in his own words

one of THE biggest travesties of justice out there

an interview with don siegelman

Karl Rove Destroyed My Life
By Paul Alexander, The Daily Beast.
Last week, Al Gore sent an email message urging supporters to give money to Don Siegelman's legal defense fund. Gore is the latest in a string of high profile supporters to suggest Siegelman, the former Governor of Alabama, was the victim of a Republican plot when he was found guilty of bribery, conspiracy and fraud in 2006, and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Now, in the waning days of the Bush administration, Siegelman is trying to win back his freedom -- not to mention his good name -- in a courtroom in Atlanta. Earlier this year, an appeals court granted his release after he had served nine months, saying the Governor's appeal had raised "substantial questions" about the case against him. Siegelman's cause was helped by a bipartisan group of 54 former state attorneys general from across the country who filed a federal appeals brief supporting his bid to overturn the conviction. Republican insiders have also come forward to say Siegelman was unfairly targeted by Rove and his circle.

Making it in prison depends on one's level of tolerance. I'm used to mopping in my wife's kitchen. It was just a bigger floor.

Siegelman's appeal was heard earlier this month and the verdict will determine whether he returns to prison to finish out his sentence, or goes free.

How did a former governor -- and a rising star in the Democratic Party -- end up in a situation like this?.................

i've written about the bogus

case against don siegelman many a time. (if you want the best scoop go to larisa alexandrovna's blog, at largely. she REALLY has researched the hell out of this mess). there is SO MUCH that was dirty about the prosecution, it isn't even funny. this is a man's LIFE we're talking about here. railroaded.....

now FINALLY the new york times has gotten on the bandwagon (how long did THAT take?)
New Twist in Appeal of Ex-Alabama Governor
By ADAM NOSSITER
New accusations have emerged during the appeal of the bribery conviction of former Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama that could buttress Democrats’ claims that the case against him was politically tainted, even as he prepares to argue against his conviction in a federal appeals court in Atlanta early next month. The accusations, from a Justice Department employee, suggest that the Republican United States attorney whose office prosecuted Mr. Siegelman remained substantially involved in the case, long after she insisted that she had removed herself from it because of her partisan connections.

And the formal complaints by the employee, a legal aide in the office of the United States attorney in Montgomery, Ala., have brought to light an episode in the 2006 bribery and corruption trial that Mr. Siegelman’s lawyers now say could have led to a key juror’s removal: flirtatious messages sent by jurors to the prosecution about the marital status of an F.B.I. agent who was working with prosecutors. Other jurors have said that they felt pressured by the judge to reach a decision in order to go home and that some jury members read about the case on the Internet during the trial......

larisa

has the latest (and most detailed) scoop on the siegelman fiasco. justice must be served here (as well as with the entire king george administration AND entities like blackwater too!). may them ALL accountable. don siegelman was framed and even a 3 year old can see that

The Siegelman nail in the Bush administration coffin...

Or as they say, time to pay the piper:

Next month in Atlanta, a federal court will hear the high-profile appeal of former Alabama governor Don E. Siegelman, whose conviction on corruption charges in 2006 became one of the most publicly debated cases to emerge from eight years of controversy at the Bush Justice Department. Now new documents highlight alleged misconduct by the Bush-appointed U.S. attorney and other prosecutors in the case, including what appears to be extensive and unusual contact between the prosecution and the jury.

Remember, we knew about this, but Time has gotten the documents. Remember too, that the Bush appointed-Karl Rove-friend-judge on the case, Mark Fuller, knew about the jury tampering and discounted it. Onwards:

The documents, obtained by TIME, include internal prosecution e-mails given to the Justice Department and Congress by a whistle-blower during the last 18 months. John Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which investigated the Siegelman case as part of a broader inquiry into alleged political interference in the hiring and firing of U.S. attorneys by the Bush Justice Department, last week sent an eight-page letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey citing the new material.

Conyers says the evidence raises "serious questions" about the U.S. Attorney in the Siegelman case, who, documents show, continued to involve herself in the politically charged prosecution long after she had publicly withdrawn to avoid an alleged conflict of interest relating to her husband, a top GOP operative and close associate of Bush adviser Karl Rove. Conyers' letter also cites evidence of numerous contacts between jurors and members of the Siegelman prosecution team that were never disclosed to the trial judge or defense counsel.

