NEWS DUMP: Palin Violated Ethics Act, `Troopergate' Probe Finds (Tony Hopfinger)

Created by : Francis Goodwin View profile

Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Alaska Governor Sarah Palin abused her power in violation of state ethics rules by letting her husband use the governor's office to try to get a state trooper fired, a state legislative investigator reported.

``Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: To get Trooper Michael Wooten fired,'' according to the report issued today in Anchorage.

Even so, the report said Palin's firing in July of former state Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, who had refused to fire Wooten, was a ``proper and lawful exercise'' of her wide authority to fire department heads for any reason. Monegan contends the governor dismissed him for refusing to fire Wooten, who was involved in a divorce and custody battle with Palin's sister.

Violation of the ethics act could result in sanctions, such as a fine, by a state ethics board, lawmakers said.