Witnesses Stop 'Troopergate' by Ignoring Subpoenas

Todd Palin and others have decided to try and stop Sarah Palin's "Troopergate" scandel by just not showing up to court ... and it looks like their plan is going to work. Ewen MacAskill at the Guardian has the story:

The Republicans today effectively won their battle to delay the findings of the Troopergate investigation into Sarah Palin until after the White House election on November 4.

Her husband, Todd, and other witnesses signaled late yesterday they would ignore subpoenas demanding they attend an Alaska senate judiciary hearing into the affair in Anchorage today.

One of the Democrats on the committee, Bill Wielechowski, admitted that Todd Palin and the others could continue to refuse to testify for months without facing a penalty.

A lawyer for Todd Palin, Thomas van Flein, told the investigators the subpoena was "unduly burdensome" because he would be out on the campaign trail with his wife until election day.

"His scheduling obligations over the next two months will make it virtually impossible for him to prepare for and present the testimony called for in the subpoena at the specified location during that time period," Flein said in a letter.

The Republican vice-presidential candidate is under investigation over allegations that she improperly fired her public safety commissioner in July after he refused to sack a state trooper involved in an ugly divorce from her sister.

Wielechowski accused the John McCain campaign of "doing everything they can to delay" the investigation.