Ruh roh. I guess the Rovian tactics of the McCain campaign didn't factor in the fact that Alaskans might not appreciate them all that much. It appears that Alaska State Representative Les Gara (D) Anchorage is fired up and ready to fight back. Seems the McCain goons who were dispatched to quash any and all potential Palin negatives may have been involved with witness tampering. Please read Mudflats most excellent account for the full scoop.
There is no reason to repeat the sordid details of Troopergate, which seem to be blossoming new shoots hourly. We all know that McCain sent a cadre of lawyers, advisers, spokespeople and basic thugs to Alaska in order to tamp down something that had previously been a minor investigation. The tipping point for folks was the appearance of uber-lawyer, Ed O'Callaghan who left his DOJ job of protecting us from the terrists to work as a terrist for McCain.
Prior to the announcement of Sarah Palin as VP candidate on August 29, the investigation was routine: Palin and all the potential witnesses agreed to cooperate. Ironically, on August 29, all of that changed. Palin reneged and refused to be interviewed and numerous witnesses, one by one stated that they would not comply with the subpoenas. Then, the Attorney General (who also had no problem with the investigation prior to August 29) told the Legislative investigator that none of the state employees would comply with the subpoena.
Now, while AG Talis Colberg might not mind turning his nuts over to the McCain campaign, both Republcans and Democrats in the Legislature preferred to maintain their dignity and powers of office. It appears Rep. Gara has a bucket load of supporting documents (Mudflats' blog has a link to a pdf file) to make a case for witness tampering. He issued a Press Release today asking --- wait for it --- the Troopers to investigate criminal wrongdoing. Don't you love full circle thingys?
The Alaska criminal tampering statute is as follows:
a)Tampering with a witness in the second degree: A person commits the crime of tampering with a witness in the second degree if the person knowingly induces or attempts to induce a witness to be absent from an official proceeding, other than a judicial proceeding, to which the witness has been summoned. (b) Tampering with a witness in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor
There's also a felony statute.
On a related note, also brought to you from Mudflats is the fact that there will be a call to arms of the citizens of Alaska on September 27. Alaskans for Truth are holding a "Hold Palin Accountable Rally." The Women Against Palin Rally garnered an amazing 1,400 people. Folks are a hell of a lot madder now.
So, I have to finish up so I can watch Letterman skewer Palin-McCain on my teevee.