McCain/Palin: Guilty as Charged

With the revelation of Palin's guilt in the Troopergate scandal we now know the difference between the McCain/Palin team and the Obama/Biden team.

It's guilt by association versus just plan guilt.
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The McCain/Palin team have done their best to smear Obama using the classic Republican tactic of "guilt by association." Obama, they say, is ill suited to be president because of the company he has kept in the past. It's what others have done rather than what he has done that convicts him, even though the ties they cite are inconsequential.

With the Republicans, on the other hand, its simply guilt.


McCain's abuse of office through unwise dealings with Savings and Loan shark, Charles Keating: Guilty.







Palin's abuse of office for a personal vendetta: Guilty.







Big difference between the two.

The Report

Once again our favorite blogger in the frozen north, AKmuckraker, has come through for us. Make sure you visit her blog to get the most detailed report of the Troopergate investigation. Here's the actual wording of the investigative report:

No doubt about it. Palin is guilty as charged:

From Mudflats:

Findings:

Finding Number One:

For the reasons explained in section IV of this report, I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) provides

“The legislature reaffirms that each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust.”

Finding Number Two:

I find that, although Walt Monegan’s refusal to fire Trooper Michael Wooten was not the sole reason he was fired by Governor Sarah Palin, it was likely a contributing factor to his termination as Commissioner of Public Safety. In spite of that, Governor Palin’s firing of Commissioner Monegan was a proper and lawful exercise of her constitutional and statutory authority to hire and fire executive branch department heads.

Finding Number Three:

Harbor Adjustment Service of Anchorage, and its owner Ms. Murleen Wilkes, handled Trooper Michael Wooten’s workers’ compensation claim properly and in the normal course of business like any other claim processed by Harbor Adjustment Service and Ms. Wilkes. Further, Trooper Wooten received all the workers’ compensation benefits to which he was entitled.

Finding Number Four:

The Attorney General’s office has failed to substantially comply with my August 6, 2008 written request to Governor Sarah Palin for information about the case in the form of emails.

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And if you've got stomach for legal reports (and a whole lot of time) here's the full report:

Branchflower Report on Sarah Palin Abuse of Power (pdf file)

GUILTY!

Here's the headlines from the Anchorage Daily News:

TROOPERGATE REPORT: PALIN ABUSED POWER

Here's my guess: the McCain team will immediately claim that this is pure politics and appeal it to a date long after the election. They will then use it to get their already rowdy crowd even more riled up. "Look how they persecute us!" they will say.

Then the pitchforks and torches will come out as they storm the gates of Obama's house. Since he only lives three blocks down the road from me I'll make sure I take lots of pictures :)

So the crap has hit the fan . . . . Stay tuned.

From the Anchorage Daily News:

Troopergate report: Palin abused power

By DON HUNTER

Published: October 10th, 2008 04:45 PM
Last Modified: October 10th, 2008 04:52 PM

A legislative investigation has concluded that Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power in pushing for the firing of an Alaska state trooper who was once married to her sister.

The report by investigator Steve Branchflower was made public late this afternoon by a 12-0 vote of the Legislative Council, which authorized the investigation.

Branchflower's report contains four findings. The first concludes that Palin violated the state's executive branch ethics act, which says that "each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust."

Branchflower was investigating whether Palin abused her power by pushing for the firing of state trooper Mike Wooten, who was involved in a nasty divorce from Palin's sister. Palin and her husband, Todd, have accused Wooten of threatening Palin's father.

FULL ARTICLE

For the video that shows the twists and Turns of Palin's Attempts to Evade Justice click on the Sarah Palin picture.