Mon, October 13, 2008
The Alaskan ethics inquiry into the conduct of state governor Sarah Palin gained national attention when she was picked as the Republican candidate for U.S. vice-president.
It has ruled that she abused her powers by pressuring subordinates to fire a state trooper involved in a bitter divorce and custody battle with her sister.
It found that Palin violated public trust in pushing for the dismissal of trooper Michael Wooten seen here in file footage.
It also says Palin's publicly-expressed fears that Wooten would attack her family were untrue.
But it ruled her sacking of state safety commissioner Walt Monegan who had refused to dismiss Wooten was acceptable.
The McCain-Palin campaign is dismissing the report as a partisan effort led by Barack Obama supporters but says she feels vindicated.
SOUNDBITE: Meghan Stapleton, McCain-Palin campaign, saying (English):
"The original authorisation for the hundred thousand bucks was to see whether this governor abused any power in reassigning Walt Monegan. They said 'absolutely not', that there is not conclusive, that she did not exert unlawful power, that she acted within her authority and within her lawful power to reassign him."
The Obama campaign hasn't used the inquiry to attack Palin or presidential contender John McCain.
But it casts a cloud over the controversial choice of running mate at a time when polls show the Obama camp moving ahead.
Paul Chapman, Reuters.
