Political Prisoner Don Seigelman: Obstruction Of Justice Accusation Unclear = TPM

[L. Coyote]

"Obvious" Obstruction Of Justice Accusation Unclear
By Laura McGann - August 31, 2007
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004041.php

.... obstruction of justice accusation a prosecutor launched at jailed former Gov. Don Siegelman (D-AL).

I.... assistant US attorney Steve Feaga pointing to Siegelman's media campaign of claiming his case was politically motivated? Feaga said Siegelman and his co-defendant ... are "reaching out from their jail cells" trying to sway events. When asked for specifics, Feaga said "it should be obvious to anyone who has been paying attention."

Randall Eliason, a former prosecutor for the US Attorney's office in Washington, DC, told me the obstruction of justice charge is probably not related to Siegelman's PR campaign. Eliason said a prosecutor must show there is a pending proceeding in order to establish obstruction. .....

So what's going on? For now, we're stumped. Faega said this will all become even "more obvious" in the coming months.

==============================
Perhaps, for political prisoners "obstruction" has been redefined as continuing to be political!

[pacalo]

1. This case, which involves Karl Rove, is very interesting to me.

Talk about a string of corruption:

(from A Democracy Now interview with Scott Horton, Columbia Law Professor)

It now looks increasingly like he was a target of a political vendetta that reached into and involved the Department of Justice in a political prosecution. And, in fact, we had a really astonishing development in this case back in May, when a Republican lawyer, Jill Simpson, who had been involved in the electoral campaign of his Republican opponent, Bob Riley, filed an affidavit, in which she described a conversation she had participated in with a man named William Canary. Now, he's a native New Yorker, actually, referred to frequently by Alabamians as “the carpetbagger,” who is a prominent Republican kingmaker in Alabama, the head of the Business Council of Alabama. And he stated in this conversation that he had talked to Karl, and Karl had spoken to the Department of Justice, and they didn't have to worry about Don Siegelman anymore. He was going to be taken care of. And he went on to say, “My girls are going to take care of Siegelman.”

Well, in fact, the US attorney who brought the case against Siegelman is Laura Canary, his wife, and the action was also joined in an earlier phase by Alice Martin, the US attorney in the Northern District of Alabama, a woman, by the way, who is currently under investigation for perjury, who also is very, very close to Canary. So this linked the case directly to Karl Rove and to political motivation. We took -- spent a lot of time looking at Simpson's affidavit, her motivation, and found it was really fully corroborated all across the board.

Amy Goodman asks where was the media on this story?

That's a really interesting question. The Alabama media seems to be -- even today, when this is emerging as one of the biggest issues on the national stage, you wouldn't know that to pick up and read an Alabama newspaper. They are uninterested in it. To them, it was completely mundane political scandal. They, for instance, have not reported about the impartiality issues surrounding Judge Fuller. Not a word of that has appeared in any major Alabama newspaper, so it’s clearly a failure of the independent media down there.

And also, the prosecution throughout this case launched its case using the news media, so there were stories about the grand jury proceedings. Evidence that was produced had appeared in two major newspapers throughout, the Birmingham News and the Mobile Press-Register, which shows a remarkably cozy relationship.

[L. Coyote]

2. Rove and Abramoff, Abramoff and Rove, Abramoff and Reid,

Abramoff and Kark Rove Linked to Prosecution of Ex-Alabama Governor and Campaign Finances
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1023111

[L. Coyote]

9. Listen & Watch LINKS:

Listen to Segment: http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2007/aug/audio/dn20070824.ra&proto=rtsp&start=22:53

Watch 128k stream: http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2007/aug/video/dnB20070824a.rm&proto=rtsp&start=22:53

Watch 256k stream : http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2007/aug/video/dnB20070824a.rm&proto=rtsp&start=22:53

[L. Coyote]

3. kick for visibility

[L. Coyote]

4. kick for visibility

[L. Coyote]

5. Siegelman Lawyer Stumped By Obstruction Charge

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004055.php

Siegelman Lawyer Stumped By Obstruction Charge
By Laura McGann - August 31, 2007, 4:38 PM

When assistant US attorney Steve Feaga tossed a cryptic obstruction of justice accusation at Gov. Don Siegelman (D) earlier this week, what was he talking about?

I spoke with Siegelman's lawyer Vince Kilborn this afternoon. He said he isn't sure what Feaga meant by the obstruction comment, but that prosecutors did approach him about six weeks ago with a reduced-sentence offer if Siegelman cooperated in another case ... Siegelman decided not to testify ... despite the "attractive" prospect of a reduced sentence ... opting not to cooperate with prosecutors is not obstruction of justice. So the mystery continues.

