OpEdNews: Don Siegelman Has Fans Everywhere (A Phone Call To The White House)

[Hissyspit]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Don-Siegelman-Has-Fans-Eve-by-Marilyn-Noyes-090518-379.html

May 19, 2009 at 19:28:28

Don Siegelman Has Fans Everywhere

by Marilyn Noyes

I called the White House Monday afternoon to advocate for removal of Leura Canary from her US attorney post in Alabama and to ask for our administration to pressure Mark Fuller to recuse himself from being the judge in Don Siegelman's re-sentencing. Of course we are really aiming to get Don exonerated and not go back to court or prison at all, but I think it's important to hit this one on both fronts. When I started to talk about Alice Martin's removal and that Leura Canary must go sooner rather than later, the woman I spoke to actually asked me if I was talking about the Don Siegelman case.

I was THRILLED, BLOWN AWAY, ENERGIZED. She said the case is very widely-known. Sometimes I think we're working in a rather closed system here, especially because the mainstream media generally ignores Don. This told me different. When I said that Governor Siegelman's appeals had been denied, this woman, bless her heart, felt bad. She hadn't realized that it had happened, and that was disappointing news for her.

- snip -

I also went on to talk about Mark Fuller and the fact that he is an old political foe of Don's and this wonderful woman said, "Well, then he should have recused himself." And I said, "YES!"

And she didn't understand how Mark Fuller presided over Don's original trial. She is definitely passing all this info along. She told me that they tally the content of their calls and submit the information at the end of the day. So you can see how IMPORTANT it is for us to keep this up!!!

- snip -

My volunteer suggested calling the Attorney General's office too. I told her we've been doing both things, but that we believe that the philosophy is coming from the top down. I think her advice is sound, and I went on to call Eric Holder's office too.Don't give up my friends. Don't give up!!!

Obama: 202-456-1111 or toll free number: 800-833-6354 www.whitehouse.gov
Holder: 202-353-1555 [email protected]

[merh]

1. Canary needs to go

This is a great OP, thank you for posting this.

K&R

edited to add - Don't forget Paul Minor, John Whitfield & Wes Teel

[L. Coyote]

25. How can Obama explain that she wasn't fired in January?

[merh]

26. He didn't fire any of them.

Even the worst of them in the DC office. I don't think he likes to micromanage and I think he is too methodical for a "clean sweep"

[Octafish]

31. That is a mystery to me.

About the first thing Bush Jr. did was destroy the Department of Justice. That way, he could get away with stealing elections, looting the Treasury, Wall Street and the banks. I assumed it would be the first thing President Obama would focus on and repair -- even before the stupid economy. After all, with the gangsters who looted Treasury, Wall Street and the banks still on the loose, the economy would continue to slide. Wait a second. Oh, my...

[merh]

34. I can't explain it either.

I wish I could sit him down to explain to him how important it is that he flush the DOJ. All I can do is keep writing him and Holder and keep trying.

[bleever]

2. Yes.

:thumbsup:

[truedelphi]

3. Will give some calls tomorrow. Good news on this is so very

Welcome!

[Kaleko]

4. Very encouraging news for those of us who've kept flailing away

at the wheels of justice that grind so slowly for Don Siegelman.

I hope many will read and recommend this thread.

Justice for Don!

[dmr]

5. Thanks Hissyspit, I definitely will call both tomorrow

First I will do a review so I can be as articulate as possible.

I'll also write snail letters.

The political injustice that has trapped and abused the Governor is unconscionable.

I always appreciate the information and updates you post, Hissyspit. Thank you.

Obama: 202-456-1111 or toll free number: 800-833-6354 www.whitehouse.gov
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500

Holder: 202-353-1555 [email protected]
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

[merh]

8. Thank you for including the addresses.

Folks may want to consider adding these names as the "cc:" and sending a copy to each one.

Mary Patrice Brown, Acting Counsel
Office of Professional Responsibility
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 3266
Washington, D.C. 20530

Senator Patrick Leahy
United States Senate
433 Russell Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
[phone] - [phone] (fax)

Congressman John Conyers
United States House of Representative
426 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-5126
202-225-0072 (Fax)
[email protected]

U.S. Attorney Nora R. Dannehy
Connecticut Financial Center
157 Church Street
Floor 23
New Haven, CT 06510
[phone]
Fax: [phone]

[dmr]

10. Good idea.

I'll CC my Congress-critters as well.

