Palin Brother-in-Law Scandal Grows

The Sarah Palin Brother-in-Law Scandal continues to take the spotlight off her selection as John McCain's running mate and instead place it on her ethics.

Palin is the Governor of Alaska whom McCain tabbed as his vice presidential choice on Friday.

When Palin became governor in 2006, her sister was in a messy custody battle with her ex-husband, Michael Wooten. Palin put herself into the middle of the divorce and tried to have her sister's ex-husband fired from his job as a state trooper in Alaska.

According to allegations, Palin pressured Walter Monegan, the Public Safety Commissioner she appointed, to fire Wooten. Monegan refused, and was promptly fired by Palin.

It's turned into a scandal in Alaska, and Palin is under investigation by the state for potentially abusing her power.

The Washington Post got an exclusive interview with Walter Monegan, the Alaska Public Safety Commissioner fired by Palin.

In the Washington Post interview, Monegan says he was never directly told to fire Wooten by Palin. But Monegan is turning over emails Palin sent him on the matter to investigators.

According to Palin, six members of Palin's staff made at least 24 phone calls to Monegan's department, but for weeks she claimed none of the calls were about her former brother-in-law.

Then two weeks ago Palin called a press conference to announce a recording of a phone call from one of her staffers pressuring for Monegan to fire Wooten. Palin had learned of the recording from the investigators and was attempting damage control. Palin then changed her story and claimed that she never asked any staff members to make the calls, but was aware they were made.

In the recording, Palin's director of boards and commissions, Frank Bailey, says, "Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, 'Why on earth hasn't this, why is this guy still representing the department?'"

Monegan said one of the staffers that contacted him was Palin's husband, Todd, who also wanted Wooten fired.

"I've tried to explain to him, you can't head hunt like this," Monegan told the Washington Post. "What you need to do is back off, because if the trooper does make a mistake, and it is a terminable offense, it can look like political interference.

"I think he's emotionally committed in trying to see that his former brother-in-law is punished."

In July, Alaskan legislators voted 12-0 to open an investigation into whether Palin abused her power in firing Monegan. They also approved hiring a special investigator to lead the investigation. The results of the investigation are not expected back for several months.