Finding Number One
I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.

Finding Number Two
I find that, although Walt Monegan's refusal to fire Trooper Michael Wooten was not the sole reason he was fired by Governor Sarah Palin, it was likely a contributing factor to his termination as Commissioner of Public Safety.

In spite of that, Governor Palin's firing of Commissioner Monegan was a proper and lawful exercise of her constitutional and statutory authority to hire and fire executive branch department heads.

"It’s likely to be damaging to the Governor’s administration,” said Senator Hollis French, a Democrat, appointed the project manager for a bi-partisan State Senate Legislative Counsel Committee investigation of claims that Palin abused her office to get the Alaska public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, fired.

“If they had done their job they never would have picked her,” said French. “Now they may have to deal with an October surprise,” he said, referring to the scheduled release Oct. 31 of the committee’s final report.

• Trooper Wooten was never fired and is still a trooper
  
• Monegan was fired 2 and a half years later
  
• Wooten admitted to tasering his 10 year old stepson
  
• In 2006, Wooten was reprimanded for four instances of violating laws and department rules dating to 2001 (took FIVE years to get this done)
  
• Alledged to have threatened to kill Palin's father
  

In October 1994, Monegan's estranged wife, who had moved from Alaska to the Peninsula with the couple's two daughters after more than 10 years of marriage, sought a temporary restraining order against him - accusing Monegan of threatening to kill her, waving a gun at her and dislocating her shoulder, according to her declaration on file in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

Today’s report shows that the Governor acted within her proper and lawful authority in the reassignment of Walt Monegan. The report also illustrates what we’ve known all along: this was a partisan led inquiry run by Obama supporters and the Palins were completely justified in their concern regarding Trooper Wooten given his violent and rogue behavior. Lacking evidence to support the original Monegan allegation, the Legislative Council seriously overreached, making a tortured argument to find fault without basis in law or fact. The Governor is looking forward to cooperating with the Personnel Board and continuing her conversation with the American people regarding the important issues facing the country.

Meg Stapleton, a spokeswoman for John McCain’s presidential campaign, asserted the report showed Palin “acted within her proper and lawful authority in the reassignment of Walt Monegan” and that “the Palins were completely justified in their concern regarding Trooper Wooten given his violent and rogue behavior.”

But Stapleton also blasted the report as “a partisan led inquiry” run by supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama that didn’t prove Palin fired Monegan for refusing to dismiss Wooten, and instead made “a tortured argument to find fault without basis in law or fact.”

The Palins make no apologies for wanting to protect their family and wanting to bring attention to the injustice of a violent trooper keeping his badge and abusing the workers’ compensation system.

The Palins are right to be concerned about the fairness of the Legislative Council investigation. The Governor has consistently demonstrated, in statements and through documents she has made available, that she reassigned Mr. Monegan because of legitimate policy differences and disputes over the budget.

It is tragic that a false story hatched by a blogger after drinks with Trooper Wooten led the legislature to allocate over $100,000 of public money to be spent in what has become a politically driven investigation.