[merh]

11. oh, that is a good idea too

I'll do the same.

[merh]

12. kick

:kick:

[Hissyspit]

6. Kick nt

[Wednesdays]

7. K&R

:kick:

[annabanana]

9. That's good to hear.. . .n/t

[defendandprotect]

13. I also called Holder's office -- I think his snubbing this case is astonishing!!!

In particularly, I find it strange that Democrats themselves don't see this
as a threat to them all???!!! Don't get it!

I also think that Olberman, Schultz and Maddow might give some help to this ?????

and maybe we can organize a little appeal from here to these folks who might give

some TV attention to this??

The liberal radio hosts might also help -- Thom Hartman? Randi Rhodes?

I'll follow on this, but I think we need a lot of people calling these hosts and

introducing the subject. I think I've heard Schultz discuss Siegelman previously

on his radio show.

And I didn't know that Laura Canary was still holding her office as AG-Alabama!!!

[Elwood P Dowd]

14. Siegelman has been on Hartmann's show at least a dozen times.

Thom has spent more time on this case than any of the other Dem radio/tv talkers.

[defendandprotect]

36. I don't catch up with Hartmann too often . ..

I think he's on from 9 to 12 . . . for one thing --

Plus when Randi left Air America, I got disconnected from it --

Only listen in the car and usually Coosby is on by then --

Occasionally, Schultz.

But, again, that's radio -- don't we want to get this on TV . . . ???


PS: I didn't get any mail off on the TV idea today -- something else came up!

Maybe tomorrow.

[QC]

33. Holder's too busy getting Ted Stevens off the hook and locking up potheads

to worry about this.

[florida08]

15. oh that is encouraging

I wish Olbermann and Maddow and even Mathews would give this more credence. Thanks fr all the info..will write the DOJ in snail mail this time..have already used email and wonder if that's too easy to delete..phone calls are great too. Thanks for posting.:kick:

[asjr]

16. I hope something happens with this. I lived

in AL when Siegelman was governor and he was robbed of a second term. All of AL know this as a fact.

[redqueen]

17. Thanks for the contact info!

And K&R

[Kingofalldems]

18. Kick

Some good news on this front.

[Mithreal]

19. I've called and written a number of times, won't stop either. K&R. nt

[Hissyspit]

20. Siegelman Committed No Crime...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5690959&mesg_id=5690959

No quid pro quo. The below is not news to me, but is perhaps to other people - it is easy to forget the details - and thus bears repeating. Via Mark Crispin Miller:

Testimony Overlooked? Former Head of Siegelman's Transition Team clears Siegelman: "There was no bribe"
by KatieSF

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Testimony-Overlooked--For-by-KatieSF-090520-416.html

Alabama Republican Elmer Harris, the former head of Siegelman's transition team and former CEO of Alabama Power, says in a recent interview with 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley that former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman didn't accept a bribe. In fact, he states: "There was no bribe."

Harris explained that he never testified because no one had ever asked him to--not the DOJ, not the US Attorneys, NO ONE. He says his testimony would have cleared Siegelman. Check out Harris' brief 60 second interview which I stumbled upon the 60 Minutes website (though it never aired on 60 Minutes, only on CBS Evening News, April 6th) :

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3996872n%3fsource=search_video

Most recently (April 7), CBS most aired an update on the CBS Evening News an update, with 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley interviewing Siegelman:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3998404n%3fsource=search_video

If you missed the original 60 Minutes segment that was finally aired on February 24th (same night as the Academy Award Oscars), go to:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3870545n%3fsource=search_video

The Court of Appeals turned down Siegelman's appeal May 15th and the DOJ prosecutors have announced they are planning on nearly tripling the sentence from 7 years to almost 21 years.
http://www.wtok.com/news/headlines/44788997.html

Siegelman faces resentencing and returning to federal prison unless enough pressure can be put on Eric Holder's DOJ to throw out this case.

So we need your help.

