"The damning Troopergate report shows that Gov. Palin is not only unethical, but vindictive."

Palin family values

Oct. 14, 2008 Sarah Palin claims to be a reformer who is going to fight corruption and clean up Washington cronyism. But a bipartisan report establishes beyond a doubt that Palin herself indulged and abetted an illegal and unethical personal vendetta carried out by her husband. Sending her to clean up Washington is like sending the Hatfields and McCoys out to restore civility in rural America.

The day Molly filed for divorce in April 2005, Sarah’s father, Chuck Heath, accused Wooten of various offenses, including illegally killing a moose, using a low-charge taser on his stepson, and drinking a beer while driving a squad car. A police administrative board investigated the charges in 2006, and Wooten was disciplined but not fired, which enraged the Palins. Before she was elected governor, Palin called a high-ranking police official, asking how it was possible that Wooten had not been fired and urging her to take the charges seriously.

Once Sarah Palin took office in early 2007, her husband Todd began agitating for Wooten’s firing. According to the head of her security detail, the self-described “First Dude,” or the “First Gentleman” as the report calls him, spent about half his time sitting at a long conference table in Gov. Palin’s office. His main, and as far as one can tell from the report, sole occupation: to get Wooten axed.


Monegan looked over the investigation and found that it had been properly carried out and nothing was missed. He informed Todd Palin of this. He also told Palin that it would be a technicality to charge Wooten with illegally shooting a moose, since Wooten’s wife Molly was also present and had a permit. Moreover, if Wooten was charged, she’d have to be charged too, for letting him use her permit, and Sarah Palin’s father, who butchered the moose, would also have to be charged. According to Monegan, Todd Palin responded, “I didn’t want that. I only want Wooten charged.” Monegan’s comment: “Well, we’re not that way. If there’s somebody who’s guilty, we have to hold everybody accountable for their actions and decisions.”..............