Update on the Palin family drunken brawl.

So as all of you are undoubtedly aware tomorrow will make it exactly one month since the Throwdown at the Hoedown, and no official police report has materialized.

Early yesterday I reached out to APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro again.

I was fairly aggressive in my e-mail essentially saying that at this point it was starting to appear to those outside the state, that the municipality was not being forthright, and that there were concerns that the Palins were exerting undue influence on the proceedings.

In response I received this e-mail: 

Perhaps it would be beneficial for you to reach out to the Municipal Prosecutor’s Office to get a better understanding of how a case review works. While a few weeks may seem like a long time to you, you must consider that this case has gone in the stack with many others that are being reviewed and it will be conducted under all legal parameters and processes in place. The biggest priority in this matter is to ensure a thorough and fair review of an incident to determine whether any criminal action has occurred. It may also be beneficial for you to review our municipal public records request laws, especially 3.90.040 in regard to exemptions for particular records for law enforcement purposes. The release of the reports regarding this incident is dependent upon the decision that the Municipal Prosecutor’s office makes and it is not my call to say when that will happen. 

Thank you and have a good day, 

Jennifer Castro

Like I said I was somewhat aggressive in my e-mail. 

I looked up amendment 3.90.040, and it does not really seem to apply to this situation. Or if it does I do not see how. Perhaps there is a legal eagle among you who can explain why I am wrong about that.

I took Castro's suggestion and reached out to the Municipal Prosecutor's office.

I was given the name Seneca Theno, with whom I left two voice messages and an e-mail.

So far I have not heard back. And that is where we are today.

As of now the APD really has nothing more to contribute concerning the investigation or the timing of the report. That is all in the hands of the prosecutor's office.

I urge you NOT to flood this office with requests at this time, as I feel that will be counter productive at this time.

I do not want to get conspiratorial at this time, but I would be negligent if I did not remind you that the Municipal Prosecutor answers to the Mayor (As you can see from this chart.). And it just so happens that our very ambitious Republican Mayor is indebted to a certain failed reality show star.

Not only that any investigation that damages Palin's reputation further might also produce fodder that can be sued against Palin's appointed replacement, with whom Sullivan is currently sharing a ticket.

Like I said there is no evidence that any of this should be a concern, I am simply noting that these connections do exist.

Now it seems almost inconceivable that a report that was announced to the media would not be forthcoming, or that it could be delayed all the way until after the November election. However I live in Alaska where it seems the inconceivable is almost a daily occurrence.

As for what this means for me, it simply changes my focus.

I had put a few of my other stories on the back burner waiting for this report to drop. So now that there exists this gray area I will simply proceed as if it is no longer relevant.

If it comes out soon I will incorporate it into what I am working on, but if it does not it ultimately will not matter that much. Actually what it will do is serve as yet another example of how the Palins can do truly horrible and disruptive things, and simply walk away as if nothing happened.

Of course this time they really are not going to get away unscathed. And in fact these most recent activities have been instrumental in helping me to locate a number of sources who are fairly determined that ultimately she will not get away with anything.

A small update on the Palin brawl police report.

I have been asked repeatedly if there is any news on the police report, so I reached out to Jennifer Castro earlier today and this was her response: 

Hi Jesse, 

The municipal prosecutor’s office informed me on Monday they expect to have their review completed by the end of next week. No new information has been released at this time. 

Thank you, 

Jennifer Castro 
APD Communications Director

I know that that by the end of next week it will mean that it has taken almost a month to finally get a report together for release.  I have no good explanation for why this is taking so long, but if I had to guess I would suggest that it is because the APD is aware of how much attention the report will receive and are being somewhat overly cautious.

I have also been trying to chase down some leads on any videos or pictures, but so far there is really no news.

As many of you have noticed there are trolls who have already started their victory dance and declared the investigation dead and that no videos of pictures will ever see the light of day.

I have heard nothing to suggest that any of that is true, so keep a happy thought and just maybe this thing will go the way all of us are hoping it will.

By the way I still remember when the trolls came stopping by to tell all of us that Sarah Palin was going to be President and that would really fix our wagons. 

And boy that sure worked out well didn't it?

Radar Online interviews Eric Thompson about the brawl, his new found unemployment, and his fears of further retribution.