Please call the White House and leave a comment: 202-456-1111 (or toll-free: 800-833-6354)

OR call Eric Holder's office at 202-353-155, and/or email the DOJ: [email protected]

Lastly corruption appears to abound in this case: namely Judge Fuller should recuse himself because he had an ax to grind against Siegelman and US Attorney Leura Canary, who is married to Alabama Republican Operative and Kingmaker Bill Canary, should be removed as a US Attorney since the demands to triple the sentencing are coming from her office:
http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2009/05/judge-in-siegelman-case-faces-renewed.html

"Meanwhile, a new investigation shows that Doss Aviation, with Judge Fuller as majority owner, has been awarded more than $300 million in federal contracts since Fuller began presiding over the Siegelman case in 2005."

For more information see Thom Hartmann's interview with Siegelman:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thom-hartmann/interview-with-former-ala_b_99338.html

Hartmann: ... And, in fact, if I understand this correctly, you were being prosecuted by a woman whose husband was the campaign manager for the Republican who ran against you for governor and in the middle of the night in one county because of a voting machine malfunction after the election had apparently already been called in your favor, suddenly in the middle of the night, when there were nobody except Republicans standing around, they discovered a couple thousand more votes, and said: "Oh, yeah, no, no! Don Siegelman actually lost." Do I have that right?

DS: You have it right. They electronically shifted votes from my column to my Republican opponent's column.

TH: To Bob Riley's column.

DS: I believe, yes, to Bob Riley's column. And oddly enough, it didn't effect a single down-ballot race. They took five thousand or six thousand votes of mine and shifted it over to Bob Riley, and when they counted everybody else's votes, the shift was at the top which, logically, would have made a difference at the bottom...

MORE INFO AT THE LINK AT THE TOP

[dmr]

38. I believe they should indict them all on RICO

because conspiracy is written all over this.

Organized crime is organized crime no matter who they are or what their profession.

I made my calls today, and will again on Friday, and again next week and for however long it will take. I also mailed off letters with the CCs to those mentioned in the post upthread.

Again, thank you for keeping this in the spotlight.

[peace frog]

21. If this case is "very widely known" in the WH

then why did she sound so shocked at what is commonly known and disseminated information regarding Siegelman? Sorry, there just seems to be a disconnect there. GREAT that the phone calls will be flooding in, however. Maybe, hopefully, it will make the difference between real justice and travesty.

[The Hope Mobile]

22. Do you have a fax number? nt

[JDPriestly]

23. I got the AMA Grassroots line when I called 800-833-6354

Just me?

[sansf]

24. renewed energy

Thanks l lot for posting. I'll call again, and again.

[DeeDeeNY]

27. K & R

[Hissyspit]

28. Related Information:

RELATED:

Judge in Siegelman Case Faces Renewed Impeachment Effort

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5675490.


Andrew Krieg: Siegelman Deserves New Trial Because of Judge's 'Grudge,' Evidence Shows

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-kreig/siegelman-deserves-new-tr_b_201455.html

Andrew Kreig

DC journalist and attorney
Posted: May 15, 2009 05:02 PM

Siegelman Deserves New Trial Because of Judge's 'Grudge,' Evidence Shows

The Alabama federal judge who presided over the 2006 corruption trial of the state's former governor holds a grudge against the defendant for helping to expose the judge's own alleged corruption six years ago. Former Gov. Don Siegelman therefore deserves a new trial with an unbiased judge ─ not one whose privately owned company, Doss Aviation, has been enriched by the Bush administration's award of $300 million in contracts since 2006, making the judge millions in non-judicial income.

These are the opinions of Missouri attorney Paul B. Weeks, who is speaking out publicly for the first time since his effort in 2003 to obtain the impeachment of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Fuller of Montgomery on Doss Aviation-related allegations.


Siegelman Judge Committed Fraud on the Court

http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2009/05/judge-in-siegelman-case-faces-renewed.html

SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2009

Judge in Siegelman Case Faces Renewed Impeachment Effort

Mark Fuller, the Alabama federal judge who oversaw the Don Siegelman case, is facing a renewed impeachment effort amid allegations that he tried to defraud a state pension system and earned millions of dollars from military contracts during the Bush administration.

Missouri attorney Paul Benton Weeks said Fuller punished Siegelman in retaliation for an investigation Weeks conducted in 2003 that revealed extensive financial wrongdoing in two Alabama counties where Fuller had served as district attorney. A Siegelman appointee assisted in the investigation, which showed that Fuller engaged in criminal behavior before being appointed to the federal bench by George W. Bush, Weeks said.

