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Irrespective of your party affiliation or leanings, this discussion of
possible intersects between politics and divorce raises an important issue.
Where must we draw the line between family interest and the potential for
influence via positions of power when it comes to domestic relations
matters?
In
this case, Governor Sarah Palin (now the Republican candidate for Vice
President of the United States) is accused of having "abused her power by
violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics
Act." To wit: "The legislature reaffirms that each public officer holds
office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial
interest through official action is a violation of that trust."
In
his report, Mr. Branchflower finds that Governor Palin had, in fact, so
abused her power here. This is because "a contributing factor" in her
decision to fire Commissioner Walt Monegan was Monegan's refusal to fire
Alaska police Trooper Michael Wooton, Palin's former brother-in-law. "In
spite of that," Branchflower continues in his report, "Governor Palin's
firing of Commissioner Monegan was a proper and lawful exercise of her
constitutional and statutory authority to hire and fire executive branch
department heads."
There's enough here to keep either side from taking a victory lap; surely
there will be additional findings to come. So my point here is simply to
give the question some visibility as a real occurrence in real divorces.
—posted by Dell Deaton @11:26 AM EST
10/21/2008
RSD 16610
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