The spotlight continues to shine on the Anchorage brawl, but now it has sharpened to focus more on Thompson's plight and the famous Palin retribution that most of us up here are all too familiar with.

Here are some of the statements that Thompson provided to Radar Online: 

“I’ve been in the industry my whole life and at the same time I didn’t expect to be discharged for telling the truth,” Thompson told Radar, insisting when he spoke about the fight, “I didn’t make any of that up.” 

“It wasn’t me who went out and punched the homeowner,” Thompson claimed. “I watched and really it was more out of dismay. I thought, ‘What is going on?’ The person involved was getting punched in the face by Bristol.” 

“The person she punched, this guy, took straight shots to the face one after the other, after the other, and never retaliated and was just a stand-up person. I admire him for being a gentleman. This is a woman and it doesn’t matter if she’s punching you in the face,” Thompson said. 

On how many people spoke to the police:

When the dust settled, however, Thompson told police about the melee, and also spoke out to Good Morning America — but he insists he was just the one that reporters got to first. 

“Originally, I was asked to give a statement to the police along with 10 other people,” he added. “[The alleged victim] didn’t want it misconstrued that he was assaulting her.”

On the fact that he got fired:  

“There was never any communication between the owner, we were never asked to not say anything or gag order… I’m only guilty of having a little naivete of how the national press works,” he said. 

Thompson understands there’s been an influx of unwanted attention, but says he’s not to blame – the Palins are! 

“I was sober. I wasn’t in the fray. I wasn’t puking on the lawn or passing out. I didn’t cause any stir or commotion,” he said. “I didn’t do anything to tarnish the company’s image in any way shape or form.

Thompson thinks the Palins should apologize for their behavior:

“I’m sure they’ve got their political spin doctors,” he said. “What they should do is apologize to general public for their conduct. You’re the face of Alaska to people. I mean, come on! 

“When you are a public figure, people are looking to you for leadership and to set an example,” he continued. “With privilege comes great responsibility.”

You know I'm liking this guy more and more all the time. 

Thompson also said that he is using part of the Go Fund Me money to pay for security cameras:

“That’s how scared I am,” he added. “Some people out there are really big fans of the Palins. I regret that I was naïve in not knowing what was going to happen. But I don’t regret ever telling the truth!”

Well I can vouch for the fact that his fears are well founded.

I myself have a good security system, a police officer living across the street, and a dog that jumps at every sound, and I still get up and double check the doors and windows at night.

By the way I am glad that Thompson once again directed the spotlight back onto Bristol's flailing fists and away from Track's drunken ineffective brawl. I really do think that the Bristol story is the big one and that she is most likely the one to be charged with assault.

I have reached out to Officer Castro yet again this morning to see if that police report would be coming out today or tomorrow, and to remind her that there is national scrutiny on their response.

Her response is that the case is currently being reviewed by the Municipal Prosecutor's office and that it could take somewhat longer than previously determined.

I have recently heard some troubling information about Tripp not being adequately supervised during the party, and I would like to know just how long he ran around without being watched by family members, and if indeed other party goers had to care for him due to their negligence.

This is yet more information that could prove very helpful to the Johnstons.

Hey guess who got mentioned in People magazine?

Oh if only they had known way back when.

So the magazine weighed in on the big fight, and in doing so quoted from ABC News, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Amanda Coyne, and yours truly.

That's right, little old me.

Here is what they mentioned concerning this most humble of blogs: 

Police were called to the scene, and the Anchorage Police Department said in a statement to the Times that "alcohol was believed to have been a factor in the incident" and the investigation was continuing. Although no charges have been filed yet, the police department's communications director Jennifer Castro confirms to The Immoral Minority blog that the case is currently "under investigation." 

This may seem like no big deal to some, but trust me getting mentioned along with ABC, the Post, and the New York Times is pretty damn satisfying after all of these years.

But that is just the beginning, because folks let me just say that in the very near future I am going to make your years of trust and loyalty to IM pay off.

Hee hee, this is the part where I chuckle to myself and say "stay tuned."

Anchorage Police Department provides an update and case number for the throw down at the hoedown.

"Why are people talking? I specifically said no talking!"

So I sent a request to the APD spokesperson's e-mail address in an attempt to get more information on the brawl.

My earlier information from the police had come via another person who had contacted them, and I hoped to pry a little more loose if I could.

