Wasilla City Records are Incomplete (gone from pre-FY 2000)

I got this from Wasilla's City Clerk in response to my request for info on the subject:

The Finance Department searched all financial records on our system for fiscal year 2000, 2001 and 2002. There are no records of billings to or collections from rape victims or their insurance companies in our system. The financial computer system goes back to the beginning of fiscal year 2000, and accounts receivable backup documentation goes back six (6) years per our records retention schedule.

A review of files and case reports within the Wasilla Police Department has found no record of sexual assault victims being billed for forensic exams. State law AS 18.68.040, which was effective August 12, 2000, would have prohibited any such billings after that date.



Statistics for sexual assaults reported can be found in the police section of the City of Wasilla website.



If you need anything further please submit a public records request which you may access at www.cityofwasilla.com.

Two reasons for this:

A) It didn't happen after July 1st 1999 (which seems to be the latest data they have)

B) The billing was done by the hospital at the urging of the police department; this was hinted at in either some articles or in the legislative hearings on Eric Croft's bill.

If so, that was a smart way to cover their tracks; it's going to be nearly impossible, if not impossible, to get hospital billing information, even if, as part of a police department investigation, it SHOULD be a matter of public record.

Thank heavens the McCain campaign gave us this new line of inquiry.

New York Times: Wasilla Rape Kit Story "On the Radar"

I'd written to the New York Times yesterday wondering if they were ever planning to cover the Palin rape kit story.

I just received a response:

It's on the radar, yeah. Thanks for writing.

Hopefully this means that the Times has people on the ground in Alaska investigating, or will soon.

Sarah Palin's Lawyers: Monegan Fired for Seeking Money for Sexual Assault Victims

It seems I spoke too soon about having hit a dead end. Sarah Palin's lawyers are actually claiming that Walt Monegan was fired for being too pro-assault victim for her taste.

To that end, the campaign released a series of e-mails detailing the frustration several Palin administration officials experienced in dealing with Monegan. The "last straw," the campaign said, was a trip Monegan planned to Washington in July to seek federal money for investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases.
In a July 7 e-mail, John Katz, the governor's special counsel, noted two problems with the trip: the governor hadn't agreed the money should be sought, and the request "is out of sequence with our other appropriations requests and could put a strain on the evolving relationship between the Governor and Sen. Stevens."

I'm not sure how this can be seen as anything other than a confirmation that Governor Palin was fine with billing rape victims for their rape kits.

Perhaps that's the real reason that she fired Irl Stambaugh. His budget priorities were too supportive of assault victims for her taste.

I'm mulling over whether to call Walt Monegan now and ask him about this trip. While he's probably being inundated, I doubt most people are looking at it from my angle.

My Investigation Into Wasilla's Rape Kit Controversy Not Making Progress

Yeah, I'm stuck for now. Mainly because so few of the dozens of people I've asked for information have responded.

I haven't gotten anything good since I learned Charles Fannon now lives a hermit's existence in remote Alaska.

From his son via e-mail

My father lives remotely with no access to phone, electric, or Internet. I'm sure if you were a clever man you could find all the answers you are looking for in the public record system. Wasilla has been very good about displaying an open honest government. The public record should speak for its self.

I wish someone would get back to me.