Trooper-Gate Could "BREAK WIDE OPEN" On October 10 When Branchflower Releases Report (Emptywheel)

[kpete]

......we're moving into the phase where they try to throw lie on top of lie to cover up their original abuse of power.

I'm more interested, frankly, in the news from Andrew Halcro that Murlene Wilkes did not blow off her subpoena.

French stated that of the fourteen subpoenas that were issued, six were served and seven were not and the last was for cell phone records for Frank Bailey that had been turned over to the special investigator Steve Branchflower by the cell phone company.

In addition, French said that John Bitney, Palin's former legislative liason, had already appeared and given a deposition to Branchflower and another person subpoenaed, Murlene Wilkes, an owner of a workers compensation claim adjustment firm that was allegedly pressured by the governor's office, agreed to show up today with her attorney.

You see, ever since Steve Branchflower revealed that he believed Murlene Wilkes may have had "financial incentive" to lie to him when he interviewed her earlier in his investigation, I have wondered whether Branchflower understood those "financial incentives" to be explicit, or simply the worries of a state contractor trying not to piss off the governor. If it was the former, then this thing will blow wide open on October 10 when Branchflower releases his report.

In any case, even the fancy NY terrorism prosecutor doesn't appear, yet, to have succeeded in squelching this investigation.

more at:
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/09/19/two-tidbits-on-troopergate/#more-2740

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. we get more interested when they try to cover it up

[Cha]

6. Oh yeah! Rec'd! For more

exposure!

[vaberella]

2. Crazy McNuts and Gidget at it again. This is one crazy ass scandal. K*R n/t

[AtomicKitten]

3. Apparently depositions were taken before the McBush camp stifled cooperation.

Branchflower is determined to finish the investigation and to produce findings within the timeframe (by 10-31-08).

[RNdaSilva]

9. This was confirmed on Maddow's show tonight.

Failure to respond to subpoenas will only serve to support a finding of guilty. I believe they think they have sufficient evidence based on the written and/or recorded depositions alone.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

10. The McBushies are good at stifling

[Imagevision]

4. What is Sarah & Todd hiding from? - losing the election for sure thats what!

[Blue_In_AK]

5. There was a report about this on tonight's local news,

but I didn't catch all the details. When the story is posted on KTUU's website, I'll link to it. This is another wrinkle in the investigation.

ed. Andrew Halcro's blog is a very good source of inside information. http://www.andrewhalcro.com/blog/admin

He ran against Sarah for governor in 2006 as an independent, and he has been a critic for several years. He was the first to raise questions about Walt Monegan's firing. Some people here thought his criticisms came from sour grapes, but it seems like he knew more than we gave him credit for.

[Lugnut]

7. K&R, K&R, K&R n/t

[vanderBeth]

8. k&r

Oh Boy
:popcorn:

[DCBob]

11. The more the McCain/Palin camp fights this, the more she appears guilty.

They could still kill this investigation through some legal maneuver but if that happens hopefully the report will at least get leaked to the press.