What Did the TrooperGate Investigator Mean When He Said “Financial Incentive”?
There’s a potential bombshell hidden at the end of USAT’s story on the subpoenas about to be issued in TrooperGate:
Branchflower said he needed subpoenas to interview several Palin aides who had been in meetings about the matter. And in one case, he said, he needed to compel the interview of a state contractor whom he said may have lied to him.
Murlene Wilkes owns Harbor Adjusting Services in Anchorage, which has a contract with the state to process workers’ compensation claims, Branchflower said. She told him the governor’s office did not pressure her to deny a claim for Wooten, he said. But in August, one of her employees called a tip line and claimed there indeed was such pressure, Branchflower said.
"I remember at some point in the conversation she had mentioned or said something to the effect that either the governor or the governor’s office wanted this claim denied," Branchflower quoted the tipster as saying. "I don’t care if it’s the president who wants this claim denied, I’m not going to deny it unless I have the medical evidence to do that."
Wilkes may have had a financial incentive to cover up, Branchflower said. Wilkes did not respond to a voicemail left at her office Friday afternoon. [my emphasis]
As a reminder, when Frank Bailey called State Trooper Lieutenant Rodney Dial in February to pressure him about Wooten, Bailey mentioned "funny business" about a workers comp claim Wooten had submitted–basically that days after Wooten submitted the workers comp claim, he was caught on a snowmobile. Bailey also suggests that Wooten may have hid a pre-existing injury on his Trooper application.
It sounds like someone from the Governor’s office called the workers comp contractor, Murlene Wilkes, gave her this information, and pushed her to deny the coverage on that basis. Wilkes refused to deny the claim. But when Wilkes spoke with Branchflower, she said the Governor’s office had not pressured her. [Update: Andrew Halcro has some on this.]
And Branchflower says, "Wilkes may have had a financial incentive to cover up." Sure, it may just be that Wilkes didn’t want to lose the contract with the state, and so didn’t admit the pressure to Branchflower. Branchflower may just mean that Wilkes decided, on her own, not to piss off Sarah Palin.
But it sure makes you wonder whether someone made the threat of losing the contract explicit.
The Palins do not sound like nice people. Vindictiveness is both of their middle names it seems.
But this is the downside of being a big fish in a small pond – it is pretty easy to catch the big fish when you’ve got a good enough net.
Vindictiveness is both of their middle names it seems.
That’s gotta look bad on their business cards….
Vindictiveness R Us?
Vindictiveness, Cronyism, Christianist Faux-Outrage, Politically-Connected-in-D.C, Wolf-Huntin’, Polar-Bear Hatin’……
They must have very wiiide business cards….
Jayt..you know, if you get the foldable sort, then you’ve got all sorts of real estate to put stuff on. They can put all the vindictive petty nasty stuff on the inside..or on the back for that matter.
And just in case EW doesn’t have anything to do (other than post faster than we can keep up with *g*), then perhaps this will keep her busy:
Full Excerpts: Charlie Gibson Interviews GOP Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin
You’ve got THAT right! Even up here in Wasilla Alaska, I’m hearing the national reporters marvel at what emptywheel is accomplishing.
I just posted a few of my 160 images from today’s pro-Obama, pro-women’s rights, pro-environment, anti-war and deliciously anti-Sarah Palin rally in midtown Anchorage, outside of a library Sarah hasn’t layed her hands on yet. It was the biggest demonstration of its kind in Alaska history – possibly over 2,000. A counter-demonstration by AM Radio jerk, Eddie Burke, drew about 125.
This morning, AK Muckraker from Mudflats infiltrated the Palin event. A bunch of kids from the Anchorage Christian School appear to hav been bused in, so the crowd could reach 1,000.
ET..some of those pictures are a hoot: “McPalin Out of My Uterus”? wowee. You guys need to get more coverage for this. The good governor is not a very popular person..
What very good news. I am assuming that may get some heavy press. Ya’ think?
Our Anchorage press is already swinging it Sarah’s way. But I talked to four national reporters while there, and had three others pointed out to me in the crowd. Having the founder of Salon.com and Steve Brown (DC correspondent for LA Tmies) over for Copper river sockeye and to meet AK bloggers tomorrow.
Gotta go see Ed Schultz after I shower.
Later, pups…
Probably will miss you…but I’ve been wanting to ask Ed why we cannot get Air America in Austin TX….what a loss.
Ed Schultz isn’t on Air America so he doesn’t care. The answer is because the company running AA on their radio station in Austin sold out to repugs who changed the format. It’s happened in several markets.