Just an hour ago I received this response: 

Hi Griffin , 

What I am able to share with you at this time is the following: 

Case: 14-36989 

On Saturday, September 6, 2014 just before midnight Anchorage police responded to a report of a verbal and physical altercation taking place between multiple subjects outside of a residence located on the 900 block of Harbor Circle . A preliminary investigation by police revealed that a party had been taking place at a nearby residence and a fight had broken out between multiple subjects outside of the residence. None of the involved parties wanted to press charges at the time of the incident and no arrests were made. Alcohol was believed to have been a factor in the incident. Some of the Palin family members were in attendance at the party. 

This case is still pending, therefore, I’m unable to provide any further details or information in the police reports at this time. 

Thank you, 

Jennifer Castro 
APD Communications Director

So now we have a case number and the assurance that the investigation continues.

Earlier Officer Castro had been a little more forthcoming, however I think that was before they had decided to open a case file on this. Now that they have done so they are clearly not allowed to go into very much detail until the end of the investigation.

I have also been assured that I will be contacted once that information is available to share.

And they say that Wednesdays are slow news days.

Hah!

Shailey Tripp sends the items she received back from the APD evidence room to a digital forensic specialist. Merry Christmas Todd!

Courtesy of Shailey Tripp's blog:

Shailey Tripp, the 37-year-old former licensed massage therapist embroiled in a sex scandal involving the husband of former Vice Presidential candidate and FOX news pundit Sarah Palin, has hired a well known private investigator to determine whether computers and cell phones believed to contain evidence of her affair with Todd Palin may have been tampered with while in the custody of the Anchorage Police Department (APD) in Anchorage, Alaska. 

“I have instructed my attorney to submit all of my electronic property, including cell phones, to Colorado Springs P.I. Ed Opperman and his Nevada based digital forensic company, Accurate Information Recovery Inc.,” Tripp said, adding, “My expectation is that he will be able to recover substantial evidence of my relationship with Todd and corroborate what I have been saying about Todd's prostitution activities.” 

"I look forward to examining the material in question," , Opperman adding, "Once my examination is complete the report will be made available to Ms. Tripp for her to do as she wishes. We have no political stake or opinion in the matter. This is just an impartial search for the truth."

I have to admit that I was concerned as to why this step was taking so long, as Shailey had told me earlier that it was happening right after she retrieved ehr belongings. Now I realize that she was first trying to get the items that had NOT been returned first, which of course makes sense.

I guess I should have asked right?

Anyhow now that it is in the hands of this expert I think we are n the verge of finding out some VERY juicy things about Shailey's relationship with Todd, and what Sarah Palin's purse carrying poodle was REALLY up to when he was not trying to bully people into investigating his ex-brother in law Mike Wooten, or helping his wife fake her pregnancy.

Somehow I don't think that slathering on lip gloss, covering her head with road kill, and making Fox film her in soft focus will be enough to hide the strain this is having on our resident Grizzled Mama for very much longer. Assuming of course that there are some who have been fooled thus far.

Should be a very Merry Christmas indeed!

I think Sarah Palin's holiday season is about to get a LOT less jolly.

This just showed up in my e-mail a few hours ago:

Judge Pamela Washington has signed an order for Shailey Tripp to "secure the return of her property from the APD" The order was signed and dated November 30, 2011 and gives the Plantiff (Municipality of Anchorage) 10 days to respond.

Judge Washington is a Parnell appointee so there is some chance that she does NOT owe Palin any favors, which is good for Shailey in this case. I have very little faith in government officials, cops, or judges that have any ties to Todd or Sarah anymore.

Shailey has worked hard to get her stuff back so this is very good news indeed.

Well not for everybody I guess.

By the way there are some who are saying that Shailey DID get all of her belongings back.

That is incorrect, there a few items that were not given back. I should know I helped to pick them up.

You know this judge's order MIGHT just have a little something to do with whatever it was that was pissing off the Lunatic from Lake Lucille during her Sean Hannity interview.

(P.S. Here is Shailey's post containing this new information.)

Shailey Tripp gets her belongings back from the APD. Well MOST of her belongings anyhow!

I accompanied Shailey's mom to the police station here in town yesterday to finally retrieve the items seized in her prostitution case from the police evidence room.

