Bombshell in Commissioner Controversy

There is bombshell in the commissioner controversy: after weeks of denying she, or anyone from her office, pressured former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire state trooper Michael Wooten, Wednesday, Governor Sarah Palin had to backtrack.

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By Corey Allen-Young
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Story Created: Feb 23, 2011 at 4:43 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Feb 23, 2011 at 4:43 PM AKDT

Original article posted Aug. 13, 2008

There is bombshell in the commissioner controversy: after weeks of denying she, or anyone from her office, pressured former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire state trooper Michael Wooten, Wednesday, Governor Sarah Palin had to backtrack.  

She admitted a member of her administration had made calls that could be perceived as pressure. On Wednesday afternoon Governor Palin released a recording of a phone call that she says she was just made aware of. 
 
"I do now have to tell Alaskans that such pressure could have been perceived to exist. Although I have only now became aware of it, the serial nature of the contacts understandably could be perceived as some kind of pressure, presumably at my direction. Because namely, specifically, most disturbing, is a telephone recording apparently made by the troopers and preserved documenting a call that was placed to the Dept. of Public Safety manager by my boards and commissioners director Frank Bailey."
 
Now that entire conversation was over twenty minutes long. The phone call was between Frank Bailey and Trooper Rodney Dial who was at the time the legislative liaison for the state troopers. 
 
"There is a gentleman by the name of Mike Wooten who is a trooper in the Valley," said Bailey to Dial. "There is a family tie with the Governor there. And because of that, my understanding is that Walt has been very reluctant to take any action. But there is some very clear facts out there."
 
Bailey continues to say, "So you just got some inside on the other stuff. It's going to be interesting. The general feeling is we don't know why this guy is still working."
 
Governor Palin said Mr. Bailey was not speaking on her or her husband's behalf and that Bailey's comments were unauthorized and just plain wrong. Bailey told CBS 11 News that he acted on his own with no direction by the Governor.
 
"Initially I heard about Wooten directly after the election," said Bailey. "The Governor had a security briefing with her security detail and they asked the question, 'Has anybody threatened the life of your family?' And she went into detail about Trooper Wooten. Other than that time the Governor has never discussed Trooper Wooten with me." 
 
Palin has said there was at least 24 phone calls made to the Department of Public Safety by at least six members of her staff, including one by her husband Todd. But the governor claims this had nothing to do with Monegan's firing. 
 
"I appointed Monegan as Commissioner of Public Safety because of his grasp of both urban and rural law enforcement issues," said Palin. 
 
But according to Palin, Monegan was not making headway on key goals, including not filling trooper positions and fighting alcohol and drug issues in rural Alaska:
 
"Commissioner Monegan did not turn out to be a team player on budgeting issues.  While I attempted to rein in state spending he was making statements on the need to increase funding."
 
Walt Monegan has said previously he had no problem with budget issues and that he was only trying to keep the troopers current in fulfilling their mission of safety. He has said that he doesn't want to get into a war of words with the governor and is talking to the investigator Steve Branchflower to tell his side of the story. 
 
The Governor met Branchflower late Wednesday afternoon and will turn in materials, including the audio recording on Thursday. Also in this press conference, Palin admitted to the state paying former Commissioner Charles Kopp, 10,000 dollars in severance pay.  He was on the job for 11 days.  CBS 11 News contacted former Commissioner Walt Monegan, who says he wasn't given any severance package.  

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