Palin 'unlawfully' abused power

Published on Saturday 11 October 2008 11:17

John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as Alaska's governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, US officials said.

Stephen Branchflower, the chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel, found Mrs Palin in violation of a state ethics law that prohibits public officials from using their office for personal gain.

The politically charged inquiry imperilled her reputation as a reformer on the Republican presidential ticket.

The inquiry looked into the so-called Troopergate scandal, the dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner Walter Monegan who allegedly refused to fire Mrs Palin's brother-in-law Mike Wooten, an Alaskan state trooper, following a messy divorce from her sister.

Mrs Palin has said Mr Monegan was fired as part of a legitimate budget dispute.

The panel found Mrs Palin let the family grudge influence her decision-making even if it was not the sole reason Mr Monegan was dismissed.

"I feel vindicated," Mr Monegan said.

"It sounds like they've validated my belief and opinions. And that tells me I'm not totally out in left field."

Mr Branchflower said the Republican vice presidential nominee violated a statute of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.

Mrs Palin and Mr McCain's supporters had hoped the inquiry's finding would be delayed until after the presidential election on November 4 to spare her any embarrassment and to put aside an enduring distraction in an uphill contest against their Democratic rival Barack Obama.

But the bipartisan panel voted to release the report late last night, but not without dissent.

Alaska senator Gary Stevens, a Republican member of the panel, said: "I think there are some problems in this report.

"I would encourage people to be very cautious, to look at this with a jaundiced eye."

The nearly 300-page report did not recommend sanctions or a criminal investigation.