KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | McCain-Palin campaign continues to blast investigation

McCain-Palin campaign continues to blast investigation

by Jason Moore
Tuesday, September 16, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign staged another news conference Tuesday trying to whip up the political winds surrounding an investigation into abuse of power allegations against Palin.

The campaign spokespersons -- former Palin administration official Meg Stapleton and Ed O'Callaghan, a New York lawyer -- now refer to themselves as the Palin Truth Squad.

But the squad's version of events may be taking liberty with the truth on some topics related to the investigation, including from whom -- and from what political party -- any influence on the investigation is coming.

"What has happened since that initial vote has been a display of a partisan circus, frankly, by all of the members of the Democratic Party that are involved in the investigation," O'Callaghan said.

For the second day, O'Callaghan and Stapleton are trying to make the case the investigation into Palin's firing of Walt Monegan is politically partisan.

Among the evidence they point to is the removal of former Palin Chief of Staff Mike Tibbles from the subpoena list compiled by investigator Stephen Branchflower.

They claim it's a political maneuver by Democrat Sen. Hollis French.

"And then just last Friday, Sen. French's further political involvement was accidentally revealed when the investigator testified that he had deferred to French on the proper witnesses to subpoena," Stapleton said.

What the Truth Squad missed or failed to focus on is that it wasn't French who removed Tibbles' name from the list, it was House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jay Ramras, a Republican who says he has a McCain campaign sign in his front yard.

"We did not want to put that onus -- at least this was the point of view I put forward -- I did not want to put that onus on somebody who is now excluded from state service and would not enjoy the same legal protection that has been afforded to those members of the administration," Ramras said.

And later Tuesday, Attorney General Talis Colberg sent a letter to Legislative Council Chairman Kim Elton, saying state employees will not comply with the subpoenas until the Senate or full Legislature convenes to pass a resolution requiring their appearance before a committee.

Contact Jason Moore at jmoore@ktuu.com