ANOTHER PALIN QUESTION

Palin herself requested an ethics investigation into Troopergate but waited until now to provide exculpatory evidence. Why the wait? The e-mails could've been provided back in August.

Palin's lawyer: Monegan fired for 'rogue mentality'

By WESLEY LOY
wloy@adn.com
Anchorage Daily News

Published: September 15th, 2008 06:39 PM
Last Modified: September 15th, 2008 06:40 PM

Walt Monegan lost his job as public safety commissioner because he resisted Gov. Sarah Palin's budget policies and ultimately showed "outright insubordination," say papers the governor's lawyer filed today with the state Personnel Board.

The filing includes a slew of e-mails from top Palin aides, including one from her budget director, Karen Rehfeld, saying she was "stunned and amazed" that Monegan appeared to be working with a state legislator to seek funding for a project Palin had previously vetoed.

It was Monegan's "rogue mentality" on budgeting and other policy issues that got him fired in July, not his alleged refusal to dismiss a state trooper who was involved in a messy divorce with the governor's sister, the filing says.

The papers were filed in support of the governor's request that the Personnel Board drop an ethics complaint Palin herself lodged requesting an investigation into whether she fired Monegan because of the family feud.