Todd Palin won't comply with subpoena

JUNEAU, Alaska, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's husband will ignore a subpoena in the probe of Palin's firing of Alaska's public safety chief, the campaign said.

A spokeswoman for the John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign Thursday said Todd Palin wouldn't receive a fair hearing before the state Senate Judiciary Committee, scheduled to take statements Friday in the investigation, CNN reported.

Spokeswoman Maria Comella also said Alaska state law prohibits ethics investigation of people seeking elected office. Palin originally pledged to cooperate with the state Legislature's investigatio, but since becoming the GOP vice presidential nominee, the campaign has stepped up criticism of the investigation.

Lawmakers are investigating the firing of former Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, who accused Palin pressuring him to fire her former brother-in-law, involved in a bitter divorce with the governor's sister. Palin said she fired Monegan over budgetary disagreements.

Just before her nomination, Palin acknowledged staff members contacted Monegan's office about the trooper. She suspended one aide whose call to a state police lieutenant was taped.

Todd Palin was a "principal critic" of the trooper and had "many contacts" with Department of Public Safety officials about him, said Stephen Branchflower, the former prosecutor the state Legislature retained to investigate the firing.