# Troopergate update: Board "clears" her

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troopergate-update-board-clears-her/470962>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 4, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troopergate-update-board-clears-her/470962 "2008-11-04T01:05:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troopergate-update-board-clears-her/470962/1 "2008-11-04T01:05:03Z")

</div>

[Link](http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/11/03/2nd_alaska_probe_finds_palin_d.html)

Honestly I think just putting this in the news cycle on election eve, even as a putatively clearing her of wrongdoing, hurts McCain’s turnout some.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troopergate-update-board-clears-her/470962/2 "2008-11-04T01:16:00Z")

</div>

Any idea how the two boards differed – personnel, appointings, structure, mandate, beholdenship…?

Is the ethics case back to Up in the Air or is one a political hack? Was it like the House/Senate: one panel suggests the other look into it?

I _think_ there is reason to doubt the veracity of one, but I’d rather not say/hold to that opinion without a better understanding of where the panels came from.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troopergate-update-board-clears-her/470962/3 "2008-11-04T01:27:14Z")

</div>

Palin appoints the members of the Personnel Board. I would assume the Alaska state legislature is elected. Both hired (different) independent investigators.

I’m sure everyone will forgive me if I’m not very surprised that the board Palin herself appoints has cleared her of any wrongdoing.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/troopergate-update-board-clears-her/470962/4 "2008-11-04T01:31:42Z")

</div>

The personnel board is indeed appointed by the governor. That said most were appointed by her predescessor, only one reappointed by her, and Alaska law allegedly protects them from dismissal without cause.