Palin May Quash Subpoenas in Trooper-Gate Probe

The stand-off between Sarah Palin and the state legislators investigating Trooper-Gate threatens to continue, with the Alaska Attorney General’s office saying it may “move to quash subpoenas” if they are issued by legislators in tomorrow’s hearing.

From Bloomberg:

“The eyes of the nation have now turned upon us,” senior Assistant Attorney General Michael Barnhill wrote. “We think there is a legitimate concern that this investigation is no longer being conducted in a fair manner.”

Barnhill complained in a seven-page letter about public comments made by Hollis French, a Democratic senator, that Palin or her aides may have broken the law by allegedly obtaining personnel files of the fired state public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan.

Just three weeks ago, Palin had pledged full cooperation with the investigation from her and her staff and had even requested that the state attorney general conduct his own parallel investigation alongside the probe commissioned by state legislators.

But in days following her nomination as vice-presidential running mate John McCain, Palin has hired a lawyer, and seven witnesses who had agreed to give depositions to an independent investigator, have all refused testimony. Allegations of politicization of the probe’s legislative overseer, Hollis French (D), have surfaced after French told reporters they could expect an “October surprise” with the investigation’s report on Palin.