To keep this thing in perspective, let's review some facts.
In 2000, Sarah Palin writes a glowing recommendation of Wooten.
In 2005 A complaint is filed by Gov. Palin's father on the same day that Molly, Sarah Palin's sister, files for divorce from Wooten. The divorce is not amicable, and there is a fight for custody.
Over the course of the year 13 issues from Palin's father's complaint are investigated. Four of them are found to have merit.
1. Tasering his stepson. The boy admitted that he asked Wooten to do it. Wooten taped the leads to the boys arm and held gave a 1 second jolt on the lowest setting. The boy said it stung for about a second and left a mark on his arm. Interestingly, in an email complaint sent by Palin about Wooten, she states:
This is the same trooper who shot his 11 year old stepson with a taser...
I mention this to illustrate Ms. Palin's tendency to exaggerate in this matter. (He did not "shoot" his stepson with a taser)
2. During a heated argument between Wooten and his wife he told his wife that if her father hired a lawyer for her he would, "eat ******* lead" that he "would kill him". Obviously this is inappropriate language. However, the making a threat to a third party who was not present did not constitute a crime, but was found to be unbecoming of an officer.
3. He was investigated for accusations of drinking and driving on 2 occasions. He was said to have been seen drinking a beer then taking another into his patrol car. Investigators interviewed neighbors who were friends of Palin's father. Initially, it was ruled as unsustained, but after a review by a supervisor, it was changed to sustained on the merit of the witnesses. The second incident involved officer Wooten being pulled over after someone reported him for suspicion of drinking and driving after an altercation at a bar. This charge was not sustained.
4. The Moose Killing. It is a criminal misdemeanor in Alaska to kill a Moose without a permit. Trooper Wooten's wife had a permit. They saw a moose while driving one night. The stopped and at this point the stories are slightly different. Trooper Wooten claimed Molly was going to shoot the moose but couldn't do it, so he did it for her. Molly claims she did not want to shoot the moose and thought that he was only showing her how to line up a shot in case she wanted to try some other time. In any case, they loaded the moose in their truck and drove it to Molly's father's house where it was butchered.
This charge is interesting because while the strict interpretation of Alaskan law would indicate that this is a violation, it is apparantly commonly overlooked for a wife and husband to use one license.
When Sarah Palin attempted to press the issue on this charge, Monegan informed her that they could pursue it by following the strict letter of the law, but in doing so would likely cause charges to be brought against all parties involved since Molly and Palin's Father were both accomplices in taking the dead moose and butchering it. When that was revealed they apparently backed off the issue.
Other complaints prior to this on Wooten's record consisted of minor violations like a speeding ticket, a memo about using cell phones for personal business, and a memo on duty shifts, tardiness, etc...
Notice that all of the major complaints of this "reprobate" came from Palin or her family and associates. I have seen no evidence of anyone else in the community making any complaints about this officer.
Now,
this officer received a glowing recommendation from Palin herself earlier. What changed? He became involved in a bitter divorce and custody battle with her sister. I think, given that only the Palin's family and friends were complaining, that their motivations are a little suspect. Obviously they tried to claim a great deal more since only 4 of 13 issues were sustained. Of these, the "threat" to her father and the occasion where Wooten was seen drinking a beer before getting into his patrol car, the only evidence is testimony from the Palin family in the first case, and friends of Palin's father in the second. The reason the moose hunting incident is not being emphasized is clear from what I stated earlier. The tasering of the stepson was considered inappropriate but has been exaggerated a great deal by leaving out details and context.
Interestingly,
Palin seemed to be caught lying to the ivestigators at least once as I mentioned in my initial post on this thread. Her family's harassment of Trooper Wooten was noted even by the divorce judge who called their disparaging of Officer Wooten a form of child abuse.
Aides from Palin's office apparently breached confidentiality laws by acquiring Wooten's personal records to try to find information to use against him.
And besides Mr. Monnegan and Ms Grimes telling the Palins that their actions were in violation of state law, an unofficial advisor whom she had consulted on financial-disclosure legislation earlier wrote to her advising her that she should:
that she should fire any aides who had raised concerns with the chief over a state trooper who was involved in a bitter divorce with the governor's sister
and saying:
the situation is now grave" and recommended that she and her husband, Todd Palin, apologize for "overreaching or perceived overreaching" for using her position to try to get Trooper Mike Wooten fired from the force.
She ignored all of this advice.
Some have said that Palin was justified in her crusade against officer Wooten based on his poor behavior.
I would not be willing to judge this officer's behavior solely on the word of the Palins' friends and family in any circumstance, much less one where the Palin family has obvious motivation to disparage him. If there were abundunt evidence of others complaining in the community I might be more inclined to call his character suspect, but there is none that I have seen. The taser incident, while not overly bright, is very much overblown. I had friends as a child that would occasionally get this silly idea to hold hands and touch and electrified fence because they were amazed at how the electricity passed from one person to another. That was more dangerous than a 1 second low powered taser burst.
