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Kyle Hopkins covers politics and other stories for the ADN. He covered the 2006 campaign for governor, has blogged extensively about Alaska politics, covered Anchorage city government and was a reporter based in the Mat-Su. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and previously was a reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com

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Governor meets with Kopp, lots of questions

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: July 25, 2008 - 3:58 pm

From Megan Holland in Anchorage --

Gov. Sarah Palin has been meeting with Public Safety Commissioner Chuck Kopp today and plans to hold a news conference this afternoon, her spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said.

Leighow would not disclose what the two have been talking about or what the governor will say at the news conference, including whether Palin plans on firing the state's top cop.

Kopp has come under increasing scrutiny since Palin appointed him to the position on July 11, after she sacked commissioner Walt Monegan with few details.

On Thursday, Palin's office said they did not know a 2005 sexual harassment claim against Kopp resulted in a letter of reprimand to him until he revealed that information to the public at Tuesday's press conference. Before, Leighow said, the governor's office believed the sexual harassment claim was investigated and found to be unsubstantiated.

Leighow has said the governor was both disappointed and concerned to learn of the letter.

Kopp has been defending the letter saying that it was more a "letter of instruction" than of reprimand, saying he learned a valuable lessen to not hug employees in the workplace. He does not consider it a validation of sexual harassment. Under an agreement he reached with the city, the letter was removed from his personnel file after two years after he had no more complaints.

Kenai City Officials, who have not released the letter citing personnel laws, say, though, that if it was a letter of instruction, it probably would have said it. There are various levels of action after a sexual harassment complaint, said city manager Rick Koch. If the allegation was found to be unsubstantiated, the city has the option of sending a letter saying so.

Meanwhile, both the public and lawmakers want answers to some questions.

Here are some of my questions:

1) The complainant in the Kenai sexual harassment case e-mailed the governor's office on July 13, writing to the governor. Here's what she wrote:

Dear Governor Palin,

As someone who admires you greatly and appreciates all you have done for our state government, I am dismayed to learn that you will appoint Charles Kopp to replace Walt Monegan.

I worked as Chief Kopp's Administrative Assistant and found him to be a dishonest, manipulative bully. My employment at Kenai Police Department ended after my sexual harassment complaint against Chief Kopp was acknowledged, validated, but ultimately dealt with ineffectively by the City of Kenai.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I still have the file I maintained during this time period as I considered legal action. I have put this dreadful period of my life behind me, but feel it is my responsibility to make this information available to you.

No one from the governor's office contacted the woman. Then, Palin announced Kopp got the job the next day, July 14.

Several days later, the woman called the governor's office asking officials there to look into it, she said. Someone from the governor's office said that it had been investigated and found to be untrue, again.

Why didn't the governor's office take her information more seriously? Once after the e-mail, then after the phone call?

2) The governor's office says it knew about the complaint in 2006 when Kopp was on the governor's Public Safety transition team. Who looked into it then?

3) What kind of background check was done on Kopp before he got the job? Who did the background check? What questions were asked?

4) And, finally, did Kopp lie to the governor's office and tell them the claim was never substantiated? Or, did the governor's office just not ask?

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12 July 25, 2008 - 5:35pm | DecemberRain

The Oblivious Governor?

How could she have not known? This letter is written without malice. The writer is well spoken.

Someone told me before this all came out what was happening and that Kopp was chosen with this to take the heat off the guv firing Monegan over him not firing Wooten. I didn't believe it.

Monegan couldn't have fired Wooten, unless he started splitting hairs over new things which would have put him in to chaos with the union.

If anything good comes out of this, perhaps the state agencies will have independent ombudsmen come in and audit concerns, where employee satisfaction and customer service go hand in hand.

I'm sorry, Lady-who-accused-Mr.-Kopp for having questioned your motives. From the way you wrote this weeks before, you look like you were out to divert this very problem.

While I am not crazy for Mr. Kopp, at least the school year has not yet started and if he has children, he can get out of Kenai and resume life elsewhere.

11 July 25, 2008 - 5:29pm | password

He's dead, Jim.

He just resigned.

Hope he doesn't go back to Kenai, they'll be much better off to keep Gus.

10 July 25, 2008 - 5:14pm | deby

Top Cop Kopp Job to be Chopped

;o}

July 25, 2008 - 5:30pm | cupik

Nah Nah Nah hey hey hey

And heee's out of there.....

9 July 25, 2008 - 5:29pm | tdbct

think this is fantastic.

Palin is about to learn a valuble lesson about public opinion. The often overlooked downside of a 80% + approval rating is that is has nowhere to go but down.

These jackleg politicians that we elect are like crackheads when it come to the power they have. So they start cutting corners and bending rules and pressuring people to run-off their ex-brother in-law, thinking that with an 80% approval rating they can do-no-wrong.

Personally, I told you all she was as crooked as a corkscrew from day one. I can't wait until the special investigator starts pulling the Palin clan's skelatons out of the closet and putting them on public display.

