Monegan says he was pressured to fire cop
PALIN'S EX-BROTHER-IN-LAW:
Former commissioner says governor's husband, others asked him to
investigate trooper Wooten.

By MEGAN HOLLAND

Anchorage Daily News

(07/19/08 02:08:28)

Former Department of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan on Friday
said that since Gov. Sarah Palin took office, members of her
administration and family pressured him to fire a Palmer Alaska State
Trooper to whom her sister was involved in a bitter child custody battle.

Monegan said phone calls and questions from the Palin administration and
the governor's husband, Todd Palin, about trooper Mike Wooten started
shortly after Monegan was hired and continued up to one or two months ago.

The governor herself also had a brief conversation with him about Wooten
in February, Monegan said.

The new assertions from Monegan, who has been mostly silent on his
abrupt firing July 11, conflict with what the Republican governor said
earlier in the week. She said she never put pressure on the commissioner
to fire her sister's ex-husband and no one from her office had
complained about Wooten. She has also said replacing Monegan with Kenai
Police Chief Chuck Kopp had nothing to do with Wooten. She has offered
little explanation for the dismissal.

A former political rival and current harsh critic of her administration,
Andrew Halcro, has charged in his blog that the firing was because
Monegan would not fire Wooten.

But Monegan says pressure came from those around Palin, including former
Palin chief-of-staff Mike Tibbles, Department of Administration
Commissioner Annette Kreitzer, and director of boards and commissions
Frank Bailey.

Tibbles, who is now the campaign manager for Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens,
said Friday he couldn't comment on whether he spoke to Monegan about Wooten.

Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said Bailey never had such a
conversation with Monegan.

Kreitzer could not recall, Leighow said.

Monegan, though, did not open a new investigation into the allegations
or fire the trooper.

"They weren't getting the message." Monegan said. "The fact that they
tried for better than a year while I was there is kind of indicative
that somebody was trying to pressure something. Because they were trying
different venues and different people."

Todd Palin called a meeting with Monegan to specifically talk about
Wooten shortly after his wife took office in December 2006, Todd Palin
said on Friday.

Monegan says Todd Palin talked to him several times after that about
Wooten. Todd Palin said, though, he couldn't recall if he had any
conversations with the commissioner about his ex-brother-in-law outside
of that initial meeting.

"But I know I've never told him to fire trooper Wooten," Todd Palin said.

The meeting occurred in the governor's office, but the governor was not
there, Monegan said.

Todd Palin showed Monegan the work of a private investigator the Palins
hired. The Palins accused Wooten of drunken driving, illegal hunting and
child abuse, among other charges.

The governor's husband says the family was concerned about the
governor's safety. The Palins say that Wooten threatened to kill Sarah
Palin's father and made vague threats to her that he would "bring me down."

Monegan said he told Todd Palin that he would look into Wooten. The
then-commisioner, though, found that the allegations had already been
investigated with an internal trooper investigation in 2005. All but two
-- an illegal moose killing and a Tasering of an 11-year-old -- were
found to be unsubstantiated. Wooten was disciplined.

In February, the governor brought up Wooten's name to Monegan, according
to Monegan. They were walking together to wish Sen. Lyman Hoffman a
happy birthday. "I told her I needed to keep her at arm's distance and
she shouldn't be involved," he said. "She said, 'OK, that's a good idea.' "

Bailey was the latest to contact him about Wooten. He called a trooper
commander, and several others, before the calls ended up in Monegan's
lap. Monegan called him back.

" 'We can't do this. This is not what we are supposed to do,' " Monegan
said he told Bailey.

Col. Audie Holloway, head of the troopers, reached on Friday said the
governor never spoke to him about Wooten. Nor did anyone in the
governor's office. But asked if anyone in the administration had, he
said: "I can't answer that."

Todd Palin on Friday said he spoke to Holloway about Wooten after he saw
Wooten on a snowmachine in April 2007. He gave Holloway a photo of
Wooten on the machine, demonstrating what he thinks is a violation of
his worker's compensation claim.

Monegan says the troopers looked into it and found that it probably
occurred but was not something that warranted a dismissal.

Todd Palin on Friday said he didn't think his conversations about Wooten
to Monegan and Holloway had any effect.

Wooten is still employed as a trooper in Palmer. He and his ex-wife,
Sarah Palin's sister Molly McCann, continue to have a troubled
relationship since their divorce in 2005. On Sunday, she called 911
because he would not hand over their young children to her, she said
this week. She was scared, she said.

Wooten showed up at the governor's picnic in Mat-Su on Friday. Todd
Palin said he was gone when the governor got there. "He's riding his
high-horse right now," Todd Palin said. "He thinks he's untouchable
(because of all this.)"

Monegan said he still isn't sure why he was fired but thought that
Wooten could be part of it. "I don't know that it's all of it. ... I
worked at the pleasure of the governor," he said.

Monegan said he decided to say something after his week of silence
because "I'm watching the stresses put on everyone I used to work with.
And, these guys are good people," he said. "This may be one of the few
things, one of my last things, to support them.

"You know, they can't fire me twice."


- - -

Monegan was interviewed this evening and stated that the Governor's
office called him 24 times to pressure the firing of Wooten.

I wonder if McCain will claim executive privilege.