So Obama still hasn't pardoned Don Siegelman?

[milestogo]

Siegelman was convicted of accepting a donation that funded a statewide campaign to pass a constitutional amendment that would have created a lottery to fund need-based college scholarships and pre-kindergarten programs. It was never alleged that the governor pocketed a single cent of the $500,000. After the donor made the contribution, as Horton noted, he was appointed to the position of chairman on a board on which he was already serving—the quid pro quo for which Don Siegelman is now serving time.

Siegelman will be released from prison upon completing his sentence in August 2017, his conviction and incarceration an indictment of the federal system of criminal justice. President Obama could belatedly right a grievous wrong by pardoning him and ordering his release, any time between today and January 20.

https://washingtonspectator.org/pardon-siegelman-obama/

WTF is he waiting for?

[Skittles]

1. that would take courage

[elleng]

2. Right. I don't think he's waiting for anything.

Appears to be some 'deep, dark' secret.

[still_one]

6. The pardon should have been done years ago. His sentence will be over in August

He was definite a political prisoner

[elleng]

7. Yes. Amazes me.

[SamKnause]

3. or Leonard Peltier.

[hlthe2b]

5. Yup...

I can't see Peltier hanging on for another Dem in the WH.. He's already served so much more than others for similar (and there were issues with his guilt v innocence to begin with)

[Auntie Bush]

4. I was wondering/hoping Obama would pardon him for years

It was so hard on his wife to visit him. I used to follow the saga, but he hasn't been in the news lately. Seems like the poor guy has been forgotten.

[lucca18]

10. There is a "Free Don Siegelman" page on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/FreeDonSiegelman/?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser

The injustice of this is so sickening.
I do not understand why Obama has not done anything.

[Auntie Bush]

13. Thanks...I'll be sure to check it out.

[NYC Liberal]

8. A pardon carries the imputation of guilt.

[milestogo]

9. He's 70 years old. His career is over.

What does it really matter at this point? Don't you think he'd rather have 9 more months of freedom in his life?

[madville]

11. Why would the President pardon him

when his DOJ and AG's (Holder and Lynch) have been actively fighting to keep Siegelman in prison for his entire two terms in office?

Without a doubt, many laws were broken in the different money-moving schemes cited in the government's case, all revolving around that Bailey character who traded his testimony implicating Siegelman for lighter sentencing on his own convictions. I guess the real question (an almost impossible question because its mostly based on testimony from other people convicted) is what exactly did Governor Siegelman know and when did he know it? The DOJ opinion seems to be that he was guilty and they have feverishly worked for almost 8 years under President Obama to make sure that guilty verdict holds up.

[milestogo]

12. Thanks, I did not know that.

[sarah FAILIN]

14. I never felt like he did anything to be prosecuted over in the first place

Scrushy was on that board for years before anyway and the contribution he made wasn't to siegleman it was to 5 he lottery promotion fund which would've given us an education lottery. Pair that with the fact that the prosecution didn't give him access to all the evidence and the Carl Rove connection with Canary.. I have always thought he was crucified.
Look back to how we treated Gov. Guy Hunt who actually used funds from his inaugural account, 200k, and used it to put marble in his home which is not far from where I live. He got 5 years probation and a 12k fine. Guy Hunt was a republican though... He did his community service filing papers in the same offices he married my aunt and uncle back when he was P.J. of our county. The difference in the 2 prosecutions was daylight and dark.