News from Siegelman

[JDPriestly]

The U.S. Supreme Court vacated the Siegelman judgment last June and ordered the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals to review the case in light of new law regarding honest-services fraud. A three-judge panel from the Eleventh Circuit heard oral arguments in January, and Siegelman expects a ruling in the next two to three weeks. Also pending is a motion for the recusal of trial judge Mark Fuller, a Bush appointee who handled the case in a stunningly corrupt, and pro-prosecution, fashion.

. . . .

Siegelman's No. 1 concern at the moment seems to be the U.S. Justice Department's apparent determination, even under a Democratic president, to obscure the truth about his prosecution. Birmingham lawyer John Aaron filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in February 2006, seeking documents related to the recusal of Leura Canary, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, site of the Siegelman prosecution. With the DOJ stonewalling on the FOIA request, Aaron filed a lawsuit in May 2009, and that case is pending. Discovery has revealed the existence of more than 1,000 documents related to Canary's recusal, and they have not been turned over. (See a summary of the FOIA case below.)

Who is behind the DOJ's efforts to stonewall on the Siegelman case? The former governor points a finger at David Margolis, an associate deputy attorney general and the most senior career employee in the department. "When you ask if the Siegelman case was handled fairly, Margolis has to say yes because he was the one who approved many of the decisions to pursue the case," Siegelman says. "As long as he's addressing questions about my case, I'll never get a fair shake because he was involved from the outset.

http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2011/04/siegelman-case-ten-years-of-injustice.html

[sabrina 1]

1. There has never been a more obvious political prosecution than

this, nor more evidence of corruption by the judge on this case.

This was one of the crimes I had hoped would be resolved once we got rid of the Bush gang. 'Hope' there's that word again.

This case isn't just about Siegelman, it's about Karl Rove, AGAIN! It's about politicizing the DOJ, and if we cannot trust the top law enforcement entity in this country, why don't we just accept that we are now a lawless, 3rd world nation?

Where is Holder on this case?? He saw nothing controversial about intervening on behalf of Stevens. Imo, rightly so once there was evidence of unfairness. But the Stevens case doesn't even come close to the corruption in this case.

So sick of this country and its false claims of being a democracy!

[Festivito]

5. Nor, perhaps, a more obvious cover-up by delays.

I imagine they are stalling until they can claim excuse by statute of limitations.

[sabrina 1]

8. Yes, anything to avoid prosecuting the real criminals.

What's sad is that Siegelman's case was a huge issue for the left when Bush was president. But now, it seems the left has abandoned him.

[libmom74]

23. But at least those dirty

pot smoking hippies are getting thrown in jail! :sarcasm:

[senseandsensibility]

2. K, R, and thanks for posting.

We all have a responsibility not to let this man's plight be forgotten IMO.

[Zorra]

3. Thanks. This poor man sure got a raw deal, and I'd love to see justice

done.

Well, maybe some serious legal/political revenge actually.

Like Rove in prison for life.

[Loki]

4. Eric Holder is the poorest excuse for a Democratic AG

I have seen in a long time, He needs to get the hell out of the way, because he has no interest in playing hardball with these shit holes. I want a fucking barracuda. Eliot Spitzer has it right, he should just resign.

[mod mom]

6. Spitzer would be great!

[ooglymoogly]

18. Holder is a wimp, but then that is why 0 appointed him.

Part and parcel of the cleptocracy running this country into the ground.

[tsuki]

26. He is doing what Obama tells him to do. nt

[femrap]

7. Seligman must have

done or said something about KKKarl or some other corrupt sadist to have gotten him in so much trouble.

They used him as an EXAMPLE of their power when dealing with 'others.'

And, yes, Holder is pathetic.

[loudsue]

9. If this doesn't prove that KKKarl Rove and the bush mafia are still in charge,

nothing does. Those assholes are still calling the shots, and the DOJ and White House are going to get wellstoned if they budge in the wrong direction.

[midnight]

25. That is what it sounds like....

[tblue37]

10. His best and only hope is massive publcity. I is hard to get such info

effectively into the public consciousness because it is complex and arcane enough to bore most people, and because administrations on both sides are eager to suppress it (though why Obama's DOJ is so complicit is incomprehensible). But a relentless, concerted effort on our part could perhaps create enough publicity to make it too embarrassing for the DOJ to continue to abuse this decent public servant.

[bertman]

11. Thank you for updating us, JDPriestly. REC. Our entire government is so corrupt

that it is impossible to tell if we will ever be able to overcome our new status as full-fledged Banana Republic--even though we only import them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. I met Siegelman at Netroots in 2009

I was with hissyspit and we went to Siegelman's presentation. It was chilling. If ever a guy got screwed, this man did.

[xchrom]

13. recommend

[Casandia]

14. Siegelman was a "rising star"

when he was governor. He was VERY popular and VERY much a threat to the repug party in the south. Thanks for the update.

[OnyxCollie]

15. K&R for Don Siegelman. nt

[colsohlibgal]

16. Holder Is A Toadie For The Insiders

His refusal to go after corporate/political crime, to go after Goldman, to go after Rove and his filthy dirty tricks, is disgusting.

[MrMickeysMom]

17. Nothing was fair about the way Siegelman's case was "handled"...

... Thanks for the update.

[MasonJar]

19. Why is the Justice Department acting as it is? This is a man's life.

The trial was obviously totally political in nature. I am confident Holder and Obama know that. What if they were in Siegelman's shoes?

[mentalsolstice]

20. I love my Don!

He's a resident of my city, and we see him out and around sometimes! He's really a nice guy. His wife, Lori,used to shop at the same grocery as I did, she was beautiful and gracious. They were certainly railroaded.

[2banon]

21. Margolis is still there? sheesh! n/t

[The Wizard]

22. Rove an others in the Bush cartel need to take

the Mussolini exit strategy
Watch here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vel-OeI_bgk

[rhett o rick]

27. Maybe after the revolution. But for now, they are in power. nm

[midnight]

24. Is David a stay behind?

[defendandprotect]

28. Too bad we don't have Democrats in charge of DOJ ... oops!!