[L. Coyote]

6. Davis Pressing on for Siegelman Review

Davis Pressing on for Siegelman Review
By Laura McGann - August 28, 2007, 2:57 PM
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004023.php

Even though Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is moving on, Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) will still push for a review of former Gov. Don Siegleman's (D-AL) case to investigate whether it was politically motivated, he told the Birmingham News (http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1188289228275290.xml&coll=2):

"That fact that is leaving should not deter Congress from continuing to dig into claims of selective prosecution or abuse of power," Davis said in an interview a few minutes after Gonzales announced his resignation.

Davis and three other members of the House Judiciary Committee have asked the agency to turn over records related to criminal cases brought against three people, including former Gov. Don Siegelman. Those documents have not yet been provided.

"The public still has a right to know just how politicized the Department of Justice became in the course of this presidency," Davis said.

.........................

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. This 'political prisoner' was convicted of corruption charges by a jury

[EFerrari]

11. Looks like a kangaroo court if you read through the material.

:shrug:

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. Apperently the jury though otherwise

Did you sit through the trail and listen to the evidence presented by both sides like they did?

[EFerrari]

19. That's immaterial. Juries make mistakes. That's why

innocent people sit on death row.

[L. Coyote]

20. If the charges are a conspiracy in the first instance, what do you expect!

The jury may have made the correct judgment given what testimony was presented.
The fault can lie in who presents what evidence, of course.

Ironically, the aide who testified to reduce his jail term did not receive a reduced sentence!

[EFerrari]

21. That's a good point, L.

I'm ashamed to say I only heard about this oh so illustrative case very recently.

[L. Coyote]

22. Follow post #2 above for the real Scoop and Poop

[EFerrari]

23. Will do.

:kick:

[L. Coyote]

18. Juries depend on the testimony they are presented. They must act on the case

as presented. The jury verdict in no way absolves those who acted to prosecute this case.

Consider this. Why isn't Riley being prosecuted for the following, receiving $300,000 in campaign donations? In contrast, Don Seigelman acted to benefit the State of Alabama, not his campaign coffers!

PAC Gives $300K to Riley, After Getting $50 Million State Contract

Friday, January 27, 2006
PAC Gives $300K to Riley, After Getting $50 Million State Contract
http://alelections.blogspot.com/2006/01/pac-gives-300k-to-riley-after-getting.html

Eddie Curran at the Mobile Register has a revelatory piece about Bob Riley's re-election fundraising. According to filings with the Sec of State, a PAC called Alabamians for Technology donated $300,000 in December to Riley's re-election campaign.

There doesn't seem to be any speculation that anything illegal took place, but there sure are a lot of unseemly details.

-- The PAC was formed, and largely bankrolled, by executives who benefited from a $50 million state contract.
-- The PAC was formed on Dec 16, 2005 and just three days later gave the $300K to Riley.
-- The PAC had taken $325K which means the $300K given to Riley accounts for over 92% of the PAC's monies.

[Kingofalldems]

15. Thank you for your concern

[Freddie Stubbs]

16. I was not expressing concern, just bringing up a fact. Thank you for your concern

[L. Coyote]

8. "I am the daughter of the former Governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman...."

Don Siegelman: The Case of the Railroaded Governor
Sunday, 02 September 2007
URGENT: My dad has been imprisoned on corruption charges
by Dana Siegelman
http://www.pacificfreepress.com/content/view/1616/81/


I am the daughter of the former Governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman. He was indicted four years ago on corrupt charges brought forth by U.S. prosecutor Leura Canary, wife of his political opponent's campaign manager.

Leura is married to Bill Canary, former partner and long-time friend of Karl Rove. There is evidence linking Karl, Bill, and current governor of Alabama, Bob Riley, to my dad's case (in addition to the obvious connection with Leura Canary).

Few, other than the prosecutors and conspirators, ever thought there would be a conviction.

Last month, my dad was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. I write to you because I believe our current government has perverted democracy, and I desperately need your help to free my dad.

He was convicted of bribery, when the evidence clearly states that he never pocketed a cent, and the man that "bribed" him wanted nothing in return. All of this is horribly wrong, worse than any nightmare I have ever had.

My dad is not only innocent, but respectable in almost every way. He is the only politician in the state of Alabama to have served in all of the highest state offices.

He was in office for more than 25 years before being accused of criminal activity. He reached a level that threatened the superiority of Republicans in the South. It is incredible to think that our government spends millions prosecuting political opponents for the mere hope of eliminating competition.

