An Open Letter to Rachel Maddow--Let me help you update your Sarah Palin "Trooper-gate" info

Dear Rachel,

Congratulations on your new MSNBC Show. I cannot wait to see it. Also, I regret so much not getting the chance to see you in Denver. At the time, we were trying to get more passes (we did) for my whole team to go to see Obama at Invesco Field so I had to miss your talk. I still hold out hope that someday I'll meet you in person.

But that's not the point of this letter.

I saw you on Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" and while your analysis of McCain's choice of Sarah Palin was spot-on, you obviously lacked some vital information regarding "Trooper-gate." I'd like to help you there.

I made THIS POST after attending the press conference where Mike Wooten asked the union TO RELEASE HIS RECORDS to the media. In spite of the fact this would reveal any flaws he may have in the matter, he wanted folks to know that their Governor, her family and her friends were spending a whole lot of time trying to get him fired. I also believe that (at the time) with Monegan gone and with the short-lived appointment of Chuck Kopp, he believed his job was not long for this world so what did he have to lose?

I recommend that you look at the documents closely...they are all linked in the post on the Public Safety Employees of Alaska that I linked above. You will read all of the allegations against him. I especially encourage you to read the "email" from Sarah Palin to retired Col Julia Grimes. Try to figure out which cereal box produced Sarah's Communication degree. Then read the interviews she does with the troopers, where they discover that her email was based entirely on the hearsay from her sister (the woman scorned) and Sarah knew NOTHING first-hand.

A couple of corrections to what you said last night:

1) Wooten NEVER physically hurt his wife. When she was asked in the interviews if he hit her, Mary said he did not.

2) The "taser incident"--it was stupid, it was poor judgement, it was irresponsible but having cared for 10-year-old boys before, I could see how it happened. I can imagine that, if the boy indicated that he'd just get someone else to try it on him, Wooten (who was trained on tasers) may decide to do it the safest way possible to show him what it was like. Like I said, stupid and poor judgement but not completely out of the realm of understanding...if you know 10-year-old boys.

Anyway, I hope this information helps. Rachel, if you have any questions, feel free to email me, call me, send a signal flare or any other way you can. Thanks!!!!!

P.S. Don't call Alaska Native folks "Eskimo." Most Natives aren't and those that are often don't like the term...it's a "white man" label.

Andrew Halcro = best sources--Sarah Palin admits Monegan was pressured to fire Wooten AND she DID pay-off Chuck Kopp!

************UPDATE******************

HERE is the raw feed from Palin's press conference courtesy of Alaska Politics.
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Two stories on Halcro's Blog that I've been watching the last several days:

1) You say potato...I say loose ends

Reportedly the Department of Law put acting commissioner John Glass under oath and questioned him yesterday.

So if this really is the excuse the Palin administration is using to explain very questionable behavior, that Branchflower requested it, then the press needs to find out if they questioned the governor and her staff under oath about Monegan's firing.

2) Hush Money?

Yesterday I received an email from a unknown reader who asked if I could put them in touch with the special investigator who was hired to investigate the firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

His email stated "I have a bit of information for him that he might find interesting in his investigation. It relates to a payment made to Chuck Kopp by the AG's office."

Halcro's sources were correct and now we know (sorta) why Palin was "questioning" everyone.

Gov. Sarah Palin says a recently discovered conversation recording one of her staffers pressuring the Department of Public Safety to fire a state trooper who went through a bitter divorce with her sister will be turned over to a legislative investigator.

Palin has been under heavy criticism since firing former Department of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

In addition, the state paid a $10,000.00 severance package to Monegan's replacement, Chuck Kopp, the former Kenai police chief who resigned under pressure last month, according to Attorney Gen. Talis Colberg. That's in addition to his salary, he said.

So my question-- was the real reason for her internal investigation that she could find out how many folks had heard about the phone calls from her Administration so that she could figure out the best ways to do damage control? I don't believe for a second that she was learning about all of this the first time.


HERE is the severance agreement with Kopp, which includes mention of the $10,000.00.

HERE you can find the phone call of the man chosen to fall on his sword, Frank Bailey.

And please, Sarah claims that she didn't tell Frank to do this...except that here's what the recording caught:

Bailey says: "Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, you know: Why on earth, why is this guy still representing the department, he's a horrible recruiting tool. And from their perspective, everybody's protecting him."

