JUNEAU, Alaska (AFP) — A Republican lawmaker is calling for the Democratic head of a probe into vice-presidential pick Sarah Palin to be replaced, accusing him of exploiting the investigation for political ends.
Republican representative John Coghill said in a letter to the chairman of the Alaska Legislative Council that comments made by Hollis French concerning Palin and the "troopergate" probe were political.
Coghill, a preacher who is a staunch supporter of Palin, said French's comments that the inquiry into Palin's dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner could form an "October surprise" indicated he was not neutral.
Coghill also accused French of telling the media that if Republicans had properly vetted Palin "they never would have picked her. Now they may have to deal with an October surprise".
The Republican lawmaker urged Alaska Legislative Council chief Kim Elton, another Democrat, that French be replaced by someone "professional, unbiased, independent, objective" who was "at arm's length from the political process."
"Senator French appears to be steering the direction of the investigation, its conclusion, and its timing in a manner that will have maximum partisan political impact on the national and state elections," Coghill alleged.
French told AFP on Friday he was unconcerned by calls for his removal from the committee overseeing the probe, noting that the inquiry would now be completed earlier than scheduled in order to lessen the possibility of it impacting the US presidential race.
"Today we're trying to de-escalate the situation by moving the report as far as possible from the election," he said.
French did not deny making the comments alleged by Coghill.
"I probably said some things I should not have said," French said, stressing that he had not in any way influenced the chief investigator in the case. "He is doing that independent of me and everybody else. That's why we hired him."
Palin is being investigated by Alaska's legislature over allegations arising from the sacking of the state's public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, who was fired earlier this year.
The probe was triggered after reports that Monegan was removed because he refused to fire a state trooper who was the governor's ex-brother-in-law, that the Palin family regarded as a "loose cannon."
The investigation -- dubbed "Troopergate" -- followed Monegan's dismissal in July. Palin has consistently denied that she put pressure on Monegan to fire the trooper involved, describing the allegations as "outrageous" and "false."
However it emerged on August 13 that there had been more than 20 calls, emails and other communications from Palin's office to employees at Monegan's Department of Public Safety.
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