Troopergate Panel Finds Sarah Palin Guilty of Abuse of Power

by Todd Beeton, Fri Oct 10, 2008 at 04:54:03 PM EDT

From CNN:

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin abused her power as Alaska's governor in the firing of her former public safety commissioner, but violated no laws, a report for the state Legislature concluded Friday.

A pdf of the report is HERE.

While the report does not recommend any sanctions against Palin, Lawrence O'Donnell nailed the significance of this ruling just now on Countdown:

What this report says specifically is that she engaged in what they call in Alaska a violation of the public trust and those are the terms of the law, the terms of the statute, violation of the public trust. Trust is the issue that Sarah Palin has been pushing on the campaign trail about Barack Obama: you can't trust him. Now here is someone who has formally been found in violation of the public trust in her current governing capacity. She is in no position to try to make that argument legitimate or illegitimate at this stage in the campaign on the heels of this report.

Tags: Sarah Palin (all tags)

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Woof! Busted!

Compiling information and links for those interested here.

Todd, please feel free to grab content and links from me.

by chrisblask 2008-10-10 05:13PM | 0 recs

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Re: Troopergate Panel Finds Sarah

When this story was first discussed, I was willing to wait and see. I had the idea that perhaps this brother-in-law was a mean drunk who'd beat her sister or something, and that families stick together, that kind of thing.

Which was before I, so to speak, 'met' her.

Sarah is that mean girl in sixth grade, no one really liked but everyone feared. She thrives in the small towns where the kids are stuck and where gossip can ruin lives and revenge is personal and petty.

She's like a cartoon of that small town mean girl, the one that we read about in coming of age books about some intelligent girl who had to deal with those bully girls.

She's a terrible person, and it now this story rings true. She likes her revenge, hot and frequent. She'll never let that poor man alone.

by anna shane 2008-10-10 05:23PM | 0 recs

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Re: Troopergate Panel Finds Sarah

She thrives in the small towns where the kids are stuck and where gossip can ruin lives and revenge is personal and petty.

Oh my god you're so right. I heard stories about that type growing up in New York, which is always full of refugees from small town jock tyranny.

by Jess81 2008-10-10 08:57PM | 0 recs

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Re: Troopergate Panel Finds Sarah Palin Guilty of

This is good news...FOR JOHN MCCAIN!!!!

by who threw da cat 2008-10-10 05:24PM | 0 recs

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Re: Troopergate Panel Finds Sarah Palin Guilty of

It always is.

by robitude 2008-10-10 05:49PM | 0 recs

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Re: Troopergate Panel Finds Sarah Palin Guilty of

TODD!!!!!!!!!!

Get the snow machine, we're goin home!!!

by neko608 2008-10-10 05:46PM | 0 recs

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small corrections...

This was not a trial so using the word "guilty" is not really accurate. It was a conclusion or finding by a legislative investigating committee.

The CNN blurb that says she broke no laws is also probably inaccurate because a violation of the State ethics code is a violation of State law (I think). She did not break any law by firing Monegan because she has total discretion to fire The Alaska State Public Safety Commissioner for any reason.

When the Alaska Legislature convenes next year, they will probably decide whether to censure Palin. If they do, her future national political career will be severely damaged.

I really like framing it as a "violation of the public trust" (is that wording in Branchflower's report?). That is devastating language.

How the McCain campaign handles this report will be very interesting.

by mboehm 2008-10-10 05:47PM | 0 recs

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Re: small corrections...

I agree that CNN's blurb is inaccurate. The exact quote from the Alaskan legislature's report says Palin "unlawfully abused her authority".

by phoenixdreamz 2008-10-10 06:00PM | 0 recs

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Re: small corrections...

NOWHERE in CNN's story do they use the word "guilty."

"Guilty" was used by Todd Beeton in his headline. It was not a court case, and there was no jury, therefore she is not "guilty."

Still, she's an unethical hag and I hope we send her back to Alaska.

by 08AMA 2008-10-10 10:01PM | 0 recs

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Re: Troopergate Panel Finds Palin Guilty

So Palin is just another unethical, lying Republican politician, everybody knows it now, and McToast is stuck with her. Lovely.

by phoenixdreamz 2008-10-10 05:47PM | 0 recs

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Two-for-One

What an interesting read! Should the McPalin team win the White House, we'll be so lucky! It'll be a bargain. We'll have a "shadow" Vice President, Todd Palin and a "shadow" President, Cindy McCain. Don't you just love two-for-one bargains?

by zenful6219 2008-10-10 06:08PM | 0 recs

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Palin in 2012

And she is the person that the base has now hitched their wagon to?

I am guessing that Huckabee must be doing a little dance in Little Rock tonight.

by gavoter 2008-10-10 06:17PM | 0 recs

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Re: Palin in 2012

The way I feel about Huckabee is the way I felt about McCain in 2000. Hate his policies. Would be a nightmare to run against. Gee he seems like an awfully nice guy though.

by Jess81 2008-10-10 09:04PM | 0 recs

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Re: Hope

Let's just hope she doesn't use this scandal as an excuse to drop out.

by Cleveland John 2008-10-10 06:43PM | 0 recs

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Re: Hope

Crust Scramble at Mudflats got it right:

Crust Scramble - SouthGA (17:49:18) :
I gotta say it again. McCain would have to drop her like a rock if illegalities were substantiated. Now, thank you God, she's gonna be the gift that keeps on giving.
Priceless.

by chrisblask 2008-10-10 07:43PM | 0 recs