Critics Praise Lawyer Driving Controversial Palin Probe

September 24, 2008— -- Even while critics slam a controversial probe into Gov. Sarah Palin, those who know the investigator at its helm have good words for him.

"He's very solid. He'll do a good job," said former Alaska Democratic governor Tony Knowles, referring to Tim Petumenos, the lawyer hired earlier this month by the state Personnel Board. The panel asked him to investigate whether Palin ran afoul of state ethics rules in what critics allege was a personal vendetta against her sister's ex-husband, a state trooper.

Knowles was less sanguine about Petumenos' investigation seeing the light of day anytime soon. "The personnel board would usually take two or three months to take a look at this," he said. "Nothing about the complaints are made public until there is a final report, and even that may not be made public."

Petumenos, a lawyer for the Anchorage-based firm Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot, did not respond to requests for comment for this article.

Petumenos is also believed to be investigating an ethics complaint filed by the trooper's union against Palin, alleging she improperly accessed the personnel file belonging to the trooper, Mike Wooten. He also appears to be investigating a complaint filed by a private citizen, Andree McLeod, alleging Palin bent state personnel rules to employ one of her campaign supporters.

McLeod confirmed she met with Petumenos Tuesday to discuss her complaint; the union confirmed it had received a letter from the lawyer identifying himself as the investigator for their case.

The Personnel Board became involved in probing the scandal now known as "Troopergate" after Palin herself filed a complaint with them in September on the matter.

More than two months earlier, the state Legislature had begun a probe into Troopergate. Palin at first agreed to cooperate with their probe, but shortly after joining the GOP ticket began criticizing the investigation as politically biased and unconstitutional.