Lawsuits Piling Up

Alaska's "Troopergate" scandal continues to produce a new storyline practically everyday. Kyle Hopkins of the Anchorage Daily News reports the most recent twist comes in the form of a lawsuit -- the third of its kind -- that aims to halt the state legislature's investigation of Sarah Palin. Palin has since agreed to cooperate with a separate investigation run by the state Personnel Board. The new suit was filed on behalf of five Republican state lawmakers. The presiding judge -- who was assigned to the case after two others recused themselves because of potential conflicts of interest -- decided to combine it with a similar lawsuit filed recently by the Alaska Attorney General. The central argument in the two suits is that the Legislative Council lacks the appropriate authority to conduct the investigation. (It's worth noting that the Council is made up of 10 Republicans and four Democrats.) And that packaged suit joins yet another filed by a group of residents from Fairbanks and North Pole. That one questions the constitutionality of the investigation.

In the ADN article, Ed O'Callaghan, an attorney with the McCain-Palin campaign, was asked what role the campaign is playing vis-a-vis these legal efforts. His response: "They were not initiated by any attorney in the campaign, but we are available if they want to consult with us." But Newsweek's Michael Isikoff says the attorney plays a key role, claiming O'Callaghan "has been helping to direct a hardball legal strategy aimed at thwarting inquiries into the Alaska governor on all fronts."

-- Sean Bowditch

1:08 PM ET | 09-30-2008 | permalink

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