ANCHORAGE, Alaska —  The lawyer for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has begun questioning witnesses who potentially could testify against her in a probe of whether she abused her public office by firing the state public safety commissioner.

The Associated Press learned Thursday night that at least two of the potential witnesses were questioned by the attorney for Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee.

The pre-emptive tactic gives the governor a distinct advantage in the controversy because it means that she already knows at the outset the detailed accounts of potential witnesses against her.

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