Fired official: Palin talked to me about ex-brother-in-law

[DogPoundPup]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

ANCHORAGE — Alaska's former director of public safety claims that Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain's pick to be vice president, personally talked to him on two occasions about a state highway patrol trooper who was locked in a bitter custody battle with the governor's sister.

In a phone conversation Friday night, Walt Monegan, who was Alaska's top cop until Palin fired him July 11, told the Anchorage Daily News that the governor also had e-mailed him two or three times about the trooper, Mike Wooten, who'd been married to Palin's sister.

Monegan claims his refusal to fire Wooten was a major reason that Palin dismissed him. Wooten had been suspended for five days previously, based largely on complaints that Palin's family had initiated before Palin became governor.

The events surrounding Monegan's dismissal currently are under investigation by the state's legislature. Palin has acknowledged that a member of her staff contacted a highway patrol supervisor in an effort to have Wooten dismissed and that her husband and other officials, including her chief of staff, made similar contacts.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/51199.html

[MadMaddie]

1. So it was about a custody battle

I can't believe McCains advisors didn't think this was a Red flag..wow..I think there is going to more skeletons in her and her families closet...

[Tesla]

2. What happened to the beatings and stuff this brother in law was supposed to have done

Is that true cause the MSM is runnning with it!

[trashcanistanista]

3. No. Brother-in-law's ex

says she was never hit. MSM is behind.

[The Croquist]

4. E-mails are important

In a "he said, she said" situation nothing will come of it. I don't recall that the ex-wife ever alleged that he hit her but that he "abused her".

He also appears to be a bad cop. His problems started well before she was elected governor and appear to be well documented.

http://www.adn.com/politics/story/476430.html

Wooten used a Taser on his (10 year old) stepson.
He illegally shot a moose.
He drank beer in his patrol car on one occasion.
He told others his father-in-law would "eat a f'ing lead bullet" if he helped his daughter get an attorney for the divorce.

At least the first and third should have resulted in his getting fired and numbers 2 and 3 are pretty bad. Then there is this:

Beyond the investigation sparked by the family, trooper commanders saw cause to discipline or give written instructions to correct Wooten seven times since he joined the force, according to Grimes' letter to Wooten.

Those incidents included: a reprimand in January 2004 for negligent damage to a state vehicle; a January 2005 instruction after being accused of speeding, unsafe lane changes, following too closely and not using turn signals in his state vehicle; a June 2005 instruction regarding personal cell phone calls; an October 2005 suspension from work after getting a speeding ticket; and a November 2005 memo "to clarify duty hours, tardiness and personal business during duty time."

If she truly abused her office that is one thing but it's got to be supported by the evidence. Without a red flag I don't see this going anywhere.

[harmonicon]

5. what does that have to do with the issue at hand?

It seems like the scandal here is that she fired someone above this guy, because he wouldn't fire this person. The reason Palin wanted him fired was a grudge, and that's no reason to fire someone, even if they person should be fired for something else anyway. Is there any indication that the guy she gave the axe to had done anything wrong himself? Not so far that I've read, and that's why she's being investigated by the legislature.

[JeanGrey]

8. But there is no proof SHE fired him. They claim someone from

her office did it or said something and THEY were fired. If that can be proven we may have lost our best weapon.

[The Croquist]

9. The question is did she fire this guy because he wouldn't fire her ex-brother-in-law

As of now we don't know.

We don't know if "the reason Palin wanted him fired was a grudge" or not. You are assuming that she did something wrong. Your opinion and my opinion don't count. It's the opinions of millions of swing voters that count and the fact that her ex-brother-in-law had real issues prior to her being elected governor will be significant. McCain / Palin won't be getting our votes regardless. Mike Wooten sounds like a lousy cop to me.

I don't know if she fired Walter Monegan because of this or not but neither do you.

[harmonicon]

11. no, I don't, but it's being investigated by the AK legislature

Obviously they think it's a big enough deal to look into - that is, the possibility of her wanting this guy fired for a grudge, and then improperly firing someone else because people refused to buckle under her pressure.

[JeanGrey]

7. WELL SHIT!! Damn it, there goes that....................

Why on god's earth didn't McCain just take Mittens????

[JeanGrey]

6. I also read this guy threatened the family -

[ingac70]

10. Claims by Palin...

but no police reports or anything to back it up.

[JeanGrey]

12. I read it did it where others heard it.

[704wipes]

14. firing and 'defunding' him would almost assure he lost custody

... if he had no source of income? right?
Well, she was acting like a true republican barracuda...

[Doctor_J]

13. Palin fits right in with the Bush Crime Family

Obama campaign needs to run with this comparison, since Big Media won't