Remember too, that the DOJ lied to me when I demanded to know if Leura Canary had recused herself from the case. I was told that she had. When I demanded documentation, they told me that the documents were not public (really? a federal prosecutor's rescusal documentation are private?). And the cover-up continued:

When the House Judiciary Committee looked into the Siegelman affair earlier this year, DoJ issued statements, placed in the Congressional record, maintaining that the case had been handled only by career prosecutors, not political appointees, and that Canary had recused herself in 2002, "before any significant decisions ... were made."........

the continuing saga of don siegelman

and the injustices wrought upon him (and us as americans). do we really need any more proof this was a mock trial and mock conviction? not me at any rate. i was convinced long ago governor siegelman got the shaft.

A Smoking Gun Incriminates the Judge Who Ruled Against Don Siegelman

David Fiderer

Before commencing deliberations, jury foreman Sam Hendrix began each day with his fellow jurors by holding hands and saying a payer. They prayed for the defendants, including former Governor Don Siegelman, who had been indicted for bribery and government corruption. "We didn't want to crucify people," Hendrix told the Auburn Villager, "but we did want to send a message."

As for the jury comprised of five whites and seven blacks, "we were all really good friends," Hendrix told the Montgomery Advertiser in July 2006. "There was a bond between us. It never got personal. I think we were very fortunate that we had a very congenial group of people who respected each other and listened to each other.".........

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

Other jurors saw it differently. Here's how one juror, in a sworn affidavit, describes the deadlock vote:

"Five for guilty, five for not guilty, and two undecided. The jurors 100% not guilty were [redacted]. Two jurors had hostile words at each other and at this time, the foreman [Hendrix] slipped a note to the judge without our knowledge and told him that we were deadlock.

[Hendrix's private note said that some on the panel were being "lackadaisical."]...........

.......If Hendrix and Langer told stories that jived, it may have been because they compared notes via email. They purportedly used Hendrix's address at Auburn and Langer's gmail account. Evidence, sent anonymously to defense counsel after the trial, shows that the Hendrix and Langer sent each other private messages prior to and during deliberations.......

the ONLY thing i disagree with larisa on

is that we should be surprised pelosi is bending over so rove (well the whole republican party) can sodomize her

i'm NOT surprised in the least. i don't like her, i don't trust her and most of her actions have appalled me

Much info coming out about the Siegelman case...

As I reported in last month, the Office of Professional Responsibility at the Department of Justice is indeed investigating two US Attorneys - still remarkable allowed near the law - in what has come to be known as the US Attorney Scandal. The two attorneys in question are the US Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, Leura Canary (and her office) and the US Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, Dunnica Lampton (and his office).

Today we have additional confirmation that Canary (and her office) is in the hot seat, by way of the Tuscaloosa News.

We have also learned today that Karl Rove has himself a remarkable new ally. First, let's recap who Rove is in this saga and why he has been subpeonaed to testify in front of Congress on July 10.

Karl Rove cut his teeth as one of the "rat-fuckers" of the Segretti crew, who ran dirty tricks for Nixon. That should tell you everything you need to know about what kind of sociopath this man is. If you want to really know more about this man, the best source is the book by my friend Jim Moore, called Bush's Brain............

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

This brings us to the current, and very disturbing news. As I stated earlier, Rove apparently has a new ally in Congress and one that should surprise all of you. From Alabama activist, Pam Miles:

"I have firm confirmation that Nancy Pelosi is urging the Judiciary committee NOT to go forward with contempt against Rove.

Congressman John Conyers and the Judiciary staff are battling for it but this has become an infight among dems."

