McCain Campaign: Palin Will Not Cooperate In "Tainted" Troopergate Probe

September 16, 2008 12:30 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is not likely going to cooperate in a state probe, dubbed the Troopergate, whether she abused her position to fire her former brother-in-law from his job as a state trooper, the McCain campaign has said.

McCain campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan said on Monday the first-term governor is "unlikely to cooperate" with the state prosecutor because the investigation was "tainted," according to the Washington Post.

Palin is accused of using her influence to pressure former state public safety commissioner Walt Monegan to fire Michael Wooten, a state trooper who had been engaged in a bitter custody battle with her sister Polly. The governor allegedly dismissed Monegan in July for not firing Wooten, who she accused of threatening her father's life in 2005.

The state Legislature opened the probe in July. Palin had at the time pledged her full cooperation in the investigation, but has been less than enthusiastic about probe since she became the first woman Republican vice presidential candidate.

Alaska's Senate Judiciary Committee voted last week to subpoena Todd Palin, the governor's husband, and 12 other people, including 11 gubernatorial aides. They also approved a subpoena for the cell phone records of Frank Bailey, a Palin aide who was taped having a phone conversation with another trooper about the governor's dismay on the "inaction" on Wooten's dismissal. Bailey was placed on leave last month.

During her first substantial interview last week, Palin told ABC's Charles Gibson, "I never pressured him to hire or fire anybody. Why I replaced commissioner Monegan was after two years, of he working in my cabinet, as a political appointment, at will, exempt, recognizing after two years, he wasn't meeting the goals I wanted met in that area of public service, there were a lot of things that we were lacking, and a lot of goals weren't being met."

Palin, a 44-year old mother of five, has boosted enthusiasm among conservatives and women voters since she was named part of the ticket on Aug. 29. Observers say Republicans are hoping to push the investigation until after the November elections.