Palin's Trooper-Gate Scandal

I was as shocked as anyone that John McCain tapped Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. There is the potential for some upside with the pick and, although I think that the chances for it are remote indeed, possibly a big upside. However, the chances for the pick backfiring on McCain in a big way are much more likely. This is a large topic and one I'll probably want to handle here soon. Today, however, I want to get some information out about the investigation in Alaska of Palin's possible abuse of power in her role as governor. While this may not make or break her ability to campaign effectively, it is the starting point from which most will learn of her.

Talking Points Memo actually began following this story months ago, long before Palin herself was even a blip on the national radar. Thus, it is to TPM that I'll turn to offer background on the story.

What is Trooper-Gate -- as many are calling it -- and how did it start? Good background on the scandal can be found here and here. The latter article makes it clear why it should be relevant to Palin's fitness for the position of VP, but also how his choice of Palin speaks to McCain's own judgment. That second point, expanded upon to highlight McCain's decision-making skills generally, is the focus of this article. A timeline for the events surrounding the scandal can be found here.

Interestingly -- and quite shockingly -- it would appear that the key players in Trooper-Gate -- both in terms of public officials who are conducting the investigation into possible ethics violations by Governor Palin, as well those with direct involvement in the scandal itself -- were not contacted by the McCain campaign during the vetting process of Palin. This makes no sense to me at all, especially when McCain and Palin don't know each other on a personal basis. The entire world will now be picking through this woman's background with a fine-tooth comb, so I'd have done so myself prior to making my selection.

Again, there is much to say about McCain's choice and about Governor Palin herself. No doubt, more information will emerge in the days as weeks ahead that will guide that discussion. Still, this investigation is the best starting place to learn about just how Palin has reacted to having executive power. The scandal may leave her untouched. It could also doom her from the start.

31 August 2008

1 September 2008 Addition: Two new pieces of information have surfaced that I wanted to mention in conjunction with this post. First, it is being reported that Palin will be testifying -- likely under oath -- in the next few weeks regarding Trooper-Gate and that she has hired a private attorney to represent her in the matter. Second, new information is coming to light regarding Palin's judgment relevant to the scandal. This post from TPM's Kate Klonick outlines the situation, quoted below.

It looks like there's even more muck than meets the eye in Trooper-Gate.

After the allegedly improper firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) appointed former Kenai Police Chief Chuck Kopp to the post.

Kopp served just two weeks this summer as the head of law enforcement in Alaska, resigning on July 25, after a past complaint of sexual harassment and a subsequent letter of reprimand surfaced in news reports.

But Palin made sure he had a soft fall from grace, giving him a $10,000 severance package for just two weeks served.

While Palin has conceded she was aware of the past complaint against Kopp, she claims that she thought the complaint had been unsubstantiated and was unaware of the letter of reprimand.

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