Alaska Employment Law

Troopergate has now intersected with Alaska employment law.

The union for Alaska State Troopers has asked that the State to investigate the disclosure of personnel information about Trooper Mike Wooten.  The letter from the Public Safety Employees Association states:

A review of the transcript of the conversation baetween Frank Bailey, Director of Boards and Commssions, Office of the Governor, and AST Lieutenant Rodney Dial indicates that the Governor and her office may have had unauthorized access to Alaska State Trooper Wooten’s personnel records, and improperly disclosed some infrmation from those records to Lieutenant Dial, as well  as  [had unauthorized] access to Trooper Wooten’s confidential Workers Compensation medical records. 

PSEA Executive Director John Cyr’s September 3rd letter to AAG Judy Bockmon in the Department of Law’s Opinions, Appeals & Ethics Section,

requests that you and the Personnel Board open an investigation and inquiry in this matter and make a determination if Frank Bailey, Brad Thompson, Mike Monagle, and/or the Governor, engaged [in] any ethics violations under AS 39.52.120 - Misuse of Official Position and AS 39.52.140 - Improper Use or Disclosure of Information, and/or improperly disclosed Trooper Wooten’s personnel records, under AS 39.25.080. 

The Executive Branch Ethics Act seemingly prohibits disclosure of personnel records made confidential by AS 39.25.080.  AS 39.52.140(b)(”A current or former public officer may not disclose or use, without appropriate authorization, information acquired in the course of official duties that is confidential by law.”) 

MSNBC says that the Palin campaign contends that the information was publicly available.

H/T: MSNBC