything the woman they found unethical told you. She's unethical: she lies.
Evie
2008-10-11 02:49:54 UTC
She didn't. They said she was in her right to fire the guy. But she abused her power because she couldn't control her husband. I'm sorry, but they just annoys me. Control her husband, that's as insulting as saying control your wife.



All you idiots need to read the report. She did NOT fire the brother-in-law. SHE did NOT use her power to get him fired. The report said she WAS allowed to fire the commissioner. But that she should have controlled her husband because HE was trying to get the trooper fired.



For those that say trooper Wooten was harmless, he tazered a 10 year old child, drove a patrol car under the influence, pointed a service firearm at citizens. All of this was proved in an inquiry done by the Alaska State Patrol. He was given 5 days of suspension. You people that scream police brutality at every rally are supporting one that actually abuses people and his position?
jakflak
2008-10-11 02:45:55 UTC
Good question.



They said that she put pressure on the head of public safety to get her ex brother in law fired. However....



- She fired the head of public safety, NOT her brother in law

- The stated (and verified) reason for the termination was insubordination



The controversy is the claims that she ALSO fired him for not canning her BIL.
anonymous
2008-10-11 02:44:42 UTC
Read.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081011/ap_on_el_pr/palin_troopergate



What a classy family:

"Wooten had been in hot water before Palin became governor over allegations that he illegally shot a moose, drank beer in a patrol car and used a Taser on his stepson."
lucy lu and baby Chloe!
2008-10-11 02:46:06 UTC
From what I've researched, he's wasn't a dangerous man. And she can't let her family life spill over in to her professional life. There are police officers, courts and judges to determine what course of action to take on the man in question.
An Independent
2008-10-11 02:49:18 UTC
Obviously you didn't read the report. She fired someone else. You can't just fire anyone for personal reasons. She has a history of using her position to fire people for personal reasons.



Disagree all you want. But this is not going to go down well.
anonymous
2008-10-11 02:48:02 UTC
No. Let me explain. Sarah Palin fired a man who did not fire her ex-brother in law. She was found guilty of firing him for personal reasons as an act of revenge on him getting a divorce with her sister.
anonymous
2008-10-11 02:47:34 UTC
She violated her public trust by trying to subvert her ex brother-in-laws due process rights for personal reasons or interest, in violation of Alaskan State statute.
FLR
2008-10-11 02:47:54 UTC
From the way I understand it she was in violation of ethics.Also,I understand she is being sued by a former state employee who is a Republican .She is accused of using private e-mail to conduct state business and being very secretive about it.What happened to the "transparency" that she bragged about early in the election?
Sordenhiemer
2008-10-11 02:47:10 UTC
Nope. She abused her power by removing the commissioner because he would not fire the deputy for personal reasons.



The problem was not getting rid of the deputy. The problem was that she removed the commissioner who had not done anything wrong.
Mark L
2008-10-11 02:47:03 UTC
Isn't it funny that the most silly things are brought out during an election. And I think this is one of them.



She didn't abuse power. It's just like being on any other job any where else, if you aren't doing what the supervisor likes he or she can fire you at the push of a button. Right to work state law. Your employment can be terminated at any time......
A Bean
2008-10-11 02:50:26 UTC
It's kind of funny that you believe everything you read. Sad.
♪♫♫♪
2008-10-11 02:45:48 UTC
At the end of the day what she did was not okay and you can't make any excuse for that.
anonymous
2008-10-11 02:46:26 UTC
She did not fire the trooper.

She presured his boss to fire him and when he did not, she fired him.
Caribou "LIPS" Barbie™
2008-10-11 02:45:06 UTC
No, the Governor does NOT have to right to fire anybody they want.



Please don't vote.
smeagolrocks
2008-10-11 02:45:45 UTC
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/palin_troopergate
anonymous
2008-10-11 02:45:59 UTC
does it hurt when you think?


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