An aide to Gov. Sarah Palin said he acted on his own when he pressed a state official to fire a trooper who had gone through a bitter divorce with Palin's sister.
Frank Bailey told The Associated Press today that there was never any direction from Palin or her husband, Todd, to make the call to the Department of Public Safety.
Palin announced the recent discovery of a taped conversation between Bailey, her director of boards and commissions, who called a Department of Public Safety official. In the conversation, Bailey pressures for the firing of Trooper Mike Wooten.
Bailey says he "can't stress enough" that no one in the Palin family asked him to make the call.
Palin has been under heavy criticism since firing former Department of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.
Monegan has claimed he felt pressured by Palin's family and administration to fire Wooten, who divorced Palin's sister and has had ongoing child custody battles.