Judge Refuses to Block Troopergate Probe

An Alaska judge has refused to halt the Troopergate probe, declaring it a "legitimate" investigation, despite a Republican lawsuit against it, reports the Anchorage Daily News. The judge upheld subpoenas against Sarah Palin's husband and several aides. Five Republican state legislators had filed a lawsuit claiming that the investigation into the firing of a state commissioner was tainted by partisanship and was being used to damage Palin's election chances.

"It is legitimately within the scope of the legislature's investigatory power to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the termination of a public officer," the judge wrote. The lawyer representing the Legislative Council, which ordered the probe, hailed the ruling, calling it a "big day for Alaska." Todd Palin will likely now testify as part of the probe, barring an appeal to the Supreme Court, said his attorney.
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