Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as Alaska governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state police officer, the chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded on Friday.
The inquiry has imperiled the Republican vice presidential candidate’s reputation as a reformer on Senator John McCain’s ticket.
Investigator Stephen Branchflower, in a report to a bipartisan panel that looked into the matter, found Palin in violation of a state ethics law that prohibits public officials from using their office for personal gain.
The inquiry looked into her dismissal of Public Safety commissioner Walter Monegan, who said he lost his job because he resisted pressure to fire a state police officer involved in a bitter divorce and custody battle with the governor’s sister.
Palin says Monegan was fired as part of a legitimate budget dispute.
Monegan’s firing was lawful, the report found, but Palin let the family grudge influence her decision-making — even if it was not the sole reason Monegan was dismissed.
“I feel vindicated,” Monegan said. “It sounds like they’ve validated my belief and opinions.”
Branchflower said Palin violated a statute of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. Lawmakers don’t have the authority to sanction her for such a violation and they gave no indication they would take any action against her.
Under Alaska law, it is up to the state’s personnel board — which is conducting its own investigation — to decide whether Palin violated state law and, if so, to refer the case to the Senate president for disciplinary action.
Violations also carry a possible fine of up to US$5,000.
Palin attorney Thomas Van Flein disagreed with Branchflower’s conclusions.
“In order to violate the ethics law, there has to be some personal gain, usually financial. Mr Branchflower has failed to identify any financial gain,” he said.
Palin and McCain’s supporters had hoped the inquiry’s finding would be delayed until after the election to spare her any embarrassment and to put aside an enduring distraction as she campaigns as McCain’s running mate in an uphill contest against Democratic Senator Barack Obama.
After a court fight to block the report failed, the panel of lawmakers voted to release it — though not without dissension.
“I think there are some problems in this report,” said Republican state Senator Gary Stevens, a member of the panel. “I would encourage people to be very cautious, to look at this with a jaundiced eye.”
McCain campaign spokesman Meg Stapleton said the “legislative council seriously overreached, making a tortured argument to find fault without basis in law or fact.”
The state paid Branchflower, a retired state prosecutor to prepare the report.
The state legislature could vote next year to censure Palin, but committee members appeared divided over the report and Democratic Senator Kim Elton, the committee’s chairman, gave no indication that would happen.
Stapleton also dismissed the report as “a partisan-led inquiry run by Obama supporters.”
The inquiry has been dogged by criticism since Democrat Hollis French, who oversaw the investigation, predicted an “October surprise” for the McCain campaign.
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