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Don Siegelman, Alabama Governor, Roved by Politicized US Attorneys

by Cho

Mon Jul 16, 2007 at 11:47:47 AM EST

Dr. Shields' study on the politicization of U.S. Department of Justice investigations into elected office holders corruption includes, of course, the bribery case and subsequent conviction of Don Siegelman, Governor of Alabama, who -- years prior to the bribery brouhaha -- was edged out in 2002 by a mysterious late night flipping of 6000 votes in Baldwin County.

Old news, but worth a recap given the fresh insights around the U.S. Attorney purges and the subsequent revelations of the Bush Administration's reshaping the Department of Justice into a wing of the Republican party. From Wikipedia:

On the night of the 2002 election, in which Siegelman ran as the incumbent against Republican Bob Riley, a computer error was reported by election officials in Baldwin County. A post-midnight recount was conducted which gave Riley the victory in that county and made the difference in the statewide result. The legality of the recount, which was conducted without the participation of Democratic observers, was challenged. Then-Attorney General Bill Pryor ruled that the recount would stand and his interpretation was upheld by state courts.

The Department of Justice did not intercede.

commentary :: :: :: buzz-it!

As Scott Horton in his July 13: Noel Hillman and the Siegelman Case No Comment puts it:

That left the Justice Department in Washington, which had a long and highly respected record of intervention in the Deep South when questions of voting fraud have arisen. This record, however, came to an abrupt end in 2001. The Justice Department official responsible for a question of voting fraud which directly involved the conduct of voting officials—as was the case in the Bay Minette incident—was Noel Hillman. Hillman should have looked at the case and acted upon it. However, Hillman did nothing.

Subsequently, as the Shields' study reminds us, Siegelman became the target of a U.S. Attorney investigation into bribery, an investigation conveniently timed to knock Siegleman out of contention for a renewed run for the Governorship. With the many subsequent revelations of the Rovian way of doing politics, the pattern of investigating Democratic candidates has surfaced.

Today, in his Harpers Magazine No Comment entry, Scott Horton continues his excellence coverage by editorializing about the 44 principled individuals dedicated to righting what they see as an egregious wrong:J'Accuse:

Today forty-four attorneys general from forty of the fifty states of the Union petition the United States Congress demanding a formal inquiry into the prosecution of Don Siegelman, the former Governor of Alabama, who was falsely charged, tried and convicted in federal court proceedings in Alabama. These proceedings constitute an indelible stain on the reputation of our nation for justice, which cannot be purged until they are set aside and those who committed these crimes mockingly in the name of justice are held to account for their misconduct.

(hattip to Regroce over on buzzflash for spotting this.)

Horton has written about the Siegelman case several times recently:

In an age where Libby can have his sentence commuted, all of us must work to reestablish Americans' trust in the Department of Justice. In recent years, our prison population has doubled from 1.1 million to somewhere over 2.0 million. Accordingly, Americans need to have faith in the Judicial system. Ironically, according to Horton, Noel Hillman, one of the four judges involved in the Siegelman case:

Hillman is also one of four sitting federal judges who have played roles in connection with the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. The quartet consists of U.W. Clemons, a judge in Birmingham who dismissed the first proceedings against Siegelman with prejudice and went out of his way to suggest he suspected inappropriate conduct on the part of prosecutors. Clemons is the only Democratic appointee among the judges. And, as the case unfolds, I firmly believe that all of Clemons’ suspicions will be fully validated.
The balance are not only Republicans—they were all appointed by George W. Bush. Moreover, Karl Rove is suspected of having played a role in each appointment.

Don Siegelman, Alabama Governor, Roved by Politicized US Attorneys | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 hidden)

Siegelman's Law (5.00 / 3) (#1)

Obviously his defense attorneys assumed they were dealing with a legitimate justice system (wrong), proceeded as if the rules of law applied (wrong), and honestly believe they'll get a fair hearing on appeal (wrong).

Good people with good intentions are exactly what the Rovian Mongrel Horde counts on to remain in power. The last honest person has left Alabama. Turn out the lights.

by rba on Mon Jul 16, 2007 at 02:54:17 PM EST

Even should Americans be able to rid (5.00 / 2) (#2)

the Rovers from office, ultimately (don't forget, there're still circumstances which could require the imposition of martial law!), the fact that their operatives have been embedded into the Federal IT infrastructure for nearly a decade by the time 2008 rolls around suggests that incoming election winners and appointees may have to approach their computers as some did Vietnam.

It may be necessary to burn down what they arrive to liberate in order to ensure they're dealing with a 'legitimate IT system'.

by luaptifer on Mon Jul 16, 2007 at 06:29:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

What ever happened with the (5.00 / 1) (#3)

investigation? And why aren't you all writing more about this?

by avahome on Mon Jul 16, 2007 at 06:49:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

: I'm cooking up one of your downhome Houston (5.00 / 1) (#4)

favorites, fried Enron! It maybe burned coming out of the oven, but you're going to eat it whether you like it or not!
;-)

by luaptifer on Mon Jul 16, 2007 at 07:19:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

And not to forget the important stuff (none / 0) (#5)

in the Time Magazine article about the "girls':

According to Simpson's statement, William Canary, a senior G.O.P. political operative and Riley adviser who was on the conference call, said "not to worry about Don Siegelman" because "'his girls' would take care of" the governor. Canary then made clear that "his girls" was a reference to his wife, Leura Canary, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, and Alice Martin, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.

by Cho on Mon Jul 16, 2007 at 07:58:53 PM EST

: Bob Riley.......... (5.00 / 1) (#6)

Is he worth looking at? Who is this man, and why was it so important to put him in place?

by avahome on Tue Jul 17, 2007 at 09:28:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

GOP Lawyer Deposed on Alabama Case (none / 0) (#7)

Some movement..........Jill Simpson -sworn testimony-House Judiciary Committee
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-cong/2007/sep/15/091508040.html
Excerpt:

In an affidavit made public in May, Simpson said she heard a Republican operative during a 2002 telephone conference call say he had spoken with Rove, referred to in the document as "Karl," and had been assured the Justice Department was pursuing Siegelman.
As part of a broader investigation into political influence at the Justice Department, the Judiciary Committee recently asked the department to turn over its documents involving the case. More than forty former state attorneys general also have asked Congress to investigate.
In a letter to the committee last week, the Justice Department said it has not found any communications regarding Siegelman with the White House, members of Congress, or political party officials. The department denied the committee's request for internal documents, however, saying an appeal is pending in the case and that releasing internal communications about prosecutorial decisions would undermine the legal system.
The department - and the career prosecutors who handled the case - have insisted that politics played no role in the decisions to pursue the prosecution and have emphasized that he was convicted by a jury.
A Judiciary Committee spokeswoman said it could be weeks before the parties involved decide whether to release a transcript of Friday's interview, conducted by Democratic and Republican attorneys for the committee. (my emphasis added)

Oh to have been a fly on the wall.....can you just imagine sitting thru 4 hours of testimony? 4 hours..hmmmmmm I sure hope the transcript of this testimony is released before I am a real real old lady!

by avahome on Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 10:40:28 AM EST

2003 Affidavit Raises Serious Questions About (none / 0) (#8)

Siegelman's judge...........what? Read this and weep... Judge Mark Fuller appears to be dirty.

http://harpers.org/archive/2007/10/hbc-90001430

by avahome on Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 09:25:20 AM EST

Don Siegelman, Alabama Governor, Roved by Politicized US Attorneys | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 hidden)

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