Harper’s “I Accuse… 44 Attorneys General Demand an Inquiry Into the Siegelman Prosecution”

[jody]

I Accuse… 44 Attorneys General Demand an Inquiry Into the Siegelman Prosecution

(1) Governor Siegelman is currently incarcerated at a Bureau of Prisons facility, having been refused release on bail pending appeal. Indeed, he was even denied 45 days to report to prison to give him time to put his affairs in order, an opportunity which is commonly granted. This can only be understood in terms of the political theater orchestrated by the Bush Justice Department and the judge hearing the case, a Republican political activist.

(2) A lawyer who had worked in the campaign of Governor Siegelman’s opponent in the 2006 gubernatorial contest has sworn in a recent affidavit that the spouse of the federal prosecutor in this case stated that his wife and another federal prosecutor would “take care of” Mr. Siegelman and that he had talked with a political operative for the White House concerning such assurances. The name of the political operative is Karl Rove, and the political manipulation of prosecutions to “take care” of political adversaries is his calling card.
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(4) Another former Governor of Alabama was convicted of corruption charges a few years ago in a case where he personally benefited from his action and was sentenced to probation. That case was handled by the same lead prosecutor as in the Siegelman case. There is a striking difference: the former governor actually secured personal gain from the alleged corruption, Siegelman did not—even accepting the allegations of the prosecution as true, but they are not. How to distinguish these two cases? One involves a Republican, the other a Democrat. This is Bush justice, of the same sort meted out in Bush’s commutation of the sentence of his felonious national security advisor, Scooter Libby.
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(6) There are numerous apparently legitimate (and arguably compelling) appealable issues in this case, as confirmed by a number of legal scholars. There have been allegations of jury misconduct and the possible introduction of extrinsic evidence into the jury deliberation process that have not been fully investigated. For this reason, and because Governor Siegelman is not in any way a flight risk, the denial of a bond pending appeal appears inappropriate, and the shackling of the Governor in handcuffs and leg irons as he was taken out of the courtroom was shocking.

[indepat]

1. Only the the fourth re*** (America)

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Hey Congress: Impeach Before This Happens To You!

Because it sure as hell will.

[Old and In the Way]

3. When 44 AG's think something's wrong with the application of justice

in a case, good bet that they are right. The politicization works both ways and payback ought to be a bitch, but our Party's problem is that we seem to have lost the ability to go for the jugular when you are in a fight for your political existance.

[Captain Hilts]

4. Huh??? This is a very BIG DEAL!!!!!!

[lala_rawraw]

7. karl rove needs a bitch slapping

disappearing of an american citizen

[bjobotts]

24. Karl Rove is a bitch slapping.

What justification is there for physically humiliating the Governor by shackling him? Who in the hell do they think they are to be so disrespectful and disgraceful. It's absolutely infuriating. I hope he is exonerated then he can sue them for his treatment and maybe even bust the judge when he's drunk again and driving. These guys are just pathetic.

[robinlynne]

5. wow. I didn't know about this until recently. This is unbelievable!

and scooter libby gets probation...

[ninkasi]

6. It appears that the Bush cabal

doesn't even bother to hide the corruption anymore. This is intolerable. Impeach and convict now. Then, to the Hague for trial as a war criminal.

[scarletwoman]

8. k & r -- I'm glad to see this case is generating some push back. (nt)

[Laelth]

9. k&r

44 Attorneys General? That's a lot of smart lawyers risking their political careers to cry foul!

-Laelth

[DemReadingDU]

10. morning kick

[malaise]

11. K & R n/t

[KharmaTrain]

12. One Day Some Chickens Will Be Roosting Big Time...

Several months back, I heard David Igelsias interviewed and he was pretty blunt about how the politization of the DOJ has torn the department apart with many "career prosecutors" taking note of a lot of what's going on. They're keeping quiet, laying low as they've seen what happens when you go against Gonzo and Rove. But what comes around goes around and he hinted that there will be a serious day of reckoning ahead at Justice once this regime is gone and the political hacks will find their lives very difficult. Anyone suspected of enabling booooshie, rove and gonzo will be under suspicion themselves and that any former regime official that ends up facing these prosecutors will pay the price for what has happened. I sure hope he's speaking the truth.

[libertarianseeker]

25. Gives me even more reason to suspect

that the Bushista's will do whatever is necessary to prevent EVER being out of power. See Elliot D. Cohen's DU article today.... The Democratic leadership will, of course, continue to stand with their fingers up their butts while we lose our republic.

[trof]

13. K&R

I've been trying to get this thing to grow some legs for a while.
It stinks to high heaven.

[neohippie]

14. I just can't understand how the media could ignore this story

When will entertainment stories cease to be called news and real stories get coverage again.

[diane in sf]

19. The media is mostly owned by Repigs. Ignoring this story is on purpose for them.

[sonias]

15. And at the very center of this investigation - culprit Karl Rove

Eventually one of Rove's corruption and voting fraud cases will blow back to him.

sonia

[KelleyKramer]

16. They've been flying him to prisons all over the country

In just the last week or two...

First they took him to Atlanta.. then they moved him to Michigan.. then they moved him to New York...

Then they moved him to a facility in Oklahoma... then they took him to a prison in Louisiana...

And (I think) last night they moved him to a prison in Texarkana

Not sure, but I think in addition to harassment, this is something to keep him from seeing his attorneys

Just unbelievable

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. Well, at least they haven't tried Gitmo

yet.

[Elwood P Dowd]

21. I heard today he was back in Louisiana. (nm)

[MsMagnificent]

17. About damn time nt

[barbtries]

18. what's happening to siegelman

could be a heads up with regard to the apparent unwillingness of the congress to impeach, to end the war, to jail the criminals in the white house and their lackeys like harriet miers and sara taylor...etcetera.

[Karenina]

22. 44? Hmmm... Maybe they have a case!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

23. Thank heavens someone may try to help him. I know Don

personally, have for many years. He is a decent, bleeding heart liberal. I told him when he first started to pursue an office that he needed to get out of Alabama. Wish he had.