Sarah Palin Troopergate Problem Now Involves Her Husband And A Subpoena

Of all the issues that confronts Sarah Palin, and by extension impacts on John McCain, the ‘troopergate’ story is the one with legs, and has the most damaging potential.  Today a huge bombshell exploded for the Republicans, as Todd Palin the husband of Governor Palin, was subpoenaed to give information in the scandal that is the talk of Alaska, and now the lower forty-eight.   Stranger yet, a Republican member of the Alaskan State Senate dressed in camouflage, broke away from a moose hunting trip, to cast a decisive vote.  (You just can’t make this stuff up!)

The abuse of power investigation against Sarah Palin, Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate, took a potentially ominous turn for her party on Friday when state lawmakers voted to subpoena her husband.

Republican efforts to delay the probe until after the Nov. 4 election were thwarted when GOP State Sen. Charlie Huggins, who represents Palin’s hometown of Wasilla, sided with Democrats. “Let’s just get the facts on the table,” said Huggins, who appeared in camouflage pants to vote during a break from moose hunting.

Thomas Van Flein, the Palins’ private attorney now representing her as governor, did not immediately return calls for comment.

The Senate committee acted at the request of investigator Stephen Branchflower, who is gathering evidence on whether Gov. Palin abused her power by firing Walt Monegan, the state’s director of public safety. Critics charge she fired Monegan after he refused to dismiss Mike Wooten, a state trooper who had a messy divorce from the governor’s sister. Palin says Monegan was let go because of a budget dispute.

Branchflower also said he wants to interview the governor, but omitted her from the 13-person list of subpoena targets he presented to the lawmakers overseeing his investigation.

He said Todd Palin is “such a central figure. … I think one should be issued for him.”

Palin, cast at last week’s Republican National Conventionas a supportive husband, oil rig worker and championship snowmachine racer, has emerged in the days since as also a powerful figure in his wife’s administration. Despite holding no government position, he attends official meetings and is copied on e-mails concerning state business.

While Todd Palin’s role in the dismissal of Monegan is unknown, the request for a subpoena suggests he spurned earlier calls to testify voluntarily. Monegan voluntarily submitted to an interview earlier in the week.

Nor was it immediately clear whether Van Flein was representing Todd Palin as well as the governor in the investigation. Van Flein is working at taxpayer expense to represent the governor in her personal and official capacity.

The subpoenas, which were approved for 12 state employees in addition to Todd Palin, instantly gave a new, national significance to what until recently was a controversy confined to Alaska.

Technorati Tags: SarahPalin, JohnMcCain, Election08, Alaska