Reply #29: Yep, Bushbot George Holding, involved in the high profile Bush era prosecutions of Dems down here:

[struggle4progress]

... From a prominent banking family in Smithfield, Holding became the top employee for U.S. Attorney Frank Whitney in 2002. In that role, he hired staff and worked on high-profile corruption cases involving former House Speaker Jim Black, former Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps and former U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance ... http://projects.newsobserver.com/profiles/george_holding


Phipps plea a sham, family claims
Prosecutors used threats, sisters say
Joseph Neff and Kristin Collins - Staff Writers
Published: Fri, Dec. 19, 2003 12:30AM
Modified Sun, Oct. 23, 2005 05:09PM

Meg Scott Phipps walked into federal court in November, swore on a Bible to tell the truth and pleaded guilty to five counts of extortion, fraud and conspiracy.

Behind the scenes, her family says the guilty plea was a sham and prosecutors forced Phipps, the former agriculture commissioner, to admit crimes she didn't commit.

In e-mail messages to friends, family and state employees, two of Phipps' sisters say federal prosecutors threatened to prosecute Phipps' husband and father, former Gov. Bob Scott, and to force her to sell the family farm. The e-mail messages, recently obtained by The News & Observer, say the witnesses who testified against Phipps at her October trial were also pressured to lie.
Meg Scott Phipps confers with her attorneys during her state trial. Phipps says she has not been able to tell her story.

And Phipps, who declined to testify in her own defense, wrote to friends in a holiday letter that she has not been allowed to tell her side of the story ... http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/politicians/phipps/story/247474.html