Walt Monegan, the state of Alaska's commissioner of public safety, was fired by Gov. Sarah Palin (R).

Monegan was the first Alaska Native to hold the job. He was appointed shortly after Palin was elected in 2006 and doesn't know why he's been let go.

"If the governor was upset with me for one thing or another, it had never been communicated to me," Monegan told The Anchorage Daily News.

A spokesperson for Palin told the paper the governor wants to move the Department of Public Safety in a new direction but wouldn't elaborate. Monegan has sought to reduce high rates of crime against Alaska Natives.

Get the Story:
'Out of the blue,' top cop Monegan gets Palin's axe (The Anchorage Daily News 7/13)
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