Yes, the Speaker of the House, the first women Speaker in US history, and a Democrat is basically saying Karl Rove is above the law..........

this is VERRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYY interesting

no one is smelling this stink? hmmmmmm
Break-ins plague targets of US Attorneys
Larisa Alexandrovna, Muriel Kane and Lindsay Beyerstein
The Permanent Republican Majority Part VI
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – In two states where US attorneys are already under fire for serious allegations of political prosecutions, seven people associated with three federal cases have experienced 10 suspicious incidents including break-ins and arson
These crimes raise serious questions about possible use of deliberate intimidation tactics not only because of who the victims are and the already wide criticism of the prosecutions to begin with, but also because of the suspicious nature of each incident individually as well as the pattern collectively. Typically burglars do not break-into an office or private residence only to rummage through documents, for example, as is the case with most of the burglaries in these two federal cases.
In Alabama, for instance, the home of former Democratic Governor Don Siegelman was burglarized twice during the period of his first indictment. Nothing of value was taken, however, and according to the Siegelman family, the only items of interest to the burglars were the files in Siegelman's home office.
Siegelman's attorney experienced the same type of break-in at her office.
In neighboring Mississippi, a case brought against a trial lawyer and three judges raises even more disturbing questions. Of the four individuals in the same case, three of the US Attorney’s targets were the victims of crimes during their indictment or trial. This case, like that of Governor Siegelman, has been widely criticized as a politically motivated prosecution by a Bush US Attorney.
The main target of the indictment, attorney Paul Minor, had his office broken into, while Mississippi Supreme Court Justice, Oliver E. Diaz Jr., had his home burglarized. According to police reports and statements from Diaz and from individuals close to Minor, nothing of value was taken and the burglars only rummaged through documents and in Minor’s case, also took a single computer from an office full of expensive office equipment. ...........

looks like don siegelman wasn't the only one

and we shouldn't be surprised at how many there really are:
Mississippi Justice: Bush US Attorney targeted my wife, supporters and friends
Larisa Alexandrovna

Republican effort jails largest Democratic donor in Mississippi, helps put ex-RNC chairman in governor's chair
The Permanent Republican Majority Part V
In an exclusive interview with RAW STORY, a former Mississippi Republican state legislator who was later backed by Democrats to win a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court discussed political prosecutions and what he sees as the corruption and politicization of the Department of Justice.
Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz Jr. was indicted in 2003 on charges relating to his receipt of a loan guarantee from trial lawyer Paul Minor – a personal friend and the largest Democratic donor in Mississippi – to help defray campaign debts. A Bush-appointed US Attorney, Dunnica Lampton, brought charges of bribery against Diaz, Minor and two other Mississippi judges.
Diaz was acquitted of all those charges. A jury acquitted Minor of the charges related to Diaz, but was unable to reach a verdict on other charges. Within days of his acquittal, Diaz was indicted a second time. He was again acquitted. .........

our best friends in action again

yup, our buds the saudis making sure hilarity ensues once more
well if WE can set up OUR citizens (let's say don siegelman for example), why can't our buds?
Saudi tutor gets lashes for meeting student
A married university professor has been sentenced to 180 lashes and eight months in prison for having coffee with a female student.
The professor of psychology at Umm al-Qra University in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, was caught in a "honey trap" operation after angering members of the religious police during a training course, his lawyer said.
The academic is said to have received a call from a supposed student, who asked to discuss a problem in person; he agreed, provided she brought along a brother as a chaperone. When the man arrived at the meeting place, the girl was alone, and he was arrested for being in a state of khulwa - seclusion - with an unrelated female.
The professor, who has not been named, was reported to be a married man in his late 50s with children........

ms simpson has a grand point

SHE testified before congress. HE refused to even show up. who do YOU believe?
In exclusive interview, Alabama whistleblower says Rove trying to smear her
Larisa Alexandrovna
Rove's attorney says CBS should apologize for story
After a CBS affiliate blacked out 60 Minutes in Alabama, Dana Jill Simpson, the Republican attorney from Alabama and a whistleblower in the Don Siegelman case, told RAW STORY Monday that the coordinated smear attack on her credibility by the state's GOP and the American Spectator publication are being pushed by Karl Rove – the former senior aide to President Bush – in retaliation for her revelations of his role in the investigation and conviction of Don Siegelman.

Simpson, however, points to the fact she testified to Congress under oath. Though called to testify, Rove did not show up. “Mr. Rove was subpoenaed to testify in front a Congressional committee,” said Simpson this morning during a telephone interview. “He would not testify. He did not even appear in front of Congress, which is like not showing up for a court subpoena.”

60 minutes update-don siegelman case

by larissa alexandrovna
did you know some parts of that story were BLACKED OUT in ALABAMA? hmmmmmmmm. this IS america, right?

