Todd Palin // Current

CNN Ties Sarah and Todd Palin to Anti-American Alaskan Independence Party

The mainstream media has finally noticed Sarah and Todd Palins' ties to the rabidly anti-American secessionist group, the... more

joebrilliant
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44 responses

1 month ago

Todd Palin: As a power behind the throne, First Dude abides

Last week, the release of the Branchflower Report added another ring to the Palin Family Circus. The investigation, commissioned in August by a bipartisan legislative council, concluded that while the Alaskan governor and Republican vice presidential candidate acted within the scope of her constitutional authority by firing Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan earlier this summer, she had violated the state’s ethics statutes by allowing state personnel and state resources to be used to settle a private grudge against Mike Wooten, a trooper who’d formerly been married to Sarah Palin’s sister.
The report devoted particular attention to the governor’s husband, Todd Palin, who repeatedly urged Monegan and other state officials to revisit a closed investigation into Wooten’s conduct. Given the acute national interest in the story, the results of the “Troopergate” probe obviously touched on, and further undermined, Sarah Palin’s image as a maverick reformer. But they also introduced non-Alaskans to questions that have long been raised about the so-called “First Dude” and the unusual role he’s played in his wife’s administration.

Shortly after the report’s release, as the governor’s supporters peddled the dubious claim that it had somehow vindicated Sarah Palin, McCain campaign spokesperson Taylor Griffin addressed the report’s strong criticism of Todd Palin’s efforts to have Wooten removed from his job. With a straight face, Griffin argued that Palin’s involvement in his wife’s work was, broadly speaking, comparable to Eleanor Roosevelt’s commitment to civil rights or Hillary Clinton’s work on health care reform. (There was no word on Palin’s resemblance to Mamie Eisenhower, who drew national praise in the mid-1950s for her “million dollar fudge” recipe.)

But Alaskan political observers have been pointing out for some time that no one can quite figure out what Todd Palin’s precise duties include. As Mike Madden wrote in a Salon profile last month, Todd Palin “lurks around the capitol if he doesn’t have anything better to do, which, since he works seasonal jobs in oil and fishing, is fairly often.” Business owner and blogger Andrew Halcro, who was the first to allege an unseemly motivation for Monegan’s firing, has been less charitable, describing Todd Palin as a “shadow governor.”

Though he is not officially a member of the executive branch, Palin is renowned for attending meetings with the governor and legislators or other public officials, many of whom have described his (almost totally silent) presence as odd or even discomfiting. Todd Palin, for example, has been copied on e-mails related to policy and personnel matters, and he’s taken numerous trips — with and without his wife — as a representative of the state.

By his own account, Palin regards none of this as inappropriate. In his deposition with the legislative investigators, Palin insisted that he and his wife were being subjected to “double standards,” since few questions had ever been raised about the involvement of spouses in previous administrations. Though Palin’s objection bore a kernel of truth, he had nevertheless overlooked the fact that gubernatorial spouses traditionally did not involve themselves directly in budgetary decisions, nor did they lobby legislators — as Palin did — regarding tax policies.

Last week, the release of the Branchflower Report added another ring to the Palin Family Circus. The investigation, commissioned... more

synclaire
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9 responses

1 month ago

Sarah Palin -- Sleeping with the Enemy?

The director of Division of Elections in Alaska, Gail Fenumiai, told TPMmuckraker that Todd Palin registered in October 1995 to... more

sometimes_you_gotta
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0 responses

1 month ago

Who Built Sarah's Half-Million Dollar House? Another Palin Scandal On The Way?

Interesting connections between Palin campaign contributors, architects and contractors, and the Palin's half million dollar,... more

tallygirl
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13 responses

1 month ago

Alaskan Supreme Court refuses to shut down Troopergate Investigation

Court removes last hurdle for Palin ethics inquiry
By MATT APUZZO

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's Supreme Court has refused to shut down an ethics investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee.

The decision Thursday sets the stage for state lawmakers to release a report on their investigation Friday. The report could prove to be an embarrassment for Palin and a distraction for John McCain's presidential campaign in the final weeks of the race.