Meanwhile, a new investigation shows that Doss Aviation, with Fuller as majority owner, has been awarded more than $300 million in federal contracts since Fuller began presiding over the Siegelman case in 2005.

The latest on the Siegelman case comes from an investigative report at Huffington Post by veteran attorney and journalist Andrew Kreig, who currently is a senior fellow at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University.

Weeks and Kreig will conduct a media teleconference at 10 a.m., Eastern time, on Monday (5/18). A Department of Justice spokesman and Judge Fuller have been invited to participate in the teleconference. Kreig sent interview requests to Fuller via U.S. mail and telephone. He has received no response.


76 Former State AGs Urge Review of Siegelman Case

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5511124

April 22, 2009
The New York Times
Review of Governor's Conviction Sought

By JOHN SCHWARTZ and CHARLIE SAVAGE

Less than a month after the Justice Department asked a judge to drop the case against former Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska because of prosecutorial misconduct, 75 former state attorneys general from both parties have urged Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to conduct a similar investigation of the prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama, who was convicted nearly three years ago on bribery and corruption charges.

In a letter to Mr. Holder, the attorneys general said Mr. Siegelman's defense lawyers had raised "gravely troublesome facts" about his prosecution that raise questions about the fairness and due process of the trial.

"We believe that if prosecutorial misconduct is found, as in the case of Senator Ted Stevens, then dismissal should follow in this case as well," the group said in the letter, which was organized by Robert Abrams, a former attorney general of New York.

Lawyers for Mr. Siegelman, a Democrat, have long accused the Justice Department under President George W. Bush of conducting a politically motivated prosecution that they say was filled with irregularities, including a failure to turn over pertinent information to the defense team.

In the weeks since the Stevens prosecution was dropped over similar issues, Mr. Siegelman's team has made efforts to draw parallels between the two cases.
One of Mr. Siegelman's lawyers, Vincent F. Kilborn III, said in an interview from his office in Mobile, Ala., that at least three of the officials who have been accused of misconduct in the Stevens investigation have played a role in the Siegelman case, including Patty Merkamp Stemler, the chief of the appellate section of the criminal division at the Justice Department, who is being held in contempt in the Stevens case over documents demanded by the judge that were not produced.


The Permanent Republican Majority - Part One: How a coterie of Republican heavyweights sent a governor to jail

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/The_Permanent_Republican_Majority_1125.html


Larisa Alexandrovna on Obama DOJ Developments:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5649853

MORE AT LINKS

[XXXMADAM]

29. I listed Siegleman on my civil suit

There was a madam from Alabama found dead by hanging in a federal jail cell in Tom Delays's precinct of Sugarland, Tx, Brazoria County at the same time DC madam Palfrey and I were being approached to abet the FBI, CIA in Sextorting politico's.
xxx

NATURE OF THE CASE


PREDATORY EXTORTIONS BY FBI, CIA

Civil case: 2:08-cv-01028-KJD-PAL

I was approached by various state & federal law enforcement agency's under the badge of "Multi-Agency Task Force" which includes FBI, ATF, local vice, undercover, unknown entities, etc.. They wanted me to abet them in entrapping "State and political officials" having Sex so they could extort, control and blackmail them, not to charge them with misdemeanor prostitution. At the same time women at my service were being tricked and trafficked overseas into jails in Bangkok and Vienna, while a madam from Alabama was found hanging in a federal jail cell in nearby Brazoria County, Tx. (Tom Delay’s precinct) while the Waco Davidian’s burned. Local vice and sheriff dept. both apologized, saying they too were being coerced into this corruption that they did not agree with. Illegal wiretapping condoned in the court transcript.

I went to the FBI and after meeting the 3rd time they said they would help me only if I would help them, again, to blackmail officials. They had no interest in the corruption aspect. Some very high profile names were involved and media people.

When I refused to abet in the extortions I was thrown in jail, no bond, a 'Life' sentence filed on me, jury denied, my son and family were harassed in gang-like mafia style. I did 8 yrs. in prison, illegally hidden away in a State prison cement tomb - 'solitary', under endless torture to include being gassed twice, knocked into a near coma, beat up, put in mud fields of ants, poisoned, etc... My son, age 17, removed from junior college and forced to dig ditches in a church yard. I gained released in 2003 with military intervention, a man in the Green Beret, “Manhunter 3##”, there was no other way out.

