Half-Baked Alaska: State Attorney General Cites Loyalty to Palin in Refusing Lawful Supoenas

This may not be what the McCain/Palin campaign meant by carrying on the Bush legacy, but Gov. Sarah Palin has refused to comply with subpoenas in the investigation of her firing of Alaska’s former public safety commissioner. Now, her Attorney General has refused to comply with the lawful legislative subpoenas. That sounds vaguely familiar.

In a Mukasey moment, Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg seemed to disregard any independent judgment or responsibility: “As state employees, our clients have taken an oath to uphold the Alaska Constitution, and for that reason, they respect the Legislature’s desire to carry out an investigation in support of its lawmaking powers. However, our clients are also loyal employees subject to the supervision of the governor.”

“Loyal employees”? To whom. They do not work for Gov. Palin. They work for the state of Alaska and there is no question that these are lawful subpoenas issued by a legislative committee. It is an astonishing suggestion that the highest law enforcement official is bound by the loyalty to a politician rather than the law. It is a good thing Sir Thomas More is not living in Alaska. He’d be shampooing the Malamutes and parking snowmobiles for a living.

For the full story, click here.