Trooper Mike Wooten on CNN (Palin's Brother-in-law Troopergate)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7YWNKj3Y50

CNN caught up earlier today with Alaska State Trooper Mike Wooten, the former brother-in-law of Sarah Palin, who is at the center of Trooper-Gate.

Wooten doesn't appear to have spoken publicly since his name became the focus of the investigation involving the firing of Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, who claimed he was terminated by Palin after he refused to fire Wooten.

Wooten has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with the Palin family since a messy 2005 divorce from Palin's sister Molly McCann. In 2005, complaints were filed against Wooten to the state troopers which resulted in an internal investigation of Wooten. Thirteen charges were investigated and four were ultimately found to have merit. Those included charges that he tasered his 11 year-old stepson, shot a moose out of season, drove drunk in his trooper car and threatened to "put a bullet in f***ing brain] of Palin's father.

Wooten received a 10-day suspension from the force as a result of the findings, which was shortened to 5 days after advocacy from the troopers union.

Yesterday, the troopers union filed an ethics complaint against Palin for improperly accessing Wooten's personnel record. In her defense Palin states that she received information on Wooten from the divorce proceedings, which Wooten had made public by signing a waiver.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/

[InNeedOfUserName]

1. He tasered at 10 year old kid just for fun...

...and he wasn't prosecuted????

This is a sick guy!!!

[atreides1]

2. Where does it say that

It doesn't say anything about him doing it for fun!

[BumRushDaShow]

3. That was the Palin side of the story

The Wooten side said that the boy was fascinated with the thing (think how viral that "Don't tase me bro" comment has become) and he wanted to see what it felt like. Supposedly Wooten put the unit in a test mode and let the boy try it.

The fact that Wooten wasn't charged for assault and battery seems to indicate that what he said may have been correct regarding the issue of the taser.

Obviously no one here on this board who aren't friends or family can claim to know what the truth is, but IMHO, having worked with boys in that age range, they are inquisitive and rough and tumble. Which is why the Cub and Boy scouts or other boy's clubs try to get them and mold them with some discipline.

[Diane R]

4. I also believe I read that the boy is now 17, and chose to live with his dad.

[marshall]

15. And that dad is not Wooten

I'd live with my father too, if my stepfather were tasering me. Whatever this says about Palin, it is not right to taser a young child.

[InNeedOfUserName]

5. As you point out, he admitted it...

...yes, he says the kid wanted to try it.

Even if that is true, it is is still sick!

"The taser: Wooten admitted to using a taser on his eleven year old stepson, at the stepsons request. The stepson wanted to see how it felt. According to the stepson, it was no big deal, although it left a welt on his skin. Palin's oldest daughter, Bristol, witnessed the event, and evidently related it to Palin. In any event, voluntary or not, using the taser on a child certainly violated department policy, and was a shocking lack of judgement on Wooten's part.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/4/134447/5733


"left a welt on his skin"??? Indicates is was NOT on 'test mode'!

[dysfunctional press]

6. why does leaving a welt indicate it wasn't on test mode?

what is your association with taser usage/operation...? :shrug:

[TornadoTN]

7. If all it left was a welt on the skin, then it was probably 99.9% certainty, set on test mode

These things actually penetrate the skin in some cases and leave bruising and in some cases, scarring. They might be "less than lethal" in that they don't leave a gaping bullet wound with a massive wound path, but make no mistake, they leave behind much more than a welt when used in normal mode.

Test mode generally lessens the voltage applied and restricts it to a very short duration. I had one tested out on me during college while I was still set on going into law enforcement. Test mode still hurts and it will leave something akin to a mosquito bite but more larger.

My bet is on test mode.

[InNeedOfUserName]

12. I'lll take your word...

I a dad with 2 boys...

I don't like the Idea of tasering 11 year olds.

[CampDem]

14. I agree

I also think that the Wooten and the Trooper union have benefited immensely from the national spotlight being placed on this. Obama's people are here now and they are checking the veracity of Palin's story. The trooper union would not stand up to the state if they didn't have proof that she violated state laws and shared Wooten's file.IMO this is why she has flown to Alaska so suddenly. Thing are really heating up here and she is in full panic mode.

Forget VP, after everything comes out she will be lucky to be governor.

[CampDem]

11. Yeah, it was a sick thing to do

However, if Sarah was so concerned about it why did she wait so long to make a stink about it? She didn't go after Wooten until he divorced her sister and began trying to trash her reputation.

[ghurley]

8. What he did was dumb, sick, whatever you want to call it, however...

What was said at the bottom of the KOS article is what drove it home for me:

"Sarah Palin knew that all of these charges had been investigated. She was interviewed multiple times in 2006 regarding these allegations, almost all of which came from her family. She knew that most of them were not sustained by the investigation, and those that were had resulted in a substantial disciplinary action against Trooper Wooten. She knew, or should have known, that nothing further could come of these allegations. Yet she, her husband, and her staff continued to pressure Walt Monegan and his staff to take further action against Trooper Wooten based on those same allegations. In legal terms, that is called double jeopardy, and you would have a hard time finding any arbitrator in the country who would uphold a removal based on charges that had already been investigated and acted upon years earlier."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/4/134447/5733

[CampDem]

9. I think that the fact that the Troopers union is involved is significant

If the troopers union can prove that Palin was passing around Wooten's pre-employment, workmans compensation and human resource files this is very unethical. People in Palin's circle including Todd Palin had details about Wooten from these files. I don't think the union would defend Wooten, a guy with some legitimate problems, unless there was something to this.

Why was Palin pushing so hard to have the guy fired after he had already been suspended and punished? She knew she was risking her career by going after him so hard and demanding that the investigation be re-opened by Monegan.

Could it be that Wooten was bragging that he would stop at nothing to take her down? Could it be that Wooten knew that Track Palin was one of 4 kids arrested in December 2005 for vandalizing 50 buses in Wasilla and stealing liquor from a store? This was a huge story here at the time and would have tanked her governor run if it was known. Why was Track sent to Michigan to "play hockey" in 2006 while Palin was running for governor?

IMO as an Alaskan, Palin is in deep shit and will be lucky if she is still governor after all this. Team Obama is leaving no stone unturned here and the investigation will bring her down.

She is fucking toast!

[CampDem]

10. FYI I edited my post above to correct grammar

[DemsUnited]

13. Whether or not Wooten is a shmuck isn't the point. Walt Monegan is the one

who got fired and he appears to be a truly good man who believed in Governor Palin and was heartbroken when she showed her true colors.

From the Washington Post: "I would willingly die for the governor, but I would never lie for her," he said."

[spanone]

16. it was reported earlier that people who were willing to talk have since decided not to

now they are going to have to deliver subpoenas

[CampDem]

17. I feel really sorry for the people up here that are involved

What started out as a small town scandal went statewide last month and is now getting international attention.

We have the feds and Rovian investigators crawling all over Wasilla, Anchorage, and Juneau. These people are thugs that will attack other countries when they feel like it.

Does anyone think they aren't intimidating the fuck out of people up here?

I think I saw some of them the other day driving around in a rented hummer. Thank god Obama's people are here too.

I hope nobody ends up dead.