According to Walter Monegan, former public safety commissioner, for the state of Alaska, Sarah Palin's husband, Todd, invited him to the governor's office, where Todd "urged (him) to reopen the Michael Wooten case. Monegan checked on the case and informed Todd Palin that he couldn’t do anything because the case was closed."
By calling Walter Monegan into the governor's office, and discussing official government business with him there, Todd Palin symbolically appropriated the authority of the office of the governor; and Monegan’s acquiescence in coming to the governor's office, at Todd's request, and providing Todd with official information, is behavior that infers that Monegan believed that Todd acted with the authority of the governor.
After meeting with Walter Monegan, it is alleged that Todd Palin spoke to another state employee, Attorney General Talis Colberg, about Monegan's conclusion that nothing more could be done. At that time he asked Colberg about "the process" for handling a threatening trooper, and Colberg agreed to call Monegan about the matter, and he did. Once again, a state employee is responding to instructions and inquiries from Todd Palin, as though he has official authority.
In addition to using Sarah Palin's office to make work related requests of employees, " it's not uncommon for Gov. Sarah Palin's husband, Todd, to be included in the governor's office emails."
Todd Palin frequently exchanged e-mails with members of the governor's staff for subjects like Public Safety Employees; PR campaign; Parental consent abortion bill. To the extent that Zane Henning, who made a public records request on behalf of the Last Frontier Foundation, for government e-mails said, "I don't know why (Todd) is being copied on everything."
It was suggested that Sarah Palin sends her e-mails to her husband and he provides her with hard copies. But the manner of his inclusion in a string of e-mails from Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnet to Sarah Palen, that subsequently included Todd, creates the impression that Todd Palin has unfettered access to Governor Palin's e-mail, and that he picks and chooses the communications that he wants to be included in.
Also, it appears that Governor Palin's husband is privileged to attend her meetings. House Majority Leader Ralph Samuels set up a meeting with the governor, and when he arrived, Todd Palin was present and remained during the meeting.
And when Frank Bailey, the governor's director of boards and commissions called trooper Lt. Rodney Dial about the Wooten matter, he spoke as though the governor and her husband are interchangeable, "Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, 'Why on earth hasn't this, why is this guy still representing the department?' He's a horrible recruiting tool, you know"
Finally, Todd Palin is strongly implicated in the firing of an employee, John Bitney, who like others, refers to the the governorship as a couple, "I don't hold anything against the Palins."
Sarah Palin seems to treat her position as governor, like a join-privilege that she shares with her husband. This suggests that she is unwilling or unable to set boundaries between her privileges and responsibilities as governor, and her relationship with her husband. Consequently, she may be a security risk for the vice presidency since, it is reasonable to assume that Todd Palin will have the same unregulated access to information and personnel under her control in the White House, as he enjoys in the Governor's Office.
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