Story Created:
Feb 23, 2011 at 4:48 PM AKDT
Story Updated:
Feb 23, 2011 at 4:48 PM AKDT
Original article posted July 19, 2008
Former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan is speaking out about the Public Safety Employees Association's executive director's insinuations that Governor Sarah Palin fired Monegan because he refused to fire her former brother-in-law, who is a current state trooper. PSEA represents state troopers, including the Palins' former brother-in-law, Officer Michael Wooten.
While Monegan is not saying he was let go for not firing Wooten, he now says members of Governor Palin's administration, and her husband, first gentleman, Todd Palin, pressured him to fire Wooten.
Outright, the first family unequivocally says there was never any pressure by them, or the governor's staff, for Monegan to fire their former brother-in-law. Governor Palin says, "All I know what the facts are and what the truth is. And the truth is never was there any pressure put on Commissioner Monegan to hire or fire anybody."
"Never putting any pressure on him," added first gentleman Palin.
In fact, the Palins say the proof in all of this Monegan was never under any pressure, is an event just a month ago. They say Wooten's face appeared on a fallen officer poster and Monegan never recognized Wooten. They also say Wooten, still being employed as an Alaskan State Trooper, shows there was never any pressure for Monegan to fire the trooper previously involved in a nasty divorce, and currently involved in nasty child custody battle, with Palin's younger sister.
However, Monegan says aside from an initial face-to-face meeting with first gentleman Palin about Wooten, Monegan says on numerous occasions Palin and powerful administration officials, Administration Department Commissioner Annette Kreitzer, and Boards and Commissions Director Frank Bailey pressured him on the phone to fire Wooten.
Monegan said, "They were persistent. Todd (Palin) talked to me a couple of times. Got calls from Annette Kreitzer as well as Frank Bailey."
However, first gentleman Palin insists there was just that one initial Wooten meeting.
Palin said, "...just the one time. Just letting him know the public's concerned. And our concerns." Todd Palin says the meeting was only to alert Monegan that Wooten had made a death threat against the Palin family, "We present information that provides a guy's history of abuse. Some may say it's pressure. I say it's informing."
Governor Palin insists, in the end, there was, "absolutely no pressure ever put on Commissioner Monegan to hire or fire anybody, at any time. I did not abuse my office powers. And I don't know how to be more blunt and candid and honest, but to tell you that truth. To tell you that no pressure was ever put on anybody to fire anybody."
Now many lawmakers, including Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Anchorage Senator Hollis French, say they're considering whether or not to investigate all of this. French explained the Senate Judiciary Committee does "have the subpoena power. We're very careful about using that. We certainly have the power to hire an investigator. I think it's a little too preliminary to decide which direction we're going."
French says lawmakers will have a better idea once they return to Juneau Monday. He says if the decision is made to hold hearings, lawmakers will most likely start by looking for an independent investigator.
Late Friday night, Palin Deputy Press Secretary Sharon Leighow said Boards and Commissions Director Frank Bailey told her he never spoke with Monegan about Wooten.
Leighow also says Administration Department Commissioner Annette Kreitzer told her she does not recall ever talking to Monegan about Wooten. Monegan continues to say he is still not sure if the Wooten incident had anything to do with his firing.
Governor Palin insists Monegan was not fired. In a statement Thursday Palin said:
"Former Commissioner Monegan was not released due to any actions or inaction related to personnel issues in his department. We had hoped the former commissioner would have stayed in state service to help fight alcohol-related crime. We offered him the position of executive director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control board and, unfortunately, he turned it down."
Monegan says he was fired because he says when Palin's Acting Chief of Staff Mike Nizich offered him the ABC job, Monegan says he asked Nizich, "So I guess I'm not the Commissioner of DPS?" Monegan says Nizich replied, "This is correct."
Monegan also takes issue with Governor Palin's recent statements regarding his replacement, former Kenai Police Chief Chuck Kopp's hiring, to take Troopers in a "new direction." Palin partially defined that new direction in a Thursday interview with CBS 11 News:
"We have start recruiting. We have to start doing more then just talking about it. And taking action also."
Monegan says the two recent trooper graduating classes had the most recruits in years. He also says right before he left the administration he gave the governor an audit. He says she replied to him that the audit made the administration look like it did not support the troopers. It was right after that he says he went on a vacation. When he returned Monegan says Nizich offered him the new ABC job.
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