Having said that, let me address some comments:
To my understanding, the issued report stated that Gov.Palin did not use her office to specifically get Trooper Wooten fired.
First,
Missourian, thanks for the compliment, but I have to disagree here. The report states plainly:
The evidence supports the conclusion that Governor Palin, at least engaged in "official action" by her inaction if not her active participation or assistance to her husband in attempting to get Trooper Wooten fired (and there is evidence of her active participation).
Also you said
The report also stated that the outcome of the inquiry into the allegations against Trooper Wooten was witheld from the Palin family for reasons of confidentiality, so for all they knew, the inquest they had initiated was being 'swept under the rug' and Wooten was being protected by his brothers (and sisters) in blue.
While true that information was withheld during the investigation, afterwards they were aware that he had been suspended. Furthermore, when Monegan was hired, they asked him to check the file again, which he did and told them all the issues had been investigated and that the case was considered closed. He told them as well that he could do nothing in regards to that case, since it was closed before he was even hired. They knew officer Wooten had been investigated and reprimanded but they didn't think it was enough.
As for the rest of your post, I hope you will read the above information and think about the situation again, especially when you consider that all of the complaints about officer Wooten were from the Palin family while he was involved with a custody battle and divorce with her sister.
I know something about common sense as well. I may use "50 cent words", but I change my own oil, mow my own lawn, like to have cold beer after work, and didn't post much yesterday because I have to have my football fix. I'm not in some ivory tower. I admit I be giving Officer Wooten the benefit of the doubt, but I've both had friends that were police officers who had to deal with fabricated complaints, and I personally had to go through some conflict with my ex-wife when she suddenly decided to try to have my custody rights suspended for my daughter. Not to go into all the details, but whether own her own, or through her lawyer's advice, the complaint was loaded with outright lies. She made claims that I had no food in my house. She had never even been to my house. She made claims that I had many different women sleeping over at my house-a different one every night while my daughter was there (she's 6). I had only dated 2 different women in the 4 years since we had divorced. And there were many others. Sure, she got blasted in court, and though I felt confident, it was a frightening situation because I thought that if any one of the lies was believed, I may have lost custodial rights for my daughter. So I do not rule out the possiblity of out and out lies in these types of situations, and I certainly wouldn't trust the Palin family on this just by their word.
For
Yurt who said:
great, now you can tell me exactly what the finding means? is it a conviction of guilt or an opinion of guilt?
It is the conclusion of an independent investigator hired by the legislative council. I refuse your false dichotomy oh wielder of the fallacy.
and you know for a fact, his reading of the ethics law and how brainfart tried to interpret it to find palin, in his OPINION, guilty of violating such.....is mere political bullshit.
I don't know that for a fact, because it was absolutely clear to me that it did apply. Please, explain to me how the information in the document is bullshit. I am interested to know how you see it being misapplied. How do you interpret the relevant statutes and why do Sarah Palins actions not fall under them?
this is a political witchhunt and a pathetic one at that, especially when one reads the troopers letter from his superiors from 2006 that finds the trooper GUILTY of basically everything the palins claimed...........aare you calling that trooper fit for duty?
As for the trooper, see the rest of my post. Now, about this political witchunt. Who is doing the hunting and what are their motivations? I would like you to expound upon these views a little more since as they are, they really don't say much. And the complaint by the Palins had 13 issues which were investigated. Only 4 were found to have any merit at all. I don't see how that reconciles with being pretty much everything they claimed.
are you telling me that you would just shut your mouth because you got elected governor when you know there is that scum on the police force...so just because you are governor, you lose your right to free speech....
Well, if I had personal knowledge of a trooper who was really dangerous and a threat to me and my family, I would seek a way to bring the information to light through appropriate channels or allow my relatives to continue filing complaints (but not have access to anyone through me or my office)when they witenessed him doing something. Maybe have a broad general campaign that encouraged the public to report any trooper acting inappropriately. I would consider a range of appropriate options. I would not directly contact and try to cajole or allow my family and aides on my behalf to cajole others into violating state privacy laws because I'm smart enough to know that I would get my ass in a sling and nothing would be done to him since it is an obvious conflict of interest. Unfortunately Sarah Palin is either not that smart or just has no respect for the law even when her own advisors tell her it's going to happen.
have posted a link to the letter to trooper asswipe, the evidence is clear, that guy should not be on the force and brainfart ADMITS that the palins frustration is REAL...due the the current way such complaints are handled and he suggests the law should be changed....
I will read it and consider it, but I haven't been able to find it or your link. Please post it again. I would also like to suggest that perhaps we could do without your witty little names such as "Brainfart" for Branchflower. Sure, I could join in the reindeer games and start saying Stare-uhhh Palin or some such nonsense, but I'm thinking of the possibility of international lurkers and I'd like them to see that there are not quite as many morons as they think in America.