And later: “She (Palin) really likes Walt a lot, but on this issue she feels like it’s, she doesn’t know why there’s absolutely no action for a year … it’s very troubling to her and the family. I can definitely relay that.”

Yup...all on his own...no influence from the Palins at all.

It's getting harder and harder to swallow Palin's assertion that the Wooten issue had nothing to do with Monegan's firing.

Let's also be clear on another issue--Palin's sister has been divorced from Trooper Wooten for a few years now. There can only be a couple of reasons this has continued with the intensity we have seen:

1) The "Heath Clan" wants "hillbilly justice" by crushing the man who cheated on one of their little princesses

2) If he loses his job, it's a good bet he'd lose standing in the custody of his kids.

Either one of those reasons are disgusting and as things have developed, both of those reasons are very plausible. Alaska needs to ask if we are going to accept that kind of abuse of power from our Governor?

Reinstate Chuck Kopp??? Let it die, people, let it die...

First here's the history:

Chuck Kopp replaces Walt Monegan
Introducing Chuck Kopp press event
Chuck Kopp--curioser and curioser...
"The Alaska Hillbillies"
Anticipating Kopp's departure
Chuck Kopp resigns effective immediately

In Friday's Peninsula Clarion, we find a story that's been picked up by the AP:

About four dozen friends and family members of Chuck Kopp jammed the Kenai City Council chamber Wednesday night urging the council to reinstate the former Kenai police chief.

Mayor Pat Porter informed the supporters that hiring and firing of city employees at the department head level is the responsibility of the city manager, not the city council.

The interesting part is who was there to support him...

A number of Kopp's supporters said they were affiliated with Cook Inlet Academy, which was founded by Kopp's father. Kopp is a past-president of the school...

...A Sterling woman who described herself as being a friend of Chuck and Trish Kopp for 16 years, Robin Forci, said city council members should consider the legacy they want to leave.

...and who wasn't there...

City Manager Rick Koch, who did not attend Wednesday's meeting, has been attending a hockey camp out of state with his son.

I'll bet Mr. Koch is thinking that hockey camp was great timing.

There is no way they are going to rehire Chuck Kopp. Besides the number of lies he told to the media (i.e. all of you) as well as the Governor, I described some of the stuff I was receiving leading up to Mr. Kopp's resignation. His departure caused me to drop any and all efforts to "research" the claims that have been made by anonymous sources. I'm guessing wayyyyy more powerful media folks than this blogger-chick have the same information and the same ability to do that research...if we are all properly motivated.

Reinstating him as police chief in Kenai would motivate me as I'm sure it would motivate others.

Folks down in Kenai should let this go. Based on my information, there could be much more than a "hug" in his past. If you really care about Chuck and his family, find him a different job.

Chuck Kopp resigns effective immediately

Per KTUU 5:00 report breaking news: Kopp resigns on his own "for the good of the Department of Public Safety."

More at 6:00 PM report and the press release should be out any second...we hope...

Per ADN:

In a brief news conference with Gov. Sarah Palin in her Anchorage office late this afternoon, Kopp said he was stepping down effective immediately. Kopp, appointed to replace former Commissioner Walt Monegan 10 days ago, said recent scrutiny of a 2005 sexual harassment complaint has been too hard on his family.

Neither Kopp nor the governor would answer questions.

"We're going to move forward now," Palin said. "This has been brutal on a good family."

No replacement has been announced.

I'll bet...not for awhile...

This is the part I love:

"The recent media firestorm has been detrimental to the Department of Public Safety mission, the citizens of Alaska and my family," Kopp said. "While I have been portrayed in a negative light, my personal worth is now in the person of Jesus Christ."

Yeah, it's always a good idea to bring Jesus into these things.

Perhaps the fact that media folks and bloggers like myself have been getting all kinds of emails and comments had something to do with this? Perhaps we were calling and emailing the right people and it was only a matter of time before someone went on the record with information proving that you lied through that entire previous press conference on the nature of your harassment? Perhaps the idea of a FOIA requesting access to all of your non-case-related phone conversations with dispatchers (which are recorded) made you nervous about big trouble down the road?

