Palin Probe Takes New Track

Palin Probe Takes New Track
By JOEL MILLMAN Wall Street Journal
SEPTEMBER 25, 2008

An official probe into allegations that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin abused the powers of her office has broken into two tracks, complicating an issue that has become central to the presidential election.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in New York Wednesday after she and Republican Sen. John McCain met Ukrainian and Georgian presidents.

The Alaska legislature, which has been investigating whether Gov. Palin had improperly fired a state official over a personal matter, could issue results of its probe as early as mid-October, even though some key witnesses have declined to cooperate. A second investigation, sanctioned by the governor, is on a longer track, and could extend past the November election.

Since Gov. Palin was relatively unknown when Republican presidential nominee John McCain picked her as his running mate, the investigation has taken on added importance for voters. Gov. Palin had originally said she would cooperate with the legislative investigation, but appeared to backtrack after her vice-presidential nomination.

The McCain-Palin campaign on Tuesday pledged to fully cooperate with Tim Petumenos, an Anchorage, Alaska, attorney who was selected this week by the state executive branch's Personnel Board to head the second investigation. The governor's legal team argues that the ethics-oversight body has statutory jurisdiction over the case.

"The governor is an open book," said Taylor Griffin, a McCain-Palin campaign spokesman in Anchorage. "Gov. Palin has agreed to produce all documents, such as emails, and is working to schedule meetings" with Mr. Petumenos. Gov. Palin's husband, Todd Palin, is also willing to speak with the new investigator, as are other witnesses, he said.

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Palin Probe Takes New Track