Panel to release Palin ethics report

— -- An Alaska legislative panel is scheduled Friday to release its report of an investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, dismissed a cabinet member for refusing to fire her ex-brother-in-law.

Palin's campaign sought to limit any potential fallout from the report by releasing a 21-page statement Thursday saying the legislative investigation had "questionable origins" and was "politically driven."

The bipartisan, joint committee of state lawmakers hired former prosecutor Stephen Branchflower in July to investigate whether Palin's dismissal earlier that month of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was improper. Palin's husband, Todd, and aides to the governor had talked to Monegan about state trooper Mike Wooten, who had divorced the governor's sister and, according to the Palins, threatened the governor's family.

Branchflower is scheduled to formally deliver his report to the legislative committee Friday.

Monegan has said he felt pressured to fire Wooten, who denies threatening the Palins. The campaign's Thursday statement said Palin fired Monegan because he "proved unable to follow the policies of the Palin administration and pressed his own agenda without regard for the formal budgeting process." The statement says that as governor, Palin had the authority to fire Monegan for any reason.

Palin had said she would cooperate fully with the investigation before GOP presidential nominee John McCain named her is running mate in August. Palin later declined to talk with Branchflower. Todd Palin and several of the governor's aides answered written questions after initially objecting to subpoenas.

The Alaska Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a lawsuit by six Republican state lawmakers who sought to block the Branchflower investigation. State Attorney General Talis Colberg, a Palin appointee, also had unsuccessfully challenged the probe, arguing that the legislature didn't have the authority to investigate the governor's personnel decisions.