Perhaps the reason you resigned wasn't because of the "media firestorm" that YOU created, but because there were more chickens that were about to roost on top of the other ones?

Buh bye...don't let the door hit ya--well, you know the rest...

***UPDATE***

HERE is the raw feed of Kopp's statement at the press conference.

HERE is the raw feed of the Governor's statement.

**BREAKING:** Anticipating Kopp's possible departure via a Governor's "push"

***UPDATE***

Per Alaska Politics Blog:

Gov. Sarah Palin has been meeting with Public Safety Commissioner Chuck Kopp today and plans to hold a news conference this afternoon, her spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said.

Leighow would not disclose what the two have been talking about or what the governor will say at the news conference, including whether Palin plans on firing the state's top cop.

We're all just waiting for a press release because Sharon Leighow has not announced a time or a place for the press conference. I talked to KTVA and Megan Holland at the ADN--neither one of them knew where the press conference was. (In other words, only people who are personally invited will be there--people who won't ask questions...allegedly...)


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The same thing was happening to me right before Andrew Halcro talked to Mike Wooten for four hours. Folks were telling me everything that proved to be true, but they gave me no proof so I couldn't print it.

This time, this information is all about Chuck Kopp and claims that there is much more to the story...and more folks involved. One person even named a name (I deleted it from the comments).

I'm following up on what I can, including looking into submitting a FOIA request. I really am not invested in "breaking stories" but I will if folks will give me the information with that intent. However, I'm also making a request. If there is someone who REALLY knows something out there with proof, break the story to SOMEONE...ANYONE you feel comfortable with. If half of this stuff is actually true, folks REALLY need to know and I don't care who breaks it.

The Alaska Hillbillies

Come listen to a story 'bout a man named Kopp"
A young police chief who didn't get the word 'stop'
The woman he kept huggin' wanted him to go
So he came face-to-face with Alaska EEO
Complaint, that is...investigation...letter of reprimand

So a few years later the Guvner called him forth
She said, "Hey Chuck, we need you up North"
"I know you've had problems but I'm sure you'll fit the bill"
"Since I'm really in need of another "yes man" shill"
Commissioner..."Top Kopp"...over-his-head

News of his new job shocked the woman, don't you see
Because no one else would know due to Title 23
So she told her story to a couple in the press
And it turned his first conference into something of a mess
Evasive buffoon...obvious liar...couldn't say he "didn't do it."

So now he's denying even though we have the letter
From the City of Kenai meant to make it somewhat better
Between Monegan and Wooten and Mr. "Sex Harasser" new
The Guvner has put herself in quite a Hillbilly Stew
Family feud...nasty and unprofessional...bye bye VP hopes

Chuck Kopp---curiouser and curiouser...OK, I mean slimier and slimier...

Picture courtesy of Dept. of Public Safety

This was pretty chicken-shit:

This coming up shortly: "Department of Public Safety Commissioner Charles Kopp will have a press availability for news media at 3 p.m. today to make a statement concerning the claims levied against him while he was with the Kenai Police Department. Kenai Mayor Pat Porter will attend in support of her former police chief."

Alaska Politics posted it at 2:53...I'm guessing they heard about it late as well.

Here's KTUU's story on the women who is accusing him.



I was at the "press availability" event last week where this was originally discussed. Also, here is the letter the Kenai Police Department sent the woman.

I can tell you from my own EEO experience, if there is good evidence that it truly happened and the victim is willing, they'll move the victim as part of a off-the-record settlement. If there's damning evidence and they don't want the victim to take it any farther, they'll move the perpetrator. They won't move anyone if there's no proof.

Chuck Kopp lied...this was a settlement.

***UPDATE--the "press availability" event***

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Kopp disclosed he was reprimanded, with a letter, by the Kenai city council after an investigation found to have improperly hugged the employee multiple times. He said the hugs were non-sexual, in a "friend-to-friend capacity," and he has no idea why the woman eventually filed a sexual harassment complaint with the city.

He disputes that he ever kissed her, as the woman claims. He also disputed that there was a witness to a kiss, as she contended in an interview with KTUU-Channel 2 yesterday.

K...the letter said they did an investigation...don't you think that they talked to the people involved during an investigation?

