Palin's husband found in contempt of court - no penalty

[Darth Wong]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/06/ ... index.html

(CNN) -- Todd Palin and nine aides were found in contempt Friday by the Alaska Senate for failing to appear to testify in the Legislature's "troopergate" investigation of his wife, Gov. Sarah Palin, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Democratic Party said.

But a Senate resolution said no one should be punished, because the 10 did submit statements to the investigator, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The investigation concerns the governor's firing of the state's public safety commissioner, Walter Monegan.

A bipartisan commission in the state Legislature investigated allegations that Palin fired Monegan after he refused to sack her ex-brother-in-law, State Trooper Mike Wooten. The governor, first elected in 2006, has denied wrongdoing.

In court papers, Palin called her sister's ex-husband a "rogue trooper" who threatened the governor's family during a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Complaints from Palin's family led to a five-day suspension for the trooper in 2006 after his superiors found he had illegally shot a moose using his wife's permit, drove his patrol car while drinking beer and used a Taser on his 10-year-old stepson "in a training capacity."

In an interview last year, Wooten said, "I made mistakes. I 'fessed up to them. I was punished appropriately, and I'm moving on."

Palin was Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona's running mate in his unsuccessful campaign last year for U.S. president.

Great. So if I received a court summons and couldn't bother to show up, but I just faxed something in, could I also expect no penalty whatsoever, not even a fine, for ignoring the summons?

[Eleas]

Great. So if I received a court summons and couldn't bother to show up, but I just faxed something in, could I also expect no penalty whatsoever, not even a fine, for ignoring the summons?

It's different for commoner no-name riffraff, didn't you know that?

As an aside, what the fuck is this man's problem? "Used his taser on his stepson in a training capacity"? The hell?

[Darth Wong]

Great. So if I received a court summons and couldn't bother to show up, but I just faxed something in, could I also expect no penalty whatsoever, not even a fine, for ignoring the summons?

It's different for commoner no-name riffraff, didn't you know that?

I'm one of those people for whom it just wouldn't occur to me to flat-out ignore a court summons. However, I think one of the entrance requirements for Republicans in the Bush era was the ability to sneer at the law.

As an aside, what the fuck is this man's problem? "Used his taser on his stepson in a training capacity"? The hell?

You have to remember that the entire Palin extended family and social peer group is basically white trash. That's the sort of fucked-up story that you hear from white-trash communities, usually accompanied with anecdotes about massive heavy drinking.

[Havok]

Aww c'mon, you never tasered your kids? C'mon. Be honest.

Why exactly is Palin in trouble for wanting this guy fired? He was clearly a fuck up, and his superior did nothing about it and so she fired him. Seems like a reasonable response to me.

I'm wondering why Todd needed to appear? Palin's husband should be exempt from having to testify against his wife correct?

And fuck... do reporters have to put a "gate" behind every fucking bad government related thing that happens?

[Darth Wong]

Why exactly is Palin in trouble for wanting this guy fired? He was clearly a fuck up, and his superior did nothing about it and so she fired him. Seems like a reasonable response to me.

She's in trouble for flagrantly disregarding conflict-of-interest rules. You do understand why those rules are in place and why they are important, right?

If we throw all the rules out the window and simply say "it's OK to flagrantly violate rules as long as the Governor feels she is right to do so", then what's the fucking point of having any rules at all? Why not just put a goddamned diamond-encrusted crown on her empty little head and tell her that she is above the law?

[wautd]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/06/ ... index.html

(CNN) -- Todd Palin and nine aides were found in contempt Friday by the Alaska Senate for failing to appear to testify in the Legislature's "troopergate" investigation of his wife, Gov. Sarah Palin, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Democratic Party said.

Great. So if I received a court summons and couldn't bother to show up, but I just faxed something in, could I also expect no penalty whatsoever, not even a fine, for ignoring the summons?

Every man is equal. But some men are more equal than others

[The Spartan]

I'm wondering why Todd needed to appear? Palin's husband should be exempt from having to testify against his wife correct?

He still has to show up. I'm unsure of the exact details about it, whether he can act in a manner similar to pleading the fifth or what. But if the court tells you to be there, you're supposed to be there.

[CmdrWilkens]

Aww c'mon, you never tasered your kids? C'mon. Be honest.

Why exactly is Palin in trouble for wanting this guy fired? He was clearly a fuck up, and his superior did nothing about it and so she fired him. Seems like a reasonable response to me.