Update on the Media Blackout of 60 Minutes story...
Okay, people from Northern Alabama and Mobile - very southeast - are letting me know that the show was blocked - black screen - during the Siegelman segment of 60 Minutes ONLY. I also got one email from Florida saying that they had strange GOP "Dem's are soft on terror," commercials. People, let me make myself clear here. If it is indeed true that so many people were blocked from viewing a show about DOJ corruption, then we are well into the arms of fascism. Please post here in the comments, so that other people can see, if you were a victim of this blackout.
Please note who your service provider is and what state you are in.
Update I:I now have confirmation of Channel 19 going to black screen during Siegelman's part of the 60 Minutes broadcast. Also, these are thus far the cities that were blocked from viewing this story by the Soviets of America: Huntsville and Mobile for sure. Still collecting more data................

Soviet America...
No doubt you have all seen the broadcast on 60 Minutes about the Don Siegelman case. It was excellent and out of the three major bombshells, two were delivered tonight. Here is what I have learned today to add to this drama and it demands that you take actions:
1. 60 Minutes is interested in doing additional add-on installments of this story. I have it on good authority that the show's reporters and producers have much more to tell about the duo of Bill and Leura Canary as well as more about the corrupt judge, Mark Fuller, on the case. The network has agreed to run one, maybe two more installments if there is interest shown by the public. You have to let them know you want more on Fuller, the Canary couple, and the trial itself. You can contact CBS here:
ADDRESS: 60 Minutes 524 West 57th St. New York, NY 10019 EMAIL: 60m@cbsnews.com
PHONE: (212) 975-3247 ..................

liberty and justice* for all*

(*the all and the justice are ONLY if you are king george or a member of his court). This is AMERICAN everyone. how can we allow this to happen? what is going on? we let these criminals run our country and don't say boo? we let them send our men and women into an unjust, illegal and immoral war? we allow them to torture? we allow them to deprive our veterans, our elderly, our children and our poor from education, health care, FOOD AND SHELTER? we allow them to ignore citizens who have been victims of catastrophies? we allow them to manipulate data concerning our earth, our votes and goddess only knows what else? we allow them to lock people up with NO charges, NO lawyers and NO HOPE? this MUST STOP

here is the back story GOP lawyer ties Rove to Siegelman case
By Susan Crabtree
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) on Wednesday released an interview with GOP lawyer Dana Jill Simpson implicating former White House adviser Karl Rove in the prosecution and conviction of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D) on corruption charges. In a closed-door interview with committee staff, Simpson recalled how Rob Riley, current Gov. Bob Riley’s (R) son, told her about Rove’s role in a plan to prosecute Siegelman if he did not back down from contesting the 2001 gubernatorial election results that handed the office to Riley.
According to the transcript, Simpson described a 2005 conversation with Rob Riley, who told her that Rove had contacted the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice to press for further prosecution of Siegelman. She said Rob Riley also recounted how the case would be assigned to a federal judge who “hated” Siegelman and would “hang Don Siegelman.” ......

and here is an update: from larisa alexandrovna of at largely
60 Minutes Caves to Pressure from White House on Siegelman Story...
Well folks, seems that 60 Minutes is postponing (read "killing") its Siegelman story. The excuse I am told for this lapse in ethics is that the network needs more time to vet the whistle-blower, Dana Jill Simpson. You see, the reason the network suddenly needs more time to vet Simpson is that the White House has launched a direct campaign inside CBS to discredit her and just to make sure the dirt sticks, they have called in some favors too. I am told that Senator Jeff Sessions has been instructed to help the White House discredit Simpson as part of his "Senatorial" duties. Nice system of government we have here, eh? ........

(my original posting on don siegelman)

wow, this is wicked scary

i didn't even finish part i yet. i can't believe what i've read so far. is part ii going to knock me off of my chair?

if true (and it sure seems like it is), why is siegelman in jail? why did this happen at all? better yet, why aren't those responsible made to pay (answer: king george and his court are NEVER made to pay you silly goose)

this is as good as any mystery novel i've read

The permanent Republican majority:Part one: How a coterie of Republican heavyweights sent a governor to jail

part ii
The permanent Republican majority: Daughter of jailed governor sees White House hand in her father's fall