ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska state trooper at the heart of a legislative investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power said Tuesday he has not been contacted by the man overseeing the inquiry.
The Legislature is investigating whether Palin, the Republican candidate for vice president, fired former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan because he would not dismiss trooper Mike Wooten. Wooten went through a messy divorce from Palin's sister.
But nearly six weeks into the investigation, Wooten told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he has not been contacted by the Legislature's investigator, former Anchorage prosecutor Stephen Branchflower.
"I have not been contacted by him, nor will I contact him," Wooten said. "If he wants to talk to me, I will cooperate 100 percent with him, but he has not contacted me."
Meanwhile, Monegan said that Branchflower will interview him in Anchorage on Wednesday for the investigation. He said that he still believes he was fired because Wooten remained on the force but that he has tried not to follow developments in the case.
"I think I do that for as much self-preservation as anything else," he said. "I haven't been avoiding all the reports, but I don't seek them out, either."
Wooten, 36, admits using a Taser on his stepson but said he poses no threat to the Palin family and didn't drink in his patrol car as they alleged in a 2005 complaint before Palin was elected governor.
Now Wooten has become known nationally because of the Troopergate investigation.
State Sen. Hollis French, an Anchorage Democrat who is overseeing the inquiry, did not immediately return calls for comment.
Wooten said he had heard rumblings at work that the Palin administration was trying to get him off the force these last few years.
"I heard rumor mill and hearsay that there was, I guess, pressure being applied to come after my position as a trooper," Wooten said. "But I didn't know to the extent to what's being sent out to the media now."
Palin has said she did not fire Monegan because of Wooten. However, last month she disclosed contact between members of her administration and the state troopers, questioning Wooten's employment.
Speaking in measured tones, Wooten said he refuses to "throw stones" at the Palin family or his ex-wife, Molly. He said he's turned down cash offers, well into the tens of thousands, from tabloid newspapers for interviews.
"I'm not going to tell them story they want," he said. "I'm going to tell the truth."
Wooten, who is in his eighth year with the state troopers, said he's learned from a 2005 investigation that led to his five-day suspension and has not had a complaint filed against him since. He works as a field training officer.
He said he regrets using a Taser on his stepson, Palin's nephew, calling it a "poor choice." But he said allegations of drinking alcohol in his patrol car and threatening the Palin family while he and Molly were divorcing aren't true.
On the alcohol incident, Wooten said: "I've never had alcohol near my patrol car or driven my patrol car and having alcohol — at all."
On making threats to the Palins: "I don't go around threatening people. If that's the type of person I was, I think — at least I would hope — there would be a lot more in my file saying this guy is a threat to society.
"And there would be actions taken against me. I have not threatened any member of that family, nor will I threaten any member of that family."
Wooten said having Sarah Palin on the national ticket will be good for Alaska, but wouldn't say for whom he would vote.
"I work for this state, period. That's the bottom line, and I think her candidacy is exciting for the family, and it's fantastic for Alaska," he said.
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Associated Press writer Matt Volz contributed to this report.
