We can tell from our site analytics that a lot of readers have been searching here for information about the Don Siegelman/Richard Scrushy case, and many readers have asked us directly to look at the case more closely, especially after the 60 Minutes broadcast last week. After the sentencing, I wrote a lengthy analysis of the case and its merits in a Weekly cover story. Other journalists have crossed swords with bloggers over this story, but aside from what else I write here, I think I’ve said all I’ve wanted to about the matter.
The hue and cry from the left is insistent, but it confuses motives for evidence. The only thing currently separating these Karl Rove scenarios from whole-cloth conspiracy theories is the precarious story of a Rainsville lawyer. On 60 Minutes Dana Jill Simpson’s narrative was hemmed in and pinned down by a line of yes-or-no questions, but when given the opportunity to expound, she has told a much more revealing story. The Birmingham News did a good job last year illustrating this point on it’s website in a post that went largely unnoticed. You can find that post here with the News‘ coverage, audio clips from Brett Blackledge’s interview with Simpson, as well as the transcripts of her deposition before congressional investigators.
Siegelman’s own version of the conspiracy theory has evolved over the years. In the beginning, it was a conspiracy to make Steve Windom governor. But after the dark horse Bob Riley beat Windom, Siegelman redrafted his conspiracy theory to match the changing characters.
However, the drumbeat of scandals coming from his administration in Montgomery was a constant. I’d list them all, if someone hadn’t done so already. While the creator of thetruthaboutdon.com is obviously no fan of the former governor, I can’t impugn the journalism the site uses for fodder. (And to be fair, you can read the other side’s arguments at donsiegelman.org.)
Alabama media have taken a beating for being so skeptical, but I still believe time will prove our credibility. In a column last year, I wrote:
Many reporters in the state have given the Simpson affidavit and Siegelman’s claims less credence than their national counterparts, and liberal bloggers have all but depicted the local media as a bunch of backcountry Klansmen, in lockstep with Grand Wizard Karl Rove, lynching the once-great governor.
But I’d argue that the reason for the local media’s incredulity is that our memories stretch back further - to when Siegelman’s administration collapsed after a steady succession of scandals, to when Siegelman’s administration tried to squelch the bad press by obstructing reporters’ access to public records, to when the governor’s fortunes floundered because he couldn’t govern as well as he could campaign. In the fuller context of the Siegelman saga, we are living in the epilogue.
— Kyle Whitmire
Popularity: 38% [?]
March 4th, 2008 at 1:00 am
“SIEGELMAN HAD TO BE PUT AWAY SO RILEY COULD BE GROOMED”