8 July 25, 2008 - 5:03pm | publicfacts

Now Please the invesitgation of this embarassment ......

Then assess the liability of a non state employee having several conversations with Monegan to have a state employee terminated.

Get the emails...

Get the phone records

Get an honest investigator with subpoena powers......

Then file the report to the public...

We deserve the truth............

Then make a quick settlement with Wooten, before he has time to get a good lawyer.

July 25, 2008 - 5:07pm | rfn

Anyone even slightly touched

by this likely has already engaged the services of a nationally known libel/slander firm of attorneys. If they have not they are allowing opportunity to slip through their fingers.

It would be futile to look for clues to their identities on this blog. They do not have to register to read and would be foolish to post. Though there is the possibility they might like to "chum" the waters......

7 July 25, 2008 - 4:57pm | writestuff

Can't we outsource the Governor's office?

I bet Schwarzenegger can handle both Alaska and California. Let's just outsource the position to him until we find someone that we really like. She won the primary because people were tired of Murkowski. She won the governorship because people were tired of Knowles. Is there anybody that we can actually vote FOR? She only won because people were voting AGAINST the other guys.

July 25, 2008 - 5:02pm | rfn

Actually there IS

an effort underway to outscource Alaska's U.S. House of Representatives seat to California. That state presently has only 53 seats in Congress and is so much in need of the 54th that they have sent a favorite son, carefully groomed, to abide a bit in Alaska and seek the seat currently held by Mr. Young.

As to Mr. Schwarzenegger handling Alaska, it might be nice if he were to get a handle on California first. Noticed their budget crisis? Their raids on municipality property taxes and service area (water/sewer) maintenance reserve funds.

Of course the city formerly known as "Anchorage" does seem to have a lot of property tax money Mr. Schwarzenegger could use to help the folks back home! So, yes, outsourcing might be fun!

July 25, 2008 - 5:22pm | DecemberRain

Who is this favorite son?

July 25, 2008 - 5:29pm | rfn

Check the list of

Democrat Party contenders and their funding sources.

July 25, 2008 - 10:00pm | snowline

rfn has just shown his true colors

How's life in the "Republic Party" these days toots?

July 26, 2008 - 11:16am | rfn

Is that

the third party we so sorely need?

I'm holding out for "None Of The Above". But thank you for the invitation to join you!

6 July 25, 2008 - 4:43pm | dot_dot_dot

Now let's see those e-mails

That were requested with the Freedom of Information Act. Heard someone finally received copies of the e-mails, but only after Ivey Frey and Frank Bailey got to go through and black out anything that they didn't want read. Sorry guys, it was a state computer . . . . there is no "personal priviledge". CLEARLY, someone was doing something they wanted to hide (while on statea time and computers) WHAT ELSE ARE YOU HIDING? WHERE IS THE FBI?? This Kopp thing is just the tip of the iceburg!

July 25, 2008 - 4:46pm | rfn

Absolutely correct!

If a fair and complete investigation is done there'll be huge changes in government. Including the Department of Public Safety and the Judicial system! This could be the housecleaning concerned citizens have been demanding for years! And over the course of several administrations.

5 July 25, 2008 - 4:39pm | AK_Shooter

Kopp and Palin

I find it amazing that anyone who hasn't just fallen of the turnip truck is surprised by any of this mess. Sarah has a long history of firing anyone who disagrees with her or who could posibly make her look bad. Both Palin and Kopp have repeatedly lied about all of this. The only person who has been "open and transparent" is Wooten. He at least had the good grace to release his entire AI file, both the good and the bad, to try and clear up every thing that has happened. So OK Governor, how about trying to raise your standards to meet those set by Wooten?

4 July 25, 2008 - 4:25pm | welltaxed

bye-bye...

...Kopper

3 July 25, 2008 - 4:24pm | TheTruthHurts

Someone call Kopp...

...on his state-issued Crackberry, and see if that phone has been disconnected yet.

2 July 25, 2008 - 4:09pm | littleE

Busted.......

give it up lady....you are toast...

July 25, 2008 - 4:36pm | sargentpecker

YOU GOT IT

ACTING LIKE SHE KNEW NOTHING SO SHE CAN USE IT TO FIRE HIM AND REGAIN PUBLIC TRUST. TOOOOO LATE. GIGS UP. ALL SHES DOING IS DIGGING THE HOLE DEEPER FOR HERSELF AND HER CABINET OF LIARS....

1 July 25, 2008 - 4:08pm | password

wow...

That meeting sure would have been useful about a week ago. You know, right after you did a records search on Koppafeel.

Maybe instead of stalking family members, Governor Todd should start spending more time vetting newhires.

July 25, 2008 - 4:14pm | rfn

That viewpoint

has set women back 50 years.

Fortunately, Hillary seems to be out of the race so it may not achieve "hate speech" status in the next four years. However the ballots aren't printed yet and that young fella is still jetting around the world. Ask Ron Brown about the risks of that!

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Governor meets with Kopp, lots of questions