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Palin administration cooperating with investigator

by Mike Ross
Friday, Aug. 15, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A meeting scheduled for Monday between state lawmakers and the investigator they hired to look into the firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan has been cancelled.

Lawmakers had wanted to know if Steve Branchflower needed them to issues subpoenas to require witnesses to talk to him about Gov. Sarah Palin's decision to fire Monegan and about the actions of her staffers.   

But state Sen. Hollis French says the meeting was cancelled because there's no need for subpoenas at this point.

"What Mr. Branchflower is finding is that as he contacts individuals they have been willing to speak, willing to make appointments," French said. "I believe the Department of Law has issued the equal access letter that he asked for, telling the state employees that they can talk to Mr. Branchflower. And so there's just no need to go through that formality and the seriousness of having the committee convene and issues the subpoenas when we're getting good cooperation."

French says Branchflower has a list of 20 to 30 people he wants to question, including Gov. Palin.

Contact Mike Ross at mross@ktuu.com