KOPP...THEY MOVED YOU OUT OF YOUR SUPERVISORY POSITION, YOU THROWBACK! DON'T YOU THINK THAT BOLSTERS HER CLAIMS?

He said the city took the complaint seriously and he realized that the workplace hugs were inappropriate. He said he received a letter of reprimand after the investigation. He said he appealed the finding, and reached an agreement with the city that the letter would be removed after two years if there were no further incidents. He said there were none and the letter was removed.

The only reason we know that Kopp lied the first time is because the victim produced this above-linked letter:

"You may want to know what action has been taken against Chief Kopp as a result of this investigation. That is certainly understandable; but Title 23 of the Kenai Municipal Code requires personnel matters, regardless of their nature, to be kept confidential."

Basically, he can claim whatever he wants about the aftermath and any other potential problems and we'll never know...the Kenai Municipal Code prevents anyone but the victim from speaking out.

Chuck "I am not a sex harasser" Kopp, as Commissioner of Public Safety, is responsible for all aspects of Alaska law enforcement. Kopp is responsible for the difficult and sensitive task of finding solutions to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, which exist in Alaska in crisis proportions. Kopp's past renders him ineffective in this most-important task.

Chuck "I am not a sex harasser" Kopp needs to go.

Breaking: "Top Kopp" to release his personnel file

Per the ADN:

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Chuck Kopp said today he will release his personnel file from the Kenai Police Department.

Kopp, who has been at the center of a political firestorm, said he will release the file to dispel rumors of a history of sexual harassment.

"I am not ashamed of my past," he said.

Kopp became the center of attention after Gov. Sarah Palin abruptly fired Walt Monegan last Friday from the commissioner's job and then appointed him. The governor has said she wants change in the leadership of the department and wants to take it in a new direction, but hasn't said why the department needed fixing.

That's been my issue all along with the press conference and every statement out of the Governor's office. No one has shown us what "new direction" they are talking about...which causes people to question if that's truly the reason.

Kopp has been accused by a former employee of sexually harassing her with unwanted hugs and a kiss on the cheek in 2005. That employee says a Kenai city investigation confirmed her version of events.

Her lawyer, Chuck Robinson, today said he also believed the city investigation substantiated the harassment.

The Palin administration looked into the 2005 charge and said it learned that it was unsubstantiated, according to governor spokeswoman Sharon Leighow.

Hmmm...I've now learned the lingo and it's "unfounded" (proven false), "not sustained" (can't be verified or proven) or "sustained" (proven). I'm curious to know which it is.

Kopp wanted to dispel another rumor also: He said he was never friends with Palin or any of her family. He first met Palin when she was campaigning for governor in July 2006 in Kenai. Later, Palin made him the head of her Department of Public Safety transition team. Kopp said he also served on former Gov. Frank Murkowski's transition team.

I really don't care when Kopp met Palin. I just want to know if he's going to be a "yes man" to the detriment of the Department and Alaska.

I can't wait to see this report, now that I understand better what I'm looking at (after 270+ pages).

Press Event: Introducing Chuck Kopp as the new Commissioner of Public Safety

Yours truly on the right (photo courtesy of The Department of Public Safety)

I went to the State Trooper's building today for the "press availability" event (Megan Peters corrected me when I called it a "press conference") at 1:00. He talked about looking forward to working with the Legislature, being an advocate for the Troopers and focusing on recruitment, moving forward with improvements in Rural Alaska, including reducing substance abuse. He gave pretty much the standard spiel and definitely no "new agenda."

Then the first question came:

Corey Allen Young, Channel 11--"I'd just like to get your side of the story regarding the sexual harassment allegations made."

Commissioner Kopp--"[There has] never been a sexual harassment allegation that resulted in a lawsuit or a settlement by the City of Kenai. There is nothing in my record that would give me a black eye or would hinder me in my roll as Commissioner of Public Safety."

Then a follow up from Channel 11, then a similar question from Channel 13.

Commissioner Kopp: "There is no personal settlement there is no public settlement as in there is nothing in the record."

**raised eyebrow**

Channel 11 and 13--more questions

Commissioner Kopp--"There is one that has happened, period," said Kopp. "But I don't want to comment on that. There is absolutely nothing in my record that I am ashamed of. There is no skeletons in my closet. There is no monster looming to crawl out to say, 'Did this happen?'"

