Governor Palin's administration is refusing to cooperate with investigators and is withholding 1100 emails that could prove critical to ongoing invesitigations into Palin's behavior as Governor. The administration is claiming the e-mails hold information which is covered by "executive" or "deliberative process" privilege and would keep the emails out of the view of anyone other than Palin and her aides. Todd Palin, Palin's husband, was CC'd on several of the emails, and he is not part of the Palin administration.

Part of the emails including Mr. Palin were regarding the Public Services Employee Association, a union which represents the Alaska State Troopers. The emails may offer more clues into Palin's direct handling and pressuring of the firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan. Monegan was fired shortly after he refused to fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law, who had been going through a bitter divorce with Palin's sister at the time.

Some of the other emails had the subject heading "re Andrew Halcro". Andrew Halcro was Palin's opponent while running for Governor in 2006. Halcro posted on his blog in July of 2008 after learning of his prescence in the emails:

"The serious concern about these emails is that they were prohibited from being released to the public due to executive privilege, even though Todd Palin was copied on these same emails.



Todd Palin is not a member of the executive branch, nor is he even a government employee. Todd Palin is a member of the general public...



These emails should be released to the public...after all Todd Palin has no standing to claim executive privilege. By including him in the email loop, the Palin administration has arguably breached any claim of executive privilege."



I would have to strongly agree with Harlcro here. If Todd Palin gets to see the e-mails, then there is no reason why I, or any other American, should not get to see them. We are members of the general public just as Todd Palin is.

This story is unfolding...