It’s a little harsher than a sternly-worded letter, but not much.
JUNEAU — The Alaska Senate voted Friday to find Gov. Sarah Palin’s husband, Todd, and nine Palin aides in contempt for failing to show up when ordered by subpoena to testify in the Legislature’s “Troopergate” investigation of the governor.
But the Senate resolution also said there should be no punishment because Todd Palin and the others did eventually submit written statements to the investigator, Steve Branchflower.
The resolution passed on a vote of 16 to 1 — with six Republicans and 10 Democrats voting for it.
“I thought it was important to resolve it. People kept saying ‘you need to do something about the subpoenas — what are you going to do about the subpoenas?” said Anchorage Democratic Sen. Hollis French, who sponsored the resolution. “And while there was practically no support for doing anything further about the findings regarding the governor, a lot of people were upset that the subpoenas were ignored.”
“It memorializes their contempt and it balances that wrongdoing against their compliance once the suit was resolved,” French said in an interview after the vote.
It’s gotten to the point that I don’t think people even feel shame at being held in contempt by a legislative body.
