Palin's TrooperGate is Really Heating Up

Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly at 1:12 PM on September 17, 2008.

I'm not sure what Sarah Palin's "Troopergate" scandal isn't getting more play right now. The still largely unknown Republican VP nominee is in the midst of a fairly serious ethics controversy, and after giving her word to cooperate as part of a transparent process, Palin and her team are acting like they have a lot to hide. Usually, for the national media, this would be like waving red meat in front of a hungry dog.



Newsweek reports that Ed O'Callaghan, a former U.S. Attorney dispatched to Alaska by the McCain campaign, is actively trying to shut the investigation down.



The AP reports that Alaska's Republican state attorney general is blocking state employees from honoring legislative subpoenas, and explained yesterday that the officials are refusing to testify as part of the investigation.



TPM's Zachary Roth reports that Alaskan Republicans have enlisted out-of-state, right-wing lawyers to file suit, hoping to halt the investigation.



As we talked about yesterday, Palin is now refusing to cooperate with the investigation she'd vowed to cooperate with, and is claiming executive privilege to shield her gubernatorial emails from scrutiny from investigators.



And even conservative Alaskans are surprised by the new-found, McCain-driven efforts to destroy Walt Monegan's reputation:

You really can't experience the full effect of Monday's news conference featuring Palin spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton unless you hear it for yourself. Stapleton passionately attacked former Commissioner of Public Safety Walt Monegan. Her rhetoric was plain, desperate, and obvious. Her tone, pure shrill.

With intensity, urgency, and alarm in her voice, Stapleton described Monegan's behavior as commissioner as egregious insubordination, full of obstructionist conduct and a brazen refusal to follow instructions.

Did Walt Monegan, former Marine, and lifetime crime fighter deserve this? Of course not.

But history has proven, get in the way of Sarah Barracuda's political ambition, and you won't know what hit you.

In a reasonable political environment, these circumstances would create a genuine feeding frenzy. We have an ethics scandal, involving a candidate for national office who appears to have lied, and who keeps changing her story. We have promises of cooperation, followed by complete and total obstinacy. We have powerful Republicans converging to shut down a legitimate investigation.



We have, in other words, a serious political scandal, which a presidential campaign is doing its best to obstruct. Where's the outrage?

Tagged as: palin, troopergate