Here's some background on the lawsuits HERE.
The Palin sqaud is zeroing in on Democratic Sens. Hollis French, Kim Elton and investigator Stephen Branchflower. Both senators are ardent Obama supporters.
Elton, as chaiman of Alaska's Legislative Council, is overseeing the investigation. He turned down Republican requests last week to replace French as the investigation's "Project Director." The GOP wanted French replaced because they said he showed bias when he "prejudged" the investigation by telling media he believed it would culminate in an "October suprise."
As Project Director, French handpicked Branchflower to lead the inquiry. During a hearing last Friday, the "independent" investigator Branchflower admitted he had ceded control of his subpoena list to French.
"There is no reason to trust Branchflower," McCain-Palin Spokesman Ed O’Callaghan said on the call.
The two lawsuits introduced today against Branchflower were brought on separately. One is led by a group of Alaskan residents who believe his $100,000 inquiry represents an abuse of their tax dollars. The other is being brought by five Republican lawmakers who called Branchflower’s tactics “McCarthyistic.”
Both suits were filed at the Third Judicial District in Anchorage.
A summons was issued to Branchflower for the citizens lawsuit, requiring him to deliver a written response to their complaint within 20 days---a date will surely interfere with his investigation.
Branchflower has said he expects to release the final results of his report to determine if Governor Palin abused her power in firing her political appointee Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan before the November elections.