Public Safety Commissioner Chuck Kopp speaks to the press (photo courtesy of The Department of Public Safety)

The back story per channel 11's website:

While no lawsuit or settlement came from the sexual harassment complaint, we do know one was made; and so did Governor Palin before she appointed Kopp, Alaska's top cop.

The governor's office said there was no substance to the complaint filed three years ago and Commissioner Kopp continues to have her full support. After being pressed on the issue several times, Kopp did admit to the complaint...

...CBS 11 News is in contact with the woman who filed the complaint and she wants to tell her side of the story, but doesn't want to do that until she can talk to her attorney. He is not going to be back in town until later this week.

Megan Peters jumped in and said this is about "talking about the future of DPS and where we are headed."

K...let's ask a "future" question.

So I asked "The reason [given] for Walt Monegan's firing was so that they could go 'in a new direction' so I wanted to know specifically what you wanted to do differently than Walt Monegan was doing."

Commissioner Kopp--"I'm not going to comment on prior leadership or the circumstances there. I'm just going to move forward with a positive focus. I've talked about recruitment and retention, talking about improving the working conditions for the employees of the Department of Public Safety, looking at being accountable and responsive in all our Divisions to the people of Alaska as we execute our mission.

Me--"I was wondering what was new about this direction?"

Kopp--"We're building on the good things of the past and we are looking forward to further refining our approach, our fiscal responsibility, our accountability. We're looking forward to moving forward and having a credible (*muffled*) policy."

Corey from Channel 11 pointed out that this was all the same things the Governor has been saying and that Walt Monegan has been saying. He asked for more specifics on recruitment and...again...we heard some of the same things we've been hearing--that we have to target people with an "adventurous spirit" who want to live in Rural Alaska.

I have heard good things from others about Chuck Kopp and though I wonder how he'll handle 800 state employees vs. the 30 he dealt with in Kenai, he probably deserves a chance...if he can handle this "sexual harassment" issue better than he did today.

However, I left the press room thinking less about Chuck Kopp and wondering more about Walt Monegan and why that change was needed?

New Public Safety Commissioner--Kenai Police Chief Charles "Chuck" Kopp replaces Walt Monegan

Anchorage Politics Blog links to this announcement from the Governor:

Governor Palin Names New Public Safety Commissioner

July 14, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today named Charles “Chuck” Kopp, chief of the Kenai Police Department, as Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety.

“Chuck has dedicated his career to public safety and shares my commitment to strengthening our communities and combating drug and alcohol problems in rural Alaska,” Governor Palin said. “He is a person of great integrity and I am confident that he will provide excellent leadership and direction to the Department of Public Safety.”

Kopp, 43, has 21 years of policing and public safety experience and has worked for the Kenai Police Department since 1989. He currently serves on the Alaska Judicial Council and has served on the Alaska Police Standards Council.

“I embrace this great opportunity and look forward to advancing Governor Palin’s public safety initiatives,” said Kopp. “I am committed to strengthening the services the department provides to the people of Alaska.”

Kopp holds a bachelor’s degree in justice from the University of Alaska Anchorage and is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, among many other professional certifications. He resides in Kenai with his wife and three children.

Hmmmm..."shares my commitment to strengthening our communities and combating drug and alcohol problems in rural Alaska."

Kopp replaces Walt Monegan, who was fired on Friday "out of the blue" according to Monegan.

There was more information on KTVA Channel 11 over the weekend:

Monegan was appointed by Governor Sarh Palin to be the head of the Department of Public Safety a few years ago, but Friday she asked him to take a lower job inside DPS as the executive director of the Alcohol Beverage Control Board. Monegan told CBS 11 News Saturday on the phone that he turned that job down.

Monegan said he was told that the governor wants to, "take DPS in a different direction" and that the request for him to step down was a, "bit of a shock."

Monegan says he respects the decision of the governor to make changes in her cabinet, but did not want to take the job with the ABC.

So is the Rural focus going to be solely on Alcohol and Drugs now and away from sexual assault and DV? Inquiring minds...

Also, Chief Kopp is not a stranger...he was her Transition Team Public Safety Leader. So 10 points for those folks who said she'd bring in a "buddy."