Former Alabama Governor Siegelman Sought for Capitol Hill Testimony

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: NYT/AP

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House Judiciary Committee has asked the Justice Department to temporarily release former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman from prison to testify before Congress in early May about possible political influence over his prosecution.

A spokeswoman for the committee said Thursday that Siegelman, who is serving more than seven years in a Louisiana prison, would travel to Washington under guard of the U.S. Marshals Service. She said Committee Chairman John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, wants to hear directly from Siegelman because lawmakers are having trouble getting information elsewhere, including from the Justice Department.

Siegelman, a Democrat, was elected governor in 1998 and served one term. He was convicted in 2006 on six bribery-related and one obstruction of justice charge. Democrats last year began reviewing the case as part of a broader investigation of what they said were selective prosecutions by the Bush administration.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Siegelman-Democrats.html

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. Awesome!

Siegelman may get justice yet!

K&R

[DeepModem Mom]

3. This is such heartening news!!! nt

[L. Coyote]

53. Even Bettter News: Siegelman to be released from prison during Appeal.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3245262

[DeepModem Mom]

56. THANK YOU, L.!!! nt

[OwnedByFerrets]

2. They cant let him out of his cage....

because he is such a threat to society.:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[kestrel91316]

4. "Sought": makes it seem like he's on the lam and they need to find him.....

Shouldn't be tough - he's in jail.

[Kelvin Mace]

5. Don't ask

issue a goddamned subpoena! Then the Dept. of Corrections must produce him.

This is why we keep losing against the GOP.

[SpiralHawk]

6. "Bring him on." - Americans Concerned about Republicon Totalitarianism (ACRT)

The k and the r.

[ooglymoogly]

7. I hope this truly plays out and we learn more of the vicious methods of the pugs

and is not just political capitol to barter with.

[Deny and Shred]

8. After the request is denied, they could have his lawyers appear.

[Kolesar]

23. and not involve the bush Justice Department or the prison(s)

K&R

[ooglymoogly]

9. KR for visibility

[ooglymoogly]

10. Seiglman was an obvious frame job by the thugs...nt

[SleeplessinSoCal]

11. Hallelujah!!!!

[BonnieJW]

12. This is what happens

when the press does its job.

[Lasher]

13. If I were president, the very first thing I would do is pardon this man.

Just as soon as I were sworn in, right there at the podium, I would have the papers ready to sign.

[Judi Lynn]

14. Good luck to Gov. Siegelman getting to Washington alive! I'm afraid he could be very easily

a victim of an "accident" or a sudden "heart attack," or even be found having committed suicide in his cell.

I truly don't expect them to just let him go there to testify without first throwing up roadblocks, then doing something worse. You recall, after he was sentenced, they threw him IMMEDIATELY in the slammer, without allowing him the customary grace period to get his affairs in order. They did NOT want him talking to anyone, and they haven't really given him much opportunity to talk to people after getting there.

Gotta cross those fingers and hope this man makes it to Congress to get the chance to testify. Things are not going to be right unless this happens.

Don't think the ones who put him there will be happy to allow this to happen without putting up a fight.

[DeepModem Mom]

17. Thanks for your post, Judi Lynn -- fingers crossed! nt

[colonel odis]

18. couldn't agree more. if he makes it there alive, it'll be a miracle.

[blm]

20. I hate to say..... but you posted exactly my first thought when I read this.

.

[TomInTib]

25. His attorneys had better insist on a commercial flight.

Hell, I wouldn't even get in a car if I was him.

[Zodiak]

31. Mine as well

horrible when this is our FIRST thought, is it not?

[rainy]

45. mine too. What a shame! nt

[fascisthunter]

21. Well... they Did Assasinate Two Other Democratic Presidents

[Zodiak]

32. Who was the second one?

JFK was the first

Who was the second assassinated American President that you refer to?

