The 11th Circuit of Appeals has upheld the bribery conviction of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. The case became a minor cause of the far Left; we wrote about it here and elsewhere. Liberals , many of whom treated Siegelman as a hero, peddled the absurd claim--unsupported by any evidence--that Karl Rove was behind the prosecution. In fact, while the evidence against Siegelman may have been less than overwhelming, his prosecution reflects the priority the DOJ has put on political corruption, not some non-existent political influence. Which didn't stop the Associated Press from repeating the liberals' slander against Rove:
Siegelman has claimed his prosecution was pushed by Republicans, including former White House adviser Karl Rove, a claim career federal prosecutors who handled the case have emphatically denied. Rove, a Texas strategist, was once heavily involved in Alabama politics.
The AP manages to convey the impression that there could be something to Siegelman's claim, despite its inherent implausibility and the complete absence of any evidence to support it. Typical.
4 comments:
It certainly took the 11th Circuit long enough.
I know that two of our friends are very involved with this case because they believed Siegelman was unfairly prosecuted or, more correctly, that his prosecution was politically motivated. Even if that is true, it doesn't negate the fact he is guilty. The Karl Rove angle, which was absolute BS IMHO, lent an air of intrigue to the appeal. Many on the left wanted it to be the case that he was targeted and unfairly prosecuted because it confirmed their beliefs about Republicans (the USAO was a Bush appointee and I believe the judge was a RR or GHWB appointee). Anyway, I'm happy that our USAO and Courts got it right. Having said that, I think Siegelman was unnecessarily hammered in the sentencing phase. The Circuit Court overturned convictions on two counts and let the others stand. They have also ordered a hearing to resentence Siegelman.
Whew, that was a mouthful but I couldn't have said it better myself! Ditto! VN8
I hope Jim weighs in on this as I want his opinion on the mood in Alabama over Richard Scrushy. I don't think there is too much sympathy for him as some folks were fleeced in the Health South stock run up.
Well I am convinced that it was a political prosecution. I know quite a few Republicans that agree. There are some disturbing things that happened during this case. It's not the end of this but certainly a setback. This link provides a little more substance on the appeal ruling.
Lee I don't know as much about Scrushy but you're probably right about the way people feel about him in Alabama.
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