Because Belo Productions has the rights and made sure that they failed here! They never put up a website, had them on a very low powered AM Station that reduced power at night, and would not even respond to would be advertisers e mail. Those were the primary reasons. I can go into a lot more of the sordid details, but I think you get the idea.
I am so glad to know….I kept sending emails with questions, suggestions for support. Yep, no answer. Thank you.
Damn
The national reporters are eating my Copper River? I’m on my way up…save some!
I am assuming that may get some heavy press. Ya’ think?
sure would be a nice counter-point to the “Alaska loooves Sarah Palin”, wouldn’t it??
ET your hot…reading the blog. “AM Radio jerk, Eddie Burke, drew about 125″ the utube shows what a mean low down rat he is and those who support him. Palin is a nightmare happening.
Great pics, ET! Thanks for sharing them.
Does Palin always lie, even when she doesn’t ‘need’ to??? Here’s more on her ‘trip’ to Iraq…not… These revelations are beginning to border on sick…
http://voices.washingtonpost.c…..t_ira.html
Remember how they skewered Kerry for the “Cambodia” story. Let me tell you, there were no bases on the Mekong ( Bassac_) River where you could tell where the exactly where the hell you were. Her narrow ass was on a large American base in Kuwait and everyone knew exactly where they were.
Not from the “Style” section of the NYT, but perhaps it ought to be? – In Office, Palin Hired Friends and Hit Critics:
Seems to remind me of some folks, but I can’t for the life of me, remember who.
My favourite passage from that story:
I too got such a kick out of that!
Folks ought to read that entire article because the notion that MsBull…winkle is competent for any position other than that of Harper Valley PTA is decidely laid to rest:
Now I know where the Soap writers get their material.
“Days of Our Lives”, who knew?
Palin NYT 5 pages! The story has legs!
A
as a qualification for running the roughly $2 million agency
So, Palin and her buddies have been practicing this kind of “answer” to questions about qualifications for quite awhile.
This stuff is gonna put The Onion out of business. How can you make up stuff wilder than this?
I’ll make a couple of points that will tie into the $2 million Dept of Agriculture that your reference here. I had seen at Anchorage Daily News in the article on this information that Harbor Adjustment Service was awarded a contact for $1.2 million in 2003 for processing the worker’s compensation claims for the state. I thought that seemed fair. But then I saw where the entire DOA had a budget of $2 million. Then I look up the worker’s compensation website and see that there are actually 5 locations. You see them at http://labor.state.ak.us/offices/wc-of.htm . Based upon what I see here the HAS office only handles state employees. There is a separate processor for Fishermen and then three state run agency locations for the remainder of the state’s private businesses.
When you adjust the $1.2 to today’s costs, it is probably closer to $1.4 million. I couldn’t guess how much the other portions of their control of worker’s compensation claims may expand this cost to the state. First, I have never known a state to hire a private contractor to process claims for state employees. Seems odd!
EW, I also felt a tug of curiosity when I saw the term financial incentive. For a private insurance/brokerage company to lose a $1.4 million (approx) contract could spell doom. I also noted that the contract had been renewed annually since the original was done in 2003. This makes the threat, if indeed there was a threat, all the more imminent. Annual contracts for a business leave too much to chance.
Since HAS is indeed an insurance firm in addition to a processing company for Alaska’s state employees, I would also like to know if they provided any liability insurance for the state under a separate contract. If not, at least I would suggest that Todd and Sarah purchase a very large professional liability coverage to protect themselves and their family’s possessions. Based upon the way they operate, I think a good insurance company would refuse to insure them. They would be too big of a risk for most except maybe Lloyd’s of London whch does take very risky business.
nice catch, emptywheel. Ties a lot together in this segment of Troopergate.
Some reporter needs to ask McLame (if they can get close enough to him to do so) what he would do if it turned out that his running mate, as governor, had tried to wrongfully interfere in a workers’ compensation claim. Of course he would not answer, however; he would just blame it on Obama.
In fact, he would probably blame it on Obama’s refusal to accept McLame’s “town hall” proposal.
Snort! LOL.
Most of them don’t have the guts and I doubt if McCain will return to The View anytime soon.
PS
That is a mortar, not and artillery round.
dr kirk up at the mothership
The fact that these kind of people go right to the top of government finally cements the reality that America democracy has been killed.
The slayers ?
The corporations who amass such media and regulatory power,
and the religious Luddites who place their pastor’s infallable dogma above the survival of a vibrant democracy which has given them so much.
Franklin said “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Well, we have lost it.
