And now, Gara is asking the state’s attorney general for an investigation into possible witness tampering leading up the Legislature’s Troopergate report.
Gara and Stapleton most infamously met on the street in Anchorage Oct. 10 just after the Legislative Council released its Troopergate report.
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Gara said Stapleton, who was one half the now-quiet Palin Truth Squad, slandered Monegan for weeks leading up to the Troopergate probe’s release in an effort to discredit the investigation.
Stapleton did not apologize.
The Legislature’s report found Gov. Sarah Palin abused her office by trying to get her former brother-in-law, trooper Mike Wooten, fired.
Most recently, Gara sent a letter to Alaska State Troopers Col. Audie Holloway asking for an investigation into possible witness tampering.
Gara said it’s clear to him someone in the McCain-Palin campaign told subpoenaed witnesses not to testify in the probe because those same witnesses at first agreed to cooperate, then declined to honor their subpoenas.
In a press release, Gara says what many media outlets have been reporting.
"Until Senator McCain sent campaign staff up here on Aug. 29, everyone, including the governor, agreed the Legislature's investigation was proper,” Gara says. “After the McCain staffers arrived, people who were willing to testify starting violating their subpoenas. It’s not rocket science that someone worked to change their minds, and that's a crime under Alaska law.”
Holloway wrote back to Gara telling him they troopers could not get involved, most notably because the troopers are a central figure in the Troopergate investigation.
But, Holloway urged Gara that a joint legislative and executive directive for AST to hire an independent investigator is a possibility.
Gara is now seeking just that.
The decision brought a sharp response from Stapleton, who called Gara’s request a “political stunt.”
In an e-mail, Stapleton also defends the McCain-Palin campaign.
“No one from the McCain campaign provided advice to witnesses on how to respond to subpoenas,” Stapleton said.
She also accuses Gara of working with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign since last year.
Gara said this week that’s nonsense.
“No, I’m not working for the Obama campaign,” he said.
Gara added that he’s simply following the advice of the troopers and someone should ask Stapleton why he should ignore that advice.
As to Stapleton’s e-mailed statement about Gara, he says he won’t dignify it with a comment.
Here’s what Stapleton wrote:
"This is yet another political stunt from Representative Les Gara, a Democratic Alaska state legislator who has been working with the Obama campaign since last year.
Rep. Gara's previous hijinks include sending a letter to the Alaska State Troopers making a similar baseless accusation, and engaging in a sidewalk ambush in front of television cameras and reporters.
Decisions on how to respond to subpoenas in the Legislative Council's inquiry were made by individual witnesses and their attorneys. No one from the McCain campaign provided advice to witnesses on how to respond to subpoenas.
Consistent with other efforts of Obama supporters nationwide to try to squelch legitimate political debate with baseless threats of criminal investigations of those who dare to take opposing positions, Rep. Les Gara has reverted to these tactics in Alaska once again. Law enforcement's purpose is to protect the public, not to serve a political agenda."
- Meg Stapleton
And here’s Gara’s release:
ANCHORAGE -- Today an Alaska legislator called on the State's Attorney General to appoint an independent investigator to look into possible criminal witness tampering by McCain-Palin campaign staff in Alaska. Rep. Gara's call came at the suggestion of the Director of the Alaska State Troopers, who called the potential of witness tampering matter "serious.”
Director of the State Troopers, Colonel Audie Holloway, suggested in his letter that the state call on the State Troopers to hire an independent investigator.
Over the past two months McCain-Palin campaign staff tried to stop the Alaska legislature's bi-partisan Troopergate investigation, which recently concluded with a report that that state's ethics law was broken. See Michael Isakoff, Newsweek, "Can He Stop Troopergate?" (Sept. 16, 2008).
"Until Senator McCain sent campaign staff up here on August 29, everyone, including the Governor, agreed the Legislature’s investigation was proper. After the McCain staffers arrived, people who were willing to testify starting violating their subpoenas. It's not rocket science that someone worked to change their minds, and that's a crime under Alaska law," said Rep. Gara.
