Palin’s efforts abused power

Revelations out of the Alaska legislative investigation into what has come to be called "Troopergate" will likely not be enough to create serious talk of Gov. Sarah Palin withdrawing from the GOP ticket, nor substantially hinder her future political career. But they do offer evidence that she had a tendency to confuse personal crusades with proper governmental functions and to use governmental power in inappropriate ways.

In case anyone has missed the story, Palin's sister, Molly, was married to Alaska state trooper Mike Wooten. A subsequent divorce and custody battle was quite bitter, and the Palin family, spearheaded by Palin's husband, Todd, worked hard, beginning before Palin became governor, to get Wooten dismissed from his job. Some of the evidence against him was substantial enough for him to be put on leave for five days, but he was not fired.

After Palin took office, according to the 263-page investigation report, her husband made numerous phone calls from the governor's office, trying to get Wooten fired. Finally, earlier this year, Palin fired Commissioner of Public Safety Walt Monegan, who claimed he had been sacked because he refused to submit to pressure to fire Wooten. That triggered the state legislative investigation.

The Legislature's investigation concluded that, while the Wooten matter probably played a part in Monegan's firing, it was not the only reason, and besides, Palin was within her rights to replace the public safety commissioner, who serves at the governor's pleasure, for any reason or for no reason. So while the decision might have been questionable, it was not illegal.

As to the campaign to get Wooten fired, however, the Legislature's report - released after intense debate by a bipartisan legislative vote - found that the governor "knowingly ... permitted Todd Palin to use the governor's office and the resources of the governor's office, including access to state employees, in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired. Her conduct violated (a section) of the (state) ethics act." Such violations can be punished with a reprimand or a fine.

The McCain-Palin campaign says that is a stretched reading of the ethics act.

But whether the Palin campaign to have Wooten fired, conducted by a number of members of her Cabinet as well as her husband, actually broke the law, it was certainly an inappropriate use of government resources. And the governor's statement that she was pleased to be cleared of "any hint of unethical activity" is clearly incorrect.

Although the Legislature's report also concluded that Palin family claims of fear of physical danger from Wooten were inaccurate, there is no reason not to believe that the Palin family was convinced that it was an injustice that he had not been fired. However, the use of the authority and prestige of the governor's office to get him fired overstepped ethical boundaries.

Perhaps this is all a bit of a tempest in a teapot. But it illustrates that even good and sincere people can abuse government power. That is all the more reason to work for limitation of government power, even - or perhaps especially - when those who seek or use such power assure us that they have only the best of intentions.