Fired 'Troopergate' figure gives investigators more e-mails RAW STORY

Published: Monday September 29, 2008





Print This Email This The former public safety commissioner at the center of an ongoing investigation into whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power by firing her has handed over e-mails he says prove he was not insubordinate, according to a local news report.



KTUU television says Walter Monegan has given investigators e-mails that show he was a responsible steward of his department's budget and did not defy his bosses, undercutting arguments released by John McCain's presidential campaign, which has all but taken over operations in running-mate Palin's state office. The campaign claims Monegan made unauthorized trips to Washington and asked for earmarks without approval of the governor.



Monegan admits he sent a letter asking for $1.8 million for an anti-gang initiative in Mountain View, but said he never made unauthorized trips to Washington.



He said the lack of communication between departments wasn't on his behalf.



"There's not a lot of input or requests ... or inclusion of anybody from DPS in this," Monegan said in a phone interview. "So I would submit that if there's a communication breakdown, given that my trip was approved by the chief of staff and yet still discussed by the rest of the staff, that it might be realistically a breakdown in communications within the governor's office more than anybody else." Monegan says Palin sought his dismissal after he refused to fire state trooper Mike Wooten, the governor's former brother-in-law who she claimed was threatening her sister and father. He says Palin and her husband, Todd, both pressured him to fire Wooten, although the couple dispute that claim.



Alaska's state Personnel Board and legislature are investigating Palin's conduct, but the governor is cooperating only with the personnel board.



Monegan previously described the e-mails released by the McCain-Palin campaign as portraying just "a little bit of gossip" primarily between two of the governor's aides. His e-mails, he said, would give investigators a much fuller picture of the circumstances that preceded his dismissal.



