Consortium News: New Witness Said to Implicate Palin

[laststeamtrain]

New Witness Said to Implicate Palin

By Jason Leopold
October 1, 2008

A key witness in the “Troopergate” investigation of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has backed off an earlier defense of Palin and now says the governor’s associates applied pressure to deny workers compensation to her estranged ex-brother-in-law, according to three state officials briefed on the case.

In reversing earlier testimony, Murlene Wilkes, owner of Harbor Adjusting Services in Anchorage, told a state investigator that she received phone calls and personal visits from advisers to Palin, including her husband, Todd Palin, the officials said.

Wilkes said she was told to deny workers compensation to Trooper Mike Wooten, the ex-brother-in-law, because he supposedly was lying about his physical condition, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation of Palin is still underway.

After becoming Alaska’s governor in December 2006, Palin launched what looks like a vendetta against Wooten, who was involved in a bitter divorce and child custody battle with Palin’s sister.

Palin, her husband and some of her senior aides argued that Wooten deserved to be fired for misconduct, including alleged threats to the governor’s family. Todd Palin also was circulating a photo of Wooten on a snowmobile while the trooper was out on workers comp.

The family feud with Wooten became a political liability for Palin when she fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan in July. Monegan blamed his firing on his refusal to fire Wooten.

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http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/093008b.html

[The Wielding Truth]

1. Where Republicans lead corruption follows.