Man Named in Alleged Sarah Palin Affair

The John McCain camp has threatened legal action against the National Enquirer in recent days for reporting that his running mate, Sarah Palin, had an affair while married to her husband, Todd.

The Enquirer's own anonymous source claims: "Todd discovered the affair and quickly dissolved his friendship and business associations with the guy. Many people in Alaska are talking about the rumour and say Todd swept it under the rug."

The man at the center of the campaign, according to Alaskan Abroad, the blog of an Alaskan journalist, reports that the allegation refers to the time when Palin became mayor of Wasilla in the mid-1990s.

Palin's husband Todd owned a snowmobile dealership with his business partner Brad Hanson. Apparently Hanson, who was also married, and Sarah got on famously; Alaskan Abroad's sources say the two were "flirtatious but never consummated the relationship".

"When Todd found out, he reportedly dissolved the partnership and sold the dealership. Hanson is now a member of the Palmer City Council."

Brad Hanson is currently a city council member in Palmer, Alaska.

The McCain campaign has gone on record as saying the "affair story" is nothing more than a "vicious lie".

"The smearing of the Palin family must end. The allegations contained on the cover of the National Enquirer insinuating that Governor Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false. It is a vicious lie," said McCain Chief Strategiest, Steve Schmidt.

"The efforts of the media and tabloids to destroy this fine and accomplished public servant are a disgrace. The American people will reject it."

The National Enquirer has gained some respect in recent weeks as the media outlet which broke another "extra marital affair" story. This one proved to be true and later confirmed by the target of the story, former Presidential candidate John Edwards.

Palin is at the center of another major scandal that could prove far more damaging. She herself has hired an attorney to try and diffuse the matter aptly titled "Trooper Gate".

An investigation is under way into whether Palin used her office to push for her ex-brother-in-law's firing from the Alaska State Police and whether she ultimately fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan for refusing to sack him.

Mike Wooten was the state trooper and ex-brother-in-law of Palin's. The Alaska Governor has denied any wrongdoing, saying her decision to fire Monegan involved budgetary concerns and moving the department in a new direction. Palin has acknowledged that aides and members of her family repeatedly discussed Wooten with Monegan or members of his department, but she said at no time did she or anyone else acting at her request use her office to press for Wooten's firing.

Before becoming governor, Palin wrote to state investigators in 2005, issuing a series of allegations against Wooten.

In 2006, state investigators found Wooten guilty of "a significant pattern of judgment failures," including using a Taser on his 10-year-old stepson and drinking beer while operating a state trooper vehicle. Wooten was suspended for 10 days as "a last chance to take corrective action."

Another firestorm involves Palin's decision to fly from Texas to Alaska, nearly nine hours, while 8 months pregnant after her water had apparently broke.

This controversy has Gambling911.com readers engaging in a heated discussion over the Republican Vice Presidential nominee‘s judgment.

One angry reader was prompted to comment:

I feel it is detrimental to our nation to have a possible President with such horrible judgment. I agree with Barack Obama that children in Politics are off limits. However, this is not about her daughter, it is about her. Sarah Palin either, 1. Flat out lied to the American people .....or ..... 2. She is irresponsible and naive; unworthy of the 2nd and possibly the highest position in our nation (McCain is 72 ys. old) To go into premature labor and not go to the hospital immediately but give a 30 minute speech then catch an 8 hour flight showcases horrible judgment. With McCain being 72 ys. old, we must ask ourselves; Is this the behavior of a President?