Lawmakers are investigating whether Palin abused her power to settle a family dispute. Her former public safety commissioner says he was dismissed after resisting pressure to fire a state trooper who had gone through nasty divorce from Palin's sister.

Republican lawmakers had sued to block the report, saying it had become politicized.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin remained in the dark while her husband repeatedly asked top state officials to help get his former brother-in-law kicked off the state police force, Palin's husband and top aides said in affidavits provided to The Associated Press.

Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, is the focus of a legislative investigation into whether she abused her authority by firing the state's public safety commissioner to settle a long-standing family dispute. The commissioner says he was fired after resisting pressure to fire Mike Wooten, a trooper involved in a bitter divorce with Palin's sister.

The investigation has been a distraction for John McCain's presidential campaign. Lawmakers were scheduled to meet Friday and release a report on the case, which could shed light on how Palin governs and what role her husband played in her administration.

The affidavits filed with investigators late Wednesday will probably help Palin's defense that the firing was not a tit-for-tat, but they also portray her as uninvolved while her husband met repeatedly with her aides about family affairs. That could provide fodder for her political opponents.

(more at the link)Court removes last hurdle for Palin ethics inquiry By MATT APUZZO ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's Supreme Court... more

khaosworks
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3 responses

1 month ago

Palin Supports the Alaska Independence Group

Governor Palin addresses the Alaska Independence Group.

Blackgossbo
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10 responses

1 month ago

The Ladies Love the Maverick: The Cindy McCain Luncheon

Ah, now that things are really nasty, I thought it might be nice to reflect back on the Salad Days of the McCain campaign. The... more

citizenkate
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1 month ago

Todd Palin Plans Troopergate Interview

(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) — Gov. Sarah Palin's husband is planning to speak to an investigator looking into abuse-of-power... more

ivxx
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0 responses

1 month ago

Top 5 Palin Scandals

5 Scandals in a month?

caseygane
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14 responses

2 months ago

'First Dude' Todd Palin Illustrates Alaska's Blend of Private and Public

Todd Palin grew up as the archetypal Alaskan -- salmon fisherman, champion snowmobiler, North Slope oil worker. But since his... more

starr111
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2 months ago

'First Dude's' blend of personal, public

Todd Palin's involvement in Alaska policy surprises some observers

starr111
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1 response

2 months ago

Both Todd and Sarah Palin are defying subpoenas and obstructing justice

Bill O'Reilly, Wednesday night, calling for the arrest of Gawker's owners and managers: "The website knows the... more

crob80227
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44 responses

2 months ago

Todd Palin Refuses to Testify in Troopergate

They're using Bush scandal tactics and not testifying on their wrong doing

caseygane
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2 responses

2 months ago

Palin's husband refuses to testify in probe

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband has refused to testify in the investigation of his wife's... more

ivxx
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0 responses

3 months ago

Palin's husband won't testify in trooper inquiry, campaign says

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband won't comply with a subpoena issued by state lawmakers investigating her firing of Alaska's public safety commissioner, the McCain-Palin campaign said Thursday.

A state Senate committee is scheduled to meet Friday to take statements from the 12 people they subpoenaed last week, including Todd Palin. But McCain-Palin spokeswoman Maria Comella said Todd Palin would not face a "fair hearing" before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The campaign has stepped up its attacks on the Legislature's investigation of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan's firing in the past week, saying the governor won't cooperate with an inquiry that it says is "tainted" by partisan politics.

In a new twist, Comella said Alaska state law bars ethics investigations of people running for elected office.

"That law was passed to insulate legislative investigations from exactly the kind of political maneuvering we are seeing in this inquiry," she said.

One Judiciary Committee member said lawmakers would have little recourse if witnesses refused to comply with the subpoenas. Only the full Senate, which does not reconvene until January, can vote to hold them in contempt, state Sen. Bill Wielechowski said.

