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Lawmakers seek outside inquiry of Monegan firing

by Jason Moore and Mike Ross
Friday, July 18, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Some lawmakers are now calling for an independent investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

This comes as more details are known about the termination and the allegations that the governor wanted Monegan to fire an Alaska State Trooper. Now, Monegan says he was pressured by the administration -- and even the governor's husband Todd -- to fire Trooper Mike Wooten.

Some lawmakers are asking for more answers to the reasons Palin had for firing Monegan. Palin, in Wasilla for the Governor's Picnic, said she would not fight such an effort to look into this matter by an independent investigator.

Palin said neither she nor anyone in her administration asked Monegan to fire Trooper Wooten, the governor's former brother in law, who went through a bitter divorce and custody battle with Palin's sister in 2005.

But the governor's husband, Todd Palin, did admit he had conversations with Monegan about Wooten, during which he brought up complaints against Wooten and shared the results of a report on Wooten by a private investigator the Palins hired.

Todd Palin said he never asked the commissioner to fire Wooten.

"The public has called our home, prior to her being governor, about concerns about a trooper that's acting above the law," said Todd Palin. "So I met with Commissioner Monegan, showed him some information about Wooten, and left it at that."

He had one meeting with Monegan, Todd Palin said. Monegan claims there were more.

Monegan said they met on multiple occasions and said he felt pressured to take action against the governor's former brother-in-law.

"The fact that we had multiple meetings should indicate that there probably was (pressure)," Monegan said. "But I tried to explain as best I could what we were bound by, so that's what I repeated to him several times."

Monegan also said he was contacted by State Commissioner of Administration Annette Krietzer and Frank Bailey, the director of Boards and Commissions, about Wooten.

Monegan would not discuss the details of those conversations, but he said he repeatedly told members of the administration that their talks about Wooten should not continue.

Palin's Deputy Press Secretary Sharon Leighow told Channel 2 News earlier Friday that Krietzer could not remember having the discussion with Monegan. According to Leighow, Bailey did not meet with Monegan.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers are now saying there needs to be an independent investigator look into Monegan's termination.

"I'm getting emails from people I don't even know, (saying), 'Please have an investigation,'" said Senate President Lyda Green.

Palin said that she has nothing to hide.

"We would never prohibit, or be less than enthusiastic about any kind of investigation. Let's deal in the facts, and you do that via investigation," Palin said.

It's not just Sen. Lyda Green who wants an investigator to look into this -- other members of the Legislature are saying the same thing. In fact, they say they will likely take up the issue when the special session resumes in Juneau next week.

As for Wooten, he was actually at the Governor's Picnic prior to the governor arriving, but Alaska State Troopers and the governor's office said he was not part of the security detail for Palin.

Contact Jason Moore at jmoore@ktuu.com and Mike Ross at mross@ktuu.com.