I need your help in exposing this grave injustice, along with the many others committed by our current justice system. Those behind these injustices must be stopped. I am begging you, as a fellow activist for democracy, to help me free my dad by pursuing justice.

[L. Coyote]

10. HARPER'S: The Inside Track to Contracts in Alabama

The Inside Track to Contracts in Alabama
BY Scott Horton - September 3, 2007
http://harpers.org/archive/2007/09/hbc-90001109

For the last several weeks I’ve had some data on a very curious contract award made by the administration of Alabama Governor Bob Riley. I held off doing anything with it, and wondered: will the Alabama media pursue this story? Or is it completely dead? And it turns out that there are some vital life signs down in the Heart of Dixie.

The case involves a $3.7 million computer contract awarded a little more than a week ago to ACS Heritage, a part of Texas-based Affiliated Computer Services. ACS is a big player—a Fortune 500 company with some 58,000 employees. The curious thing is that the ACS bid was not the lowest bid by a very long shot; it was $500,000 more than the next bid. However, ACS had a decisive edge over its competitors: it hired Governor Riley’s former chief of staff, Toby Roth of Capitol Resources LLC.

State officials explain that there were factors other than just the price .....

[L. Coyote]

12. The Jupiter, Reborn

The Jupiter, Reborn
BY Scott Horton September 1, 2007
http://harpers.org/archive/2007/09/hbc-90001081

An attentive reader who followed my piece on the Mobile Press-Register from Thursday, which contains a few mocking asides that I imprudently failed to suppress, writes and asks: “You’re quoting Trollope’s Warden, right?”

Exposed again. Yes. I found when I started reading these pieces in the Press-Register and the Birmingham News that the parallels to Anthony Trollope’s Barsetshire novels can’t be escaped.

Septimus Harding

One of the central characters there, a simple man

.........

In the Siegelman case, what is the insidious evil that launches the stout-hearted assaults of the new Jupiter down on Mobile Bay? Siegelman proposed an effort to raise funds to build up Alabama’s lagging education system through the introduction of a lottery. A foundation which was established with Siegelman’s guarantee to push this proposition received money from HealthSouth’s Richard Scrushy (a Republican who had of course given vastly more money to Republican causes and had been appointed to positions by them, but those are facts to be rigorously suppressed since they don’t fit well into the fairy tale that was to be spun). No personal benefit of any sort flowed to Siegelman. It was part of an effort to propel a controversial, but benevolent initiative.

Yet in the hands of artful scandal-mongers joined by political hacks masquerading as officers of justice, this is turned into something insidious and evil, and peddled that way to an unsuspecting populace. The whole exercise ultimately produced a seriously misguided conviction. The Jupiter is not dead. The Jupiter lives on, dragging down the standards and reputations of newspapers everywhere.

[L. Coyote]

13. Siegelman asks to be released from prison during appeal = AUGUST 12, 2007

Siegelman asks to be released from prison during appeal
By Bob Johnson, AP - AUGUST 12, 2007
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/070812/prison.shtml

MONTGOMERY — Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman has asked a federal appeals court to order his release from prison while his conviction is being appealed.

Siegelman's attorneys filed an 80-page motion Friday with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asking that the former governor be released on bond while the court's judges consider his appeal.

The motion outlines issues Siegelman expects to argue in his appeal and says he has a good chance of having his conviction reversed.

Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy were convicted last year of bribery and other charges in a government corruption case.

Siegelman and Scrushy were sentenced on June 28 and immediately taken into custody. ................

[L. Coyote]

14. Judge: 18 months in prison for former Siegelman aide Nick Bailey

Offering testimony and cooperation for a reduced sentence "Ain't what it used to be."

=====================
Judge: 18 months in prison for former Siegelman aide Nick Bailey
By JAY REEVES AP - August 29, 2007
http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/082907/D8RAQ9PG5.shtml


MONTGOMERY, Ala. - A judge refused to cut the 1 1/2-year prison term Wednesday for a former Statehouse aide who pleaded guilty to corruption charges, despite pleas from prosecutors recommending leniency for a key witness against former Gov. Don Siegelman.

U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller said Nick Bailey deserved to serve time because of the "depth and breadth" of his crimes.

Federal prosecutors and Bailey's defense attorney both asked that the sentence be reduced.

Lawyers said Bailey would serve about 15 months if he behaves while in custody and gets credit under so-called "good time" laws.

Bailey - who provided key testimony during the trial that resulted in convictions and prison terms for Siegelman and ousted HealthSouth Corp. CEO Richard Scrushy - had hoped to remain free as a reward for helping authorities for more than five years. ....................