"It appears that the McCain campaign is now very heavily involved in this, and they're attempting to stonewall the investigation," Wielechowski, a Democrat, said just before Thursday's announcement.

The law campaign officials cited appears to apply to candidates for state office, while Sarah Palin is seeking a federal job. But another campaign spokesman, Taylor Griffin, said the subpoenas violate "the spirit of the law, if not the letter."

In addition, state Attorney General Talis Colberg told lawmakers Tuesday that state employees wouldn't comply with subpoenas because the governor "has declined to participate" in the inquiry. Colberg said Sarah Palin's refusal puts them in the position "of having to choose where their loyalties lie."
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband won't comply with a subpoena issued by state lawmakers... more

riffhard98
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4 responses

3 months ago

AKIP Interview on Sarah Palin

I talked to the Chairman of the AKIP about Sarah Palin..she had some very interesting things to say about Sarah Palin, the US and... more

caseygane
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14 responses

3 months ago

Sarah Palin's powerful "First Dude"

Todd Palin has exerted unusual influence on his wife's Alaska government. In Washington, their methods would do Bush and Cheney proud.

Not long after Sarah Palin was sworn in as Alaska's governor in December 2006, her husband, Todd, started showing up in the state capitol in Juneau.

At some point, the "First Dude" became enough of a fixture in the statehouse that people just sort of figured he belonged there.

Soon, Todd Palin was getting copied on e-mails dealing with official state business. He had already helped write the state budget, gotten involved in personnel matters and called up lawmakers when he -- or Sarah Palin -- had a bone to pick with them. Apparently Palin's inner circle figured they better include him on messages about pending legislation or ongoing controversies, too.

The First Dude's involvement in Palin's efforts to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the state police force have now earned him a subpoena from the Legislature, and he also allegedly intervened to have John Bitney (a former friend) fired from the state payroll for having an affair with the ex-wife of one of Todd Palin's buddies.

The Washington Post reported last week that the Palins billed the state $1,371 for Todd's airfare to Washington, when he joined Sarah Palin at a National Governors Association conference, and for the whole family to fly around Alaska watching him compete in the Iron Dog snowmobile race.

In the Palin administration, Todd appears to have had an unusually strong role, the extent of which remains unclear. He is not on the state payroll and was never elected -- but the First Dude has crossed over from the standard-issue supportive political spouse to something far more influential, weighing in on policy and political matters in ways that few observers seem to understand. His apparent influence in his wife's administration -- some in Alaska have referred to him as the "shadow governor" -- has raised questions about whether a Sarah Palin vice-presidency would hand the same type of backstage power to Todd, and what that might mean in the running of the U.S. government.

No one has accused Todd Palin of interfering in state business for his own personal benefit -- instead, the situation has remained somewhat inscrutable, if not odd. According to local politicos and observers, he lurks around the capitol if he doesn't have anything better to do, which, since he works seasonal jobs in oil and fishing, is fairly often.

John McCain's campaign didn't answer a request for comment on Todd Palin or what his role in the Palin administration might indicate about how he'd be involved if McCain and Palin win the election.

Sarah Palin has used a private e-mail address on most of the e-mails her husband was copied on, and reportedly was advised by aides that such nonofficial communications could be protected from potential subpoena. Legislators and political insiders in Alaska say a small circle of trusted Palin aides keep most decisions and deliberations close to the vest, with Todd Palin among them.

Democratic Les Gara, a state representative in Alaska, says that Palin is too detached from the job to do it well. "I do not believe that she's paid enough attention to the details of policy and how government works and the issues facing the state to run the nation," Gara says. "It's not her lack of experience -- I think a smart person who's really engaged and really curious can be in national office [without experience]. It's the lack of curiosity on the day-to-day workings of government that I've got the concern about."

However much she may or may not grasp the political system in Juneau, Palin has apparently given her husband much opportunity to insert himself in state business whenever the two see fit. Will she operate the same way if she finds herself in Washington? Todd Palin has exerted unusual influence on his wife's Alaska government. In Washington, their methods would do Bush and... more