The problem is that this little excerpt basically included every single one of Palin and Cos allegations without bothering to point out that:

a) The Palin's basically hired a private detective to stalk the guy trying to find out if he did something wrong. The guy literally drove around on a snowmobile several hundred miles into the wilderness to try and cath the trooper (Wooten) in the wrong and even when they THOUGHT they caught him it turns out they didn't (Palin thought he was jilting the state on a medical rehab assignment but Wooten had a doctor's note specifically allowing the activity she thought was a violation)

b) The Moose incident is really funny because Palin's dad explicitly told both Wooten and the sister that HE (Palin's dad) would use the moose hunting permit if the sister and wooten didn't. Then when Wooten did shoot the moose the dad was the one to collect and butcher it, making him an accessory to the crime. When the Palin's brought this complaint to the PS Commissioner he told them that if he charged wooten for shooting the moose illegally he would have to charge Palin's dad with accessory...Sarah and Todd immediately complained that they only wanted Wooten charged and not her dad.

c) The Taser incident is one which still lacks a lot of evidence

d) None of the article addresses how Wooten was ALREADY palced on administrative leave and actually punished for most of the complaints that the Palin's had against him. That is he had already been punished but they wanted the investigation re-opened and new, and harsher, punishment imposed for the same exact incidents.


In other words as with most articles about this the commentators leave out a mountain of context. The report from the independent investigator that the legislature appointed is well worth the read if you don't mind walking through the insanity that is the Palin household.

[Havok]

Thanks Wilkens. That sheds quite a bit more light on it.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Aww c'mon, you never tasered your kids? C'mon. Be honest.

Why exactly is Palin in trouble for wanting this guy fired? He was clearly a fuck up, and his superior did nothing about it and so she fired him. Seems like a reasonable response to me.

The problem is that this little excerpt basically included every single one of Palin and Cos allegations without bothering to point out that:

a) The Palin's basically hired a private detective to stalk the guy trying to find out if he did something wrong. The guy literally drove around on a snowmobile several hundred miles into the wilderness to try and cath the trooper (Wooten) in the wrong and even when they THOUGHT they caught him it turns out they didn't (Palin thought he was jilting the state on a medical rehab assignment but Wooten had a doctor's note specifically allowing the activity she thought was a violation)

b) The Moose incident is really funny because Palin's dad explicitly told both Wooten and the sister that HE (Palin's dad) would use the moose hunting permit if the sister and wooten didn't. Then when Wooten did shoot the moose the dad was the one to collect and butcher it, making him an accessory to the crime. When the Palin's brought this complaint to the PS Commissioner he told them that if he charged wooten for shooting the moose illegally he would have to charge Palin's dad with accessory...Sarah and Todd immediately complained that they only wanted Wooten charged and not her dad.

c) The Taser incident is one which still lacks a lot of evidence

d) None of the article addresses how Wooten was ALREADY palced on administrative leave and actually punished for most of the complaints that the Palin's had against him. That is he had already been punished but they wanted the investigation re-opened and new, and harsher, punishment imposed for the same exact incidents.


In other words as with most articles about this the commentators leave out a mountain of context. The report from the independent investigator that the legislature appointed is well worth the read if you don't mind walking through the insanity that is the Palin household.

God, she really is like a crazy low class control freak PTA mom bitch who escaped school and somehow ended up running a State.

[CmdrWilkens]

The problem is that this little excerpt basically included every single one of Palin and Cos allegations without bothering to point out that:

a) The Palin's basically hired a private detective to stalk the guy trying to find out if he did something wrong. The guy literally drove around on a snowmobile several hundred miles into the wilderness to try and cath the trooper (Wooten) in the wrong and even when they THOUGHT they caught him it turns out they didn't (Palin thought he was jilting the state on a medical rehab assignment but Wooten had a doctor's note specifically allowing the activity she thought was a violation)

b) The Moose incident is really funny because Palin's dad explicitly told both Wooten and the sister that HE (Palin's dad) would use the moose hunting permit if the sister and wooten didn't. Then when Wooten did shoot the moose the dad was the one to collect and butcher it, making him an accessory to the crime. When the Palin's brought this complaint to the PS Commissioner he told them that if he charged wooten for shooting the moose illegally he would have to charge Palin's dad with accessory...Sarah and Todd immediately complained that they only wanted Wooten charged and not her dad.

c) The Taser incident is one which still lacks a lot of evidence

d) None of the article addresses how Wooten was ALREADY palced on administrative leave and actually punished for most of the complaints that the Palin's had against him. That is he had already been punished but they wanted the investigation re-opened and new, and harsher, punishment imposed for the same exact incidents.


In other words as with most articles about this the commentators leave out a mountain of context. The report from the independent investigator that the legislature appointed is well worth the read if you don't mind walking through the insanity that is the Palin household.

God, she really is like a crazy low class control freak PTA mom bitch who escaped school and somehow ended up running a State.

Dude I don't know if the investigator's report is still available but the executive summary reads like she, Todd, and her dad (Chuck Heath) basically started acting like a mafia family determined to punish anyone who crossed them. It took place over a course of years and years during which they were relentless in trying to get Wooten in trouble.