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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Republicans Sue To Stop Probe Of Palin

ANCHORAGE (CN) - Five Republican state legislators went to Superior Court on Tuesday to try to stop the Legislature's investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin's dismissal of the state public safety commissioner. The legislators sued independent investigator Stephen Branchflower; state Sen. Kim Elton, chairman of the Legislative Council; and state Sen. Hollis French, who is overseeing the investigation.

Former Commissioner Walt Monegan says Palin removed him from office for refusing to fire Palin's former brother in law, who went through a nasty divorce with Palin's sister. Palin says she fired him for "insubordination" in a budget dispute.

The Republican plaintiffs accuse the Legislature of "conducting a 'McCarthyistic' investigation in an unlawful ... partial and partisan political manner."

They claim the Legislator's investigators have a "predisposition to make findings against Governor Palin" and are trying "to affect the outcome of elections" by refusing to delay release of their investigation until after Nov. 4 - Election Day.

The legislators have said the report would be completed by Oct. 10.

But the plaintiffs in this case says there is "no nonpartisan reason" that it "needs to be completed prior to the election on Nov. 4".

One of the plaintiffs is state Rep. Wes Keller, an elder in Palin's church, whom she appointed to his seat.

Courthouse News will post a link to the lawsuit as soon as it becomes available.

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