McCain campaign lays heavy influence on state politics

McCain-Palin campaign accused of co-opting Department of Law

And after the announcement, officials said Colberg hopped on a plane to Kansas for a vacation.

"It appears that the department is in complete disarray," said Sen. Bill Wielechowski. "It appears that the McCain campaign is co-opting our Department of Law and basically calling the shots and I think that's pretty clear from some of the actions we've seen over the past couple of days."

In a letter to Colberg Wednesday from Elton, Elton accuses Colberg of compromising the investigation.

"In four paragraphs, you've broken a deal that was accepted by your office and received by Mr.Branchflower after the Senate Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas," Elton writes. "Further your brand new position eviscerates weeks of comments on the record by several parties, including the governor."

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By Corey Allen-Young, CBS 11 News Reporter
Article Last Updated: 09/19/2008 08:27:29 AM AKDT


With Governor Palin in the mix of the national presidential election, many want to know answers to issues right here in Alaska. But with reports of state inquiries being directed to the McCain political campaign, it seems the local media is getting the snub.
A team of McCain operatives has arrived in Anchorage where they have become the one source to answer questions about Alaska's governor and her administration. This was set up to for any media that was not permanently based here in Alaska.

The problem is locals aren't having any luck either. So how easy is it to get an answer or reply from key departments of our state and our governor?

In efforts to contact the office of the governor, the attorney general's office, and the department of administration, CBS reporters were given statements of no comment, e-mails referring to new spokespeople and no messages returned.

This is a noticeable contrast to the way the administration was run prior to Palin's VP nomination.

Now to get an answer about any state business, we are routinely referred to McCain campaign officials.

State lawmakers are beginning to express their own frustrations.

"We are seeing the executive branch of the state government wilt like old flowers when it comes to addressing what should be state business," said Representative Jay Ramras, a republican from Fairbanks.

"The McCain camp has come into the state and taken over essentially the state political system on this Troopergate investigation," said Representative Les Gara, a democrat from Anchorage.

Ramras and Gara both agree that any state business including the investigation of the governor should not be in the hands of outsiders.

"I am going to demand that john McCain stop obstructing justice in our state. Go do your campaign in the lower 48 that's fine but stop obstructing justice here," said Gara.

"The executive branch needs to reassert their propriety rights here and stand up for state rights and for the fact that the state of Alaska has business to conduct," said Ramras.

Many attempts have been made to contact state officials, but the only replies given were from the department of administration's commissioner Annette Kreitzer. However, Kreitzer would only refer inquiries to the governor's spokesperson Sharon Leighow.

Leighow has yet to have returned any phone calls.