[fascisthunter]

36. RFK

[Zodiak]

55. Not a President

but I get your meaning, now, because he was on his way.

[ekwhite]

58. Let's see...

There was Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy. That's all I can remember.

[Uncle Joe]

28. That's what I was thinking as well.

With this "Justice" Dept., there's just no telling.

[Usrename]

54. Yep, say a prayer for his safety.

I was thinking about what they've done to their other political prisoners. It ain't pretty.

[Doctor_J]

15. How much you wanna bet if he DOES make it to DC, the Cons will demand closed hearings?

No way will Gov siegelman be allowed to speak his piece on CSPAN

[hisownpetard]

16. Thank you, Chairman Conyers!!! I am so happy to hear this news and can't wait for Don Siegelman to

testify about the illegal and outrageous treatment he's received at the hands of the Rethuglicans.

Can't WAIT!!!!

[sce56]

19. K & R! Let us hope he gets there safely and it might be better for Conyers to act quicker before

they hatch a plan to silence him!

[defendandprotect]

22. Greeting the good news with caution as I see others here doing same . . . !!!

[radhika]

24. Concern for his safety!

I share the comments of others, regarding his safety. He is in prison due to the agenda of the Bush Crime Family, and they don't want him to have a national hearing. If he does make it to DC for the hearing, he knows he has to go back into custody of folks who have total control over his situation. Unless he can get bail or house arrest pending resolution of this mess, he is fully at risk.

[truth2power]

26. This is rich...

"Justice and the federal prosecutors who handled the prosecution have denied any political influence, emphasizing that Siegelman was convicted by a jury."

Ummm... Scooter was convicted by a jury, too. But that didn't stop Monkeyman from poking his nose in to reduce his sentence.

This cabal of criminals beggars description! :puke:

[Speciesamused]

38. Exactly what I said when this case first surfaced.

What the may do is cut a deal with him
before he gets there. We will see.
Good to see Conyers listened to all
the letters we sent him. Peace

[Hissyspit]

27. Excelllent.

The pressure is working. Your emails are working, DU.

[Pastiche423]

40. Maybe that's why I haven't received response one

from all of the emails I've sent. They're keeping it on the QT until they get him to a hearing?

Once he's out for the hearing, he should remain out!

[Jack Rabbit]

29. Well, we certainly know where to find him

It will probably take another nine months of bickering between Conyers' staff and White House/DOJ crooks to straighten this out. Then President Obama will appoint a new AG with no interest in protecting the guilty (i.e., the Republican establishment in Alabama, two US Attorneys who weren't fired for misconduct and a crooked federal judge). Those people are going down. Siegelman will be exonerated.

[Mister Ed]

30. My fervent prayer: May those who railroaded Gov. Siegelman be wearing orange jumpsuits soon. n/t

[NM Independent]

33. Oh hell YEAH!!!!!

:woohoo:

Hey Siegelman :yourock:

This should be fun :popcorn:

:evilgrin:

[Lautremont]

34. This could be a great movie, especially if he escapes en route.

The Fugitive meets Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.

[troubleinwinter]

35. They must call attorney Paul Minor and former judges Wes Teel and John Whitfield, too.

Three more Dem. victims of GOP injustice and political prosecution, now wrongly sitting in prison.

Saturday, November 17, 2007
Scary Stuff From Bush Justice Department

The evidence is building that the pathology in the Bush Department of Justice (DOJ) is so deep that politically motivated prosecutions are likely to continue.

White House strategist Karl Rove and Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez have stepped down, apparently in no small part because of their roles in the DOJ scandal, which started with the firings of nine U.S. attorneys. The U.S. House Judiciary Committee has initiated an investigation, focusing on cases of selective prosecution in Alabama (Don Siegelman), Mississippi (Paul Minor), Wisconsin (Georgia Thompson) and Pennsylvania (Cyril Wecht).

Committee chairman, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), has been stonewalled at every turn in his efforts to obtain documents related to the DOJ scandal.

