Key Palin ethics report awaited

The Palins say Mr Wooten threatened and abused their family

Legislators in Alaska are expected to release a report on Friday on allegations that Sarah Palin abused her power as the state's governor.

Mrs Palin stands accused of firing a safety official for refusing to sack a state trooper who was involved in an acrimonious divorce from her sister.

Mrs Palin, who is John McCain's running mate, denies any improper behaviour.

Thursday saw the state's Supreme Court dismissed an attempt to stop the probe into the case known as "Troopergate".

The row has cast a pall over the Republican presidential campaign.

Injustice?

The investigation into the affair began before Mr McCain selected Mrs Palin as his running mate last month.

Critics say Mrs Palin used her power as governor to settle a personal feud.

Walter Monegan says Mr Wooten did nothing to warrant his dismissal

Several Republican politicians had attempted to have the probe stopped on the grounds that it was politically motivated.

The Republican vice-presidential candidate says she fired Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan in July over a budgetary dispute.

Mr Monegan maintains he was dismissed for resisting pressure from Mrs Palin's husband, Todd, to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten, Mrs Palin's former brother-in-law.

Todd Palin has admitted he did publicise what he called the injustice of a violent trooper keeping his badge.

But he said his wife then told him to drop the matter. Mrs Palin has not given evidence.

Mr Monegan said he simply wanted the truth to be made known.

"The governor did want me to fire [Mr Wooten], and I chose to not," he told the Associated Press.

"He didn't do anything under my watch to result in termination."

Sarah Palin's campaign officials on Thursday issued their own report clearing the Alaska governor of any wrongdoing.

In what the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington describes as a clear attempt to deflect any potential criticism, Mrs Palin's allies claim the issue has been muddled by innuendo, rumour and politics.