If Obama losses because of votes and not election fraud, I will devote the rest of my energy (legally) working against the interests of American corporations, their media shills, and ridicule the religious wackos who think they have a personal god at their beck and call.
Fighting against Republican corruption has proven useless.
Get the corporations, get the looney Elmer Gantries – they have killed America.
I have just heard on air america that alaska has trillions of cubic feet of natural gas, billions are pumped back into the ground to take the place of the petro that is evacuated
I don’t know how much natural gas we would need to replace petro but that sounds like it would make quite a dent
I am beginning to think that one of the oldest and in many ways, the most advanced civilization mankind has produced, China, shows the wisdom of 5,000 years when it considers ANY organized religion as a threat to the state.
China is not the Soviet Union. China has some official religions and the cult of Mao and Communism can be considered an official religion, as well. Holland Cotter was at Mao’s tomb, where people were encouraged to offer flowers to the statue of Mao.
Wow! From the New Yorker:
Cutthroat.
I have also heard on interview she left the town she was mayor in debt when they never had debt before, they were about to recall her but instead hired an intermediary to monitor financial affairs
this girl is a real winner
Slightly OT, but you’ll see the relevance:
So I’m watching USC-Ohio State football [son goes to USC; husband is Ohio State alum, at game], and during halftime the very serious sports announcers were discussing the effects of Ike on games that were to be played in Houston. Apparently several of the “plates” on the dome were blown away and they have to repair them.
Mr. Announcer then said, “ABC will have a special report for you on the status of the dome.” I’m thinking, “you bozos couldn’t have a “special report” on Liddy/Plame, Palin’s lying ass, Downing Street Memos, etc., but you can have “special report” on this foolishness?”
ABC could come in to FDL or EW and throw a proverbial “dart” at the diaries, then do a “special report” on any one of ‘em. Hell, maybe they’ll even hit at item on the crapiness of the mainstream press.
The New Yorker and NYT articles provide interesting contrast. Alaskans like her, but she scares the bejeebus out of even her friends.
She’s perfect for SNL. If I were a Republican, I’d suggest she actively seek to do a Palin/Fey skit similar to the Clinton/Poehler one from earlier this year. And she could then put a visit to NY state on her resume.
She’s ready to be the vice president.
Sarah’s been practicing invoking Executive Privilege.
Don’tcha know.
And what’s even better? The emails that are so important were copied to her husband, the shadow governor.
From Andrew Halro
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/shadow_governor
Confidential Emails
The most alarming indication of Todd Palin’s reach into state government came just yesterday.
Last month, a group of Alaskans filed a freedom of information act for emails sent from the computers of both Frank Bailey and Ivey Frye. Along with several boxes of documents, they received a cover letter along with 78 pages detailing the emails that were not released due to “Deliberative Process and Executive Privilege”. (Privilege log attached)
Page 1 of the list showed seven emails from both Governor Sarah Palin and Lt. Governor Sean Parnell within a three hour time frame on Feburary 1, 2008 that were described as “Email re Andrew Halcro”.
The serious concern about these emails is that they were prohibited from being released to the public due to executive privilege, even though Todd Palin was copied on these same emails.
Todd Palin is not a member of the executive branch, nor is he even a government employee. Todd Palin is a member of the general public.
So why in the world is Todd Palin getting copied on emails that his wife’s administration is classifying as confidential?
Furthermore there is something incredibly suspicious about these emails.
The first email was sent on Feburary 1 at 7:41am from Lt. Governor Sean Parnell to Governor Sarah Palin. Obviously something was burning Parnell to make him fire off an email to the governor so early in the morning about Andrew Halcro. This in turn set off a flurry of email activity that spanned the next three hours and encompassed five different people including Todd Palin.
Judging from the blogs I posted on January 31, the night before, this very well could be about the 2004 TransCanada proposal that Parnell help negotiate when he was an attorney in the oil & gas division that has been kept sealed ever since. TransCanada has insisted to this day that it remain confidential.
Seems to me there’s a big story in how Palin handled the Matanuska Maid Dairy.
I listened to Andrew Halcro’s interview with Palin on this radio clip:
Halcro/Palin Argument on the Eddie Burke Show (MP3 Format, 3 MB)
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/08BurkeShow.mp3
And I’m working my way through the information on Halcro’s blog. In the interest of time maybe we should all be up to speed on this.
Hey, Palin does appear in the style section: Palin’s hairstylist interviewed
Senator Schumer brought troopergate on Sunday talk show. Challenging the media to turn the spotlight on this issue.