Now we learn that not only are the Bushies artfully stonewalling the investigation, they are continuing on their merry path of prosecuting for reasons of politics, not justice.

Scott Horton, of Harper's, reports today that Dunn Lampton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, is planning a third set of charges against Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz. Lampton initiated the Paul Minor case, and Diaz already has been acquitted on two sets of charges, one involving bribery and mail fraud and the other involving tax evasion.

Lampton, with a huge assist from Republican-appointee judge Henry Wingate, managed to get convictions on Minor and former Mississippi judges Wes Teel and John Whitfield. And we have shown through an extensive series of posts here at Legal Schnauzer, that Minor, Teel, and Whitfield were convicted for crimes they did not commit.

A jury found them guilty only because Wingate unlawfully disallowed expert-witness testimony for the defense and gave incorrect jury instructions on the two key charges--bribery and honest-services mail fraud. Did Wingate do this accidentally? Seems hard to believe, considering that he was up for a spot on the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals at the time. Wingate evidently coveted the post, and convictions in the Minor case were likely to help him with the Bush White House. http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2007/11/scary-stuff-from-bush-justice.html

[Time for change]

37. This is great to hear

[Tempest]

39. 11th District Court is releasing him from prison

On an appeals bond.

[redqueen]

41. Wow...

:wow:

What a wonderful suprirse!

[mconvente]

42. Proud to be rec #50!

His imprisonment is "1984" in 2008, and he needs to be released immediately because he is a political prisoner framed by KKKarl

[Wizard777]

48. That's one rec for each state.

[Road Scholar]

43. Fantastic!!!!!! K&R

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Botany]

44. Great News ... I hope he gets home ASAP

And tells the world about his story ....
after that I hope he sues Karl Rove and company
for millions.

[DFW]

46. I hope he isn't brought to DC in a small private plane during a rainstorm

I seem to remember two guys named Carnahan and Wellstone on their way
to strategic victories that somehow "didn't make it."

And how pathetic is this part?:

She said Committee Chairman John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, wants to hear directly from Siegelman because lawmakers are having trouble getting information elsewhere, including from the Justice Department.

They are bringing Siegelman to DC BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING INFORMATION......
FROM THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT???????????? WHY IS THAT, AND WHY ISN'T THE MEDIA SCREAMING THIS
QUESTION????????????

Did DoJ invoke the Freedom From Information Act or what?

[pacalo]

47. K&R.

[Wizard777]

49. This is one road that isn't leading to Rove.

At least until it's time for him to testify.

[pacalo]

50. He was hired by the most corrupt president ever, yet Mukasey has the gall to say...

"I consider it one of my paramount responsibilities to ensure that the department continues to handle its public corruption investigations and prosecutions in a consistent, nonpartisan and appropriate manner," Mukasey said. "Just as important, though, I also consider it my duty to ensure that the department continues to pursue public corruption wherever we find it."

:rofl:

[trof]

51. The court order:

http://blog.al.com/bn/2008/03/sieg0327080001.pdf

[AikidoSoul]

52. Best news I've heard in a long time

Thank you for posting this.

I'd like to think the tide is turning, but that may be waaay too optimistic.

k & r

[Jennicut]

57. Dan Abrams just said on his show that Siegelman has been released pending appeal

Great news!:)

[L. Coyote]

59. Abrams VIDEO: BREAKING: Don Siegelman Ordered Released from Prison on Appeal

BREAKING: Don Siegelman Ordered Released from Prison on Appeal
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x111306

[Judi Lynn]

64. Thanks for the Abrams video. Good to see these people smiling, finally! n/t

[ClayZ]

60. Whoo Hoooo! K and R

:kick:

[DeeDeeNY]

61. Great news! K&R

[Supersedeas]

62. but our attorney general is opposed to his testimony!?!

[LSK]

63. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let this bring down Jeff Sessions too