We entered the police station and presented the paperwork that Shailey had given her mother, and about twenty minutes later they came out with a clear plastic bag full of evidence bags that were sealed with police tape, and a box sealed in a similar manner. You can see them pictured below.

However there WERE some items that were not given back to Shailey, including one of her cell phones, despite the fact that the prosecutor told her that there was NO reason why they should not be returned. So Shailey's attorney is going to be filing some papers in the next few days to force the police to release the rest of her belongings.

However Shailey's mom (Who is a darling woman by the way.) has mailed the items you see pictured above to Shailey's attorney and they should be there sometime tomorrow. So fairly soon we should be hearing some very specific bits of information from Shailey on her blog. (She told me that some of the REALLY sensitive info was included in the returned items, so she already has access to some very explosive proof.)

By the way for those who are constantly calling Shailey's story in to question, I want you to know that I have done some checking around, and that it is EXTRAORDINARILY unusual for the police to withhold evidence that has been released by the prosecutor. 

Essentially this is simply never done, therefore it does not exactly take a Sherlock Holmes to understand that the police are doing this to protect themselves, or on the orders of somebody who is NOT associated with the prosecutors office.

Stay tuned.

The return of Shailey Tripp.

This was posted on Shailey's blog Wednesday:

For over a month now I have wanted to address the issue of my arrest paperwork and the Anchorage Police Department’s official statement to the National Enquirer regarding the article from the NE on the subject matter that I was Todd Palin’s mistress/prostitute. Specifically I want to go into detail about each point they made in their statement.

The Shailey proceeds to do exactly that.


There is much more happening behind the scenes which must stay behind the scenes for now.  But trust me, just as soon as all of the loose ends are tied up we will be hearing MUCH more from Shailey.


Should be very explosive indeed.

Anchorage Police Department admits there were misstatements in press release concerning Todd Palin and prostitution bust.

Dave Parker APD Spokesman

Malia Litman has received a response from Dave Parker the APD spokesman behind the release, and here is part of what he had to say:

Officer Parker confirmed that no attempt was made by him, and to his knowledge, by anyone with the Anchorage Police Department, to check the computer records or cell phone records of either Kashawn Thomas or Shailey Tripp. Thus he confirmed that the names of many people could be on the computer or cell phones seized, but he would not know about that. Thus if Todd Palin’s name appeared on the cell phone or lap top of Shailey Tripp, Officer Parker was not in a position to confirm or deny that. He did say that “Rabid” anti-Palin people might try to “conjur” something up. He did confirm that the cell phones and computer would be returned when both cases are closed, and that there would be no reason for any phone numbers or names to have been deleted.

Malia also learns that the person who called the APD asking for the press release from them was none other than Tomas Van Flein. I guess working as Rep. Paul Gosar's Chief of Staff in Arizona gives him plenty of time to harass the Anchorage police on behalf of the Palins. I guess he is still not far enough away that he doesn't have to jump when Sarah tells him to.
There is much more to this story so please head on over to Malia Litman's Blog to find out all of the juicy details.

Did the Anchorage Police Department spokesman purposefully provide misinformation to cover for Todd Palin's possible connection to Shailey Tripp?

After the National Enquirer story came out APD spokesman Dave Parker released a statement (Which did NOT show up on the official APD website) refuting much of the allegations made by NE, and of course the bloggers.

However it appears that the documentation I recently received does not exactly support Parker's assertions;

Here is what the APD spokesman said:

Shailey Tripp Investigation APD #10-1823

The Anchorage Police Department investigation and arrest of Shailey Tripp has recently been mischaracterized in internet blogs and in a National Enquirer article. Several errors regarding the investigation and arrest were reported in the Enquirer article (printed and internet versions):

*None of the physical evidence examined by police showed any connection to Wasilla resident Todd Palin and his name did not appear in any of the records seized by APD.

*The investigation of the prostitution operation was initiated by Anchorage Police Department’s Vice Unit responding to internet advertisements, not through information developed from any tips or other persons.

*No rolodex was seized and taken into evidence.

*The National Enquirer has not contacted Anchorage Police Department Public Affairs Unit to fact check its story so their reported “call to Anchorage Police Department” could not have been returned.

*“Bloggers” have had no access to the evidence seized so their linking of evidence in police custody to any other person is incorrect.