The legislative investigation was initiated by a bi-partisan committee of 8 Republicans and 4 Democrats in July, before Governor Palin was named to the McCain ticket. On October 10 that committee voted unanimously to release the independent investigator's report finding one ethics violation, and finding that the Attorney General had improperly withheld documents.
Alaska's witness tampering law makes it a crime to "attempt" to "induce" a person not to show up for a legislative subpoena. See statutes below. Approximately 10 witnesses failed to show for subpoenas during the Legislature's investigation into whether Governor Palin or her staff acted improperly in seeking the firing of her former brother-in-law, a State Trooper. After failing to cooperate with subpoenas, these witnesses have since provided written statements.
Starting on August 29 the McCain campaign tried to create public pressure to stop the investigation with near-daily press conferences, and participated in unsuccessful legal efforts to try to stop the investigation.
The independent investigation concluded on October 10, 2008, when the investigator's report was released by a unanimous vote of the Alaska Legislature's Legislative Council. A separate investigation by the State's Personnel Board is ongoing.
-Michael Rovito, reporter
Comments
22 comment(s)MAXKATT from NY wrote on Oct 23, 2008 1:35 PM:
regarding "cleaing up my hole" I can only guess this was related to my comment to JP about where he lives. I hope he/and or you took no offense, as I was only teasing. I thought he and I were getting to know each other enough here that I could take that liberty. "
jp wrote on Oct 23, 2008 1:09 PM:
these are our rights that many have fought for, so that we may enjoy.
so remember, you can bash us, say what you want about us, but expect to get some back, as this is the American way! "
js wrote on Oct 23, 2008 9:15 AM:
Terri from Maine wrote on Oct 23, 2008 8:46 AM:
And what of the God Squad from Texas? The group of Evangelical lawyers flown up to 'assist'? Does anyone not see criminal action in this, not to mention the flouting of the separation of Church and State?
No contest. "
ulu wrote on Oct 23, 2008 7:42 AM:
Oops wrote on Oct 22, 2008 8:01 PM:
I think Alaskans got a whole boat load from our governor and dear Meg.
Now for the "catch of the day" on Friday! We're all ears Sarah - speak! "
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Oct 22, 2008 9:59 AM:
Dynahog wrote on Oct 22, 2008 9:46 AM:
As for the Investigator, he is worthy of investigation as to his qualifications.
How can a "witness" testify to "mental state" of the Governor during a telephone call?
How were any of the witnesses able to determine whether the Governor "knowlingly" did wrong under the Ethics Law?
Neither of these questions can be answered by a witness claiming to have had a telephone conversation with Gov. Palin or a Cow Moose. "
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Oct 22, 2008 9:23 AM:
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Oct 22, 2008 9:18 AM:
Linda wrote on Oct 22, 2008 9:05 AM:
What a Stretch.... "
DEBBIE wrote on Oct 22, 2008 7:49 AM:
jp to max katt wrote on Oct 22, 2008 7:34 AM:
about sarahs travel; she takes her kids with her, the dems get angry, she leaves them at home, the dems get angry, and spout "she has a special needs baby""she needs to be with them children"
who is paying for Obama to go visit his grandmother? "
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Oct 22, 2008 6:11 AM:
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Oct 22, 2008 6:06 AM:
Alaskan wrote on Oct 22, 2008 1:13 AM:
J.C. Cochran wrote on Oct 21, 2008 10:27 PM:
jp wrote on Oct 21, 2008 7:58 PM:
Mr. yesman to mark garbage,
who is in the pocket of who?
talk about smokin the pole! les is the guy!!! "
Dave in Alaska wrote on Oct 21, 2008 7:21 PM:
elevator man wrote on Oct 21, 2008 5:56 PM:
SUNSHINE GUY wrote on Oct 21, 2008 5:00 PM:
MAXKATT from NY wrote on Oct 21, 2008 4:33 PM: