by D. Cupples | Fifty-two former state Attorneys General (including Republicans) asked Congress to investigate the questionable prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. In October, Time Magazine published an in-depth story about it. Yesterday, CBS aired its 60 Minutes story.
CBS's opening question: "Is Don Siegelman in prison because he’s a criminal or because he belonged to the wrong political party in Alabama?"
It's a frightening thought: if the Justice Department would go after a well-connected former governor for political reasons, what's to stop it from going after ordinary citizens (and bloggers)?
According to Harpers, the show was blocked (yes, censored) in part of Alabama. If you missed it, you can see CBS's 14-minute video below or read the transcript. A few highlight, comments, and email addresses below.
Quotes from fex-Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods (Republican):
“I haven't seen a case with this many red flags on it that pointed towards a real injustice being done....”
“I personally believe that what happened here is that they targeted Don Siegelman because they could not beat him fair and square. This was a Republican state and he was the one Democrat they could never get rid of....”
[About the Justice Department case against Siegelman re: an alleged Medicaid scam]:
“He’s indicted. He goes to trial. That's a pretty big deal to have your former governor on trial. Everybody's there. The government gives their opening argument. The judge says, ‘I want to see you in chambers because this case, there's no case here....’ The case is so lame that he throws it out.”
Quotes from CBS Story (by Scott Pelley)
"Now a Republican lawyer from Alabama, Jill Simpson, has come forward to claim that the Siegelman prosecution was part of a five-year secret campaign to ruin the governor. Simpson told 60 Minutes she did what’s called “opposition research” for the Republican party. She says during a meeting in 2001, Karl Rove, President Bush’s senior political advisor, asked her to try to catch Siegelman cheating on his wife.
"'Karl Rove asked you to take pictures of Siegelman?' Pelley asks.
"'Yes,' Simpson replies.
"'In a compromising, sexual position with one of his aides,' Pelley clarifies.
"'Yes, if I could,' Simpson says.
"She says she spied on Siegelman for months but saw nothing. Even though she was working as a Republican campaign operative, Simpson says she wanted to talk to 60 Minutes because Siegelman’s prison sentence bothers her conscience....
"Jill Simpson says she heard the Justice Department was going to try again. She says she heard it from a former classmate and work associate Rob Riley, the son of the new Republican governor.
“'Rob said that they had gotten wind that Don was going to run again,' she says.
“'And Rob Riley said what about that?' Pelley asks.
“'They just couldn't have that happen,' Simpson says.
"Asked how they were going to prevent that from happening, she says, 'Well, they had to re-indict him, is what Rob said.'
"Simpson told this same story, under oath, to Congressional investigators in a closed session. Rob Riley told 60 Minutes he never talked to Jill Simpson about this.
"Four months after Simpson says they spoke, Siegelman was indicted on new charges."
UPDATE:
Comments from Law Professor Scott Horton
"The most significant of these was the disclosure that prosecutors pushed the case forward and secured a conviction relying on evidence that they knew or should have know was false, and that they failed to turnover potentially exculpatory evidence to defense counsel.
"The accusation was dramatically reinforced by the Justice Department’s failure to offer a denial. It delivered a fairly elaborate version of a “no comment....” (Harpers)
Incidentally, yesterday was Gov. Siegelman's 62nd birthday, which he spent in a federal prison in Louisiana.
Though Congress is investigating the Siegelman prosecution, it couldn't hurt to email your congressman and senator -- and the chairs of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees -- and let them know that you support their investigative efforts.
John Conyers, House Jud: [email protected]
Patrick Leahy, Senate Jud: [email protected]
Find your House Member's email here.
Find your Senator's email here.
See Memeorandum for other bloggers' reactions: At-Largely, Politics Plus and Prairie Weather.
Related BN-Politics Posts:
* Justice Department: Weapon against Political Enemies?
* Stories to Come about Selective Prosecution of Siegelman
* How Just is our Justice Department? Ask ex-USA Charlton
* DoJ's Schlozman Alters Testimony re: Election-Related Prosecution
* Fired U.S. Attorney Scandal Overview
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this is total bullshit...you should do a more balanced presentation if you have any integrity...alabama's governor was convicted on multiple counts by a jury and anybody who knew the man was aware that he had one of the most corrupt political records of any alabama politician...and that's saying a lot...
Posted by: henry butler | February 25, 2008 at 01:44 AM
Thanks for alerting us all to this story earlier. There's much more on Scott Horton's "No Comment" blog at Harpers about it last night.
He also points out that the Bass family blocked airing the 60 Minutes piece, pulling it from their northern Alabama stations.
Posted by: billkav | February 25, 2008 at 05:48 AM
Thanks for the link. I didn't get to watch it on TV last night.
Posted by: toni in florida | February 25, 2008 at 07:26 AM
Henry Butler,
You seem insulted, and I don't understand why. If I erred, please point out how.
Which facts did CBS (or I) miss?
Posted by: Buck Naked Politics | February 25, 2008 at 07:31 AM
BIll, Who is the Bass family?
Toni, you're welcome.
Posted by: Buck Naked Politics | February 25, 2008 at 07:50 AM
“60 Minutes Done A Great Job”
The Bush’s elete group of corrupt GOP’ers are scared to death that Don Siegelman may be on the streets before the election. Slick Bob is so nervous that he is combing his hair and spraying his mouth and under arms every five minutes for two reasons: He’s hoping that the next president will be John McCain a republican and that Riley will be asked to be McCain's running mate. If the next president is a Democrat he/she will probally appoint new U.S. Attorneys in Alabama. Riley along with most of the top GOP operatives could get Federal charges filed against them for taking millions of dollars from Michael Scanlon and Jack Abramoff. This money was used to defeat Siegelman's lottery and for Riley's two campaigns for governor.
Posted by: T andress | February 25, 2008 at 06:34 PM
T Andress, I did not know about the connection between Riley and Abramoff/Delay. thanks for pointing it out.
Posted by: D. Cupples | February 25, 2008 at 07:10 PM