Okay so we have this "official" statement from Dave Parker concerning the incident saying that the NE and the bloggers have the whole story wrong.

So I checked that against he documentation that I have in my possession and found some very interesting contradictions. 

This is part of the affidavit from investigating officer David Burns. (The important part starts at "Facts and Circumstances" section.)

According to Dave Parker the investigation was prompted by advertisements on Craiglist, NOT "information developed from any tips or other persons." However right there in the "Facts and Circumstances" section for Case "10-3948, it says that the investigation was the result of a tip from a William Fortier. 

Why would the spokesman have provided misinformation about this?  And if THIS is not a truthful statement, what else might turn out to be false?  Here is the rest of the "Facts and Circumstances" portion of the affidavit.

 

 "Tia" by the way is the name that Shailey Tripps was using in the advertisements posted on Craigslist. So as you can see the appointment was originally set up with "Tia" AKA Shailey Tripp, but she had a last minute scheduling conflict and was not there.  So Kashawn Thomas took the appointment instead.

So as you can see after the arrest of Kashawn Thomas a request was made for a search warrant.  That was granted and the items seized are listed below.

Now as you have read in the statement released by Dave Parker "No Rolodex was seized and taken into evidence."  As I mentioned in an earlier post that appears to be a little trick with semantics because in fact among the evidence seized was a "receipt book" and a "date book" from the office cabinet, a "notebook" found in the office, and a "ledger" found on top of the desk.

In my mind there is probably a hell of a lot more information contained in those four items than might have been found in a simple Rolodex.  So once again the statement by Dave Parker may be factually accurate, but also extremely misleading.  Which beggars the question as to WHY the APD spokesman felt the need to confuse the issue with a statement that could be proven false, or at the very least misleading, with a little investigation?

And speaking of misleading Dave Parker also stated that "The National Enquirer has not contacted Anchorage Police Department Public Affairs Unit to fact check its story so their reported “call to Anchorage Police Department” could not have been returned."

Well guess what?  I talked to my contact at NE and I was told that of course the Enquirer did NOT attempt to call the APD spokesperson, why would they?  However they DID attempt to contact the vice cops who were involved with the investigation and made the arrests.  To my knowledge that phone call was never returned.

So now the question remains as to what compelled this APD spokesman to come out and provide cover for Todd Palin, and give Sister Sarah the ammunition she needed to dismiss the whole story? Does the Anchorage Police Department work for the citizens of Anchorage, or are their loyalties with the disgraced Governor who quit halfway through her term?

Well they sure as hell better get their stories straight because I have it on good authority that they are going to soon have a lot more to worry about then just a local blogger asking questions of them.

Before I publish this post I thought I would take a moment to address another potential misstatement by the APD spokesman.

Dave Parker said "None of the physical evidence examined by police showed any connection to Wasilla resident Todd Palin and his name did not appear in any of the records seized by APD." However you may have noticed that among the items seized during the search of the premises were two cell phones.  One belonged to Kashawn Thomas, and one to Shailey Tripp.

That made me curious so I contacted Shailey and asked the obvious question: "Is Todd Palin's number on the cell phone that is still in police custody?"

This was her official response to that question: "I can not comment on that at this time."

As you can imagine there is much more to come, we are really just getting started in fact, so there is plenty of time to run to the grocery store for more popcorn.  Believe me, you are going to need it.

APD Spokesperson Dave Parker confirms that the report about Todd Palin not being connected to prostitution arrest of Shailey Tripp IS from them.

We called the APD and according to Dave Parker, APD spokesperson, the statement put out to the  National Enquirer and TMZ was indeed written by them. (For some reason THIS statement is not available on the APD website as is the custom, and you can ONLY get confirmation by calling Parker directly. Things that make you go Hmmm.)

Now the only question remaining is WHY they would make a public statement about a story in the tabloids and on the internet which is usually NOT the policy of law enforcement in Alaska? (You know, when it doesn't involve the Palin of course.)

However it does appear that Officer Parker is not exactly neutral in his opinion  of Sarah Palin, for whatever THAT is worth.  Check out this statement he made for the New York Daily News:

In explaining the bombshell allegations, Parker said some in Anchorage were just "rabidly anti-Palin," adding "they will do anything to destroy the platform Sarah Palin is standing on."

If it sounds like a Palin-bot, and acts like a Palin-bot.....