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Palin hires attorney for public safety controversy

by Rebecca Palsha
Monday, September 1, 2008

Anchorage, Alaska -- While Sarah Palin heads toward her official nomination at the Republican National Convention, she's taking steps here at home to get legal advice on the controversy over her firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

Palin has hired an attorney, and he has a list of demands.

Her attorney, Thomas Van Flein wants to know what the investigator hired by the Legislature knows.

But Sen. Hollis French, D-Anchorage, who is the project director for the investigation, said that's not going to happen.

It was back in August when the announcement came down.

"As a result of the inquiry by the Department of Law, I do now have to tell Alaskans that such pressure could have been perceived to exist, although I have only now become aware of it," Palin said in an August 13 statement.

Some allege the governor's staff pushed to get the governor's former brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten, fired, and that Palin fired Commissioner Monegan because he wouldn't terminate Wooten.

Those allegations led to an investigation by the Legislature.

And, most recently, the governor hired a private attorney to represent her.

Thomas Van Flein now represents Palin and her office.

"The governor is entitled to representation through council, and her attorney general was unable to provide it in this case," Van Flein said. "There's nothing unusual or surprising about that."

Van Flein said he was hired by the Department of Law because Attorney General Talis Colberg is unable to represent Palin.

"The Department of Law had a potential conflict of interest, because Mr. Colberg, Attorney General Colberg, made contact with Mr. Monegan about Trooper Wooten," Van Flein said. "That would make him a potential witness, and thus there's a potential conflict."

But there are about 200 lawyers currently on the state pay roll that should be able to handle the matter, French said.

Van Flein wrote a letter asking to see what, if anything, the Legislature's investigator, Steve Branchflower, had uncovered.

But Van Flein was told that Blanchflower wouldn't be sharing anything.

"I've instructed Mr. Branchflower to not comply with that request," French said. "I think it's fairly unusual for the lawyer that's representing one of the targets of the investigation to ask to see the evidence, so we're -- Mr. Branchflower I don't think will be sharing evidence."

Van Flein said he was not surprised by French's response, but he is disappointed.

"It's starting to take on aspects of a secret proceeding, a political proceeding, much in the vein of Ken Star," Van Flein said.

French has other concerns, too, he said.

"The governor said over and over she has nothing to hide, she's open and transparent, she's willing to sit down and talk, but I'm concerned about some of the implications of the letter, about scheduling, working it out with this person or that person, or whether we're going to get some delays out of that," French said.

The investigation is certainly a challenge to a vice presidential contender, with an outcome expected just before the presidential election.

French said he expects Branchflower's findings by Oct. 31but hopes for it to be finished sooner.

Contact Rebecca Palsha at rpalsha@ktuu.com