Big relief for Palin ahead of polls

WASHINGTON: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the running mate of Republican presidential nominee John McCain, did not violate ethics rules law by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from police, the state's Personnel Board concluded on Tuesday, contradicting a previous investigation's findings.
    
"There is no probable cause to believe that the Governor, or any other state official, violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in connection with these matters," Timothy Petumenos, the Anchorage lawyer hired to conduct the investigation, wrote in his final report.
    
The announcement comes hours before the McCain-Palin duo face voters in the presidential election.
    
Allegations that 44-year-old Palin fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan in July because he refused to sack her sister's ex-husband, Mike Wooten, have dogged her since she became the Republican vice presidential nominee in August.
    
An earlier investigation launched by the state legislature had concluded Palin violated state ethics law by trying to get Wooten fired. The law bars public officials from pursuing personal interest through official action.
    
That first inquiry -- led by legislative investigator Stephen Branchflower -- also concluded that Palin's firing of Monegan likely stemmed in part from his refusal to fire Wooten, but added that it was within her authority as Governor.
    
Despite the conclusions of Branchflower's October 10 report, Palin declared that she had been "cleared of any legal wrongdoing" in the matter. Her attorney, Thomas Van Flein, argued the Branchflower report had wrongly interpreted state ethics law.

Though the Governor originally agreed to cooperate with the Legislature's inquiry, she tried to stop the investigation once she became McCain's running mate -- and campaign aides attacked the probe as a partisan circus that was being manipulated by supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
    
Instead, Palin asked the Personnel Board -- an executive branch agency whose members were appointed by her predecessor -- to handle the investigation, arguing it was the proper legal venue.
    
In a brief statement after the decision by the Personnel Board, Van Flein said Palin was pleased with the report.
    
"The Governor is grateful that this investigation has provided a fair and impartial review of this matter and upholds the Governor's ability to take measures when necessary to ensure that Alaskans have the best possible team working to serve them," Flein said.
    
Petumenos said Branchflower had done a good job of collecting facts for the legislative inquiry.
    
But, he said, Branchflower did not have access to all the evidence that he did and that Branchflower's legal analysis was "completely wrong."
    
Petumenos questioned Palin and her husband, Todd Palin, on October 24 about Monegan's removal from the commissioner's post, which oversees the Alaska State Troopers.