This tactic of FORCED SEX under threat is the exact equivalent of Pimps and gang rape as obviously “No Thank You” is not an option, no way out once tagged just endless retaliations from there. This dual-govmnt Pimp business is being used to run this country, the war, banks, media, etc… No one should be FORCED to have endless Sex for this, no one is born on this planet for this.

Sextortion cases:

1. D.C. Madam Jeane Palfrey, madam Brandi Britton
2. CIA Kyle Dusty Foggo
3. Duke Cunningham
4. Don Siegelman, former Alabama Governor
5. Elliott Spencer, former NY Governor, “Sheriff of Wall Street” (bailouts)
6. Jim Gibbons, NV Governor
7. Clinton/Lewinski

There are many others and around the globe but most cases are not reported, my own demise is blacked out by media as well.

In 1993 Palfrey, while on federal prison for parole in California for extortion, opened her escort service in Wash.D.C. The same year I was approached.

Dusty Foggo had an office in Vienna, also in Dallas where this scheme began in Tx then came to Houston where I lived.

Foggo & Palfrey provenly Sextorted U.S. Congressional Armed Forces committeeman Rep. Duke Cunningham to manipulate and profit from the war. This is when U.S. DA Carol Lam was fired.

http://www.defraudingamerica.com/robin_head.html

[XXXMADAM]

30. Letter from the Justice Dept. last week

To: Robin Head

U. S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigations
Washington D.C. 20535-0001

May 13, 2009

Your letter to the Department of Justice/Office of the Inspector General, with enclosures, dated February 22, 2009, was

forwarded to the Initial Processin Unit (IPU), Internal Investigations Section (IISS), Inspection Division (INSD), Federal

Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for review. The IIS/INSD is the FBI entity responsible for investigating allegations of

serious misconduct or criminal activity on the part of the FBI employees.

In your complaint, you alleged that you were approached by a "Multi -Agency Task Force" consisting of fedeal and local

agencies asking you to assist in entrapping "state and political officials having sex so they could extort, control and

blackmail them." You stated you went to the FBI, who told you they would help you only if you would help them blackmail

officials. You stated when you refused, you were "thrown in jail" for seven and one-half years and your family was

harassed in "gang-like Mafia style." You also stated that while you were in prison, you were illegally hidden away in

"solitary" under endless torture, to include being gassed twice, beat up, put in mud fields of antsm and poisoned. In

addition, your son, age 17, was removed from junior college and forced to dig ditches.

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the IPU/INSD has reviewed your allegations and has determined that there

is no credible evidence of misconduct on the part of any FBI employee. Therefore no further action will be taken by this

office.

Sincerely,

Angela L. Byers
Unit Chief
Intial Processing Unit
Inspection Division

[LAGranny]

32. Hold the torch of justice high.....

..and let's light up the White House switchboard, so brightly that it will shine from every corner of America, demanding justice be done for Don Siegelman, Paul Minor and all the others, who were caught up in these unjust political prosecutions launched by Bush Appointed U. S. Attorneys.

From here at home, in Lower Alabama, I send my sincere and heartfelt "thank you" to "Hissyspit" in NC, to Marilyn in CA, to Merth, and all of the others, here at Democratic Underground, for speaking out on behalf of Governor Don and the other American political prisoners. Bless you for being true American Patriots and demanding American, not Rovarian, JUSTICE for ALL.

[punkin87]

35. KandR

[Octafish]

37. Apart from 60 Minutes, the Siegelman persecution has been ignored by Corporate McPravda.

Meeting people I know from Church or play, near-zero have heard of the Siegelman case when I first mention it.

That's a shame, because their heads are filled instead with garbage ABCNNBCBSFauxNoiseNutwork spew, like Iraq was behind 9-11.

These pictures and stories should change, when enough people get steamed and start to do something about it.

It will take more than just the Internet: we have to contact our elected officials and fellow citizens, alike. And the more personal the contact, the better.

[aldo]

39. It makes you wonder who's really running the country

They've taken no steps to help Siegelman or other targeted Dems, Cheney publicly brags about committing felonies and is not arrested, Rove is free to spew his vomit on Faux (what about forced testimony under oath?). Are Cheney & Rove still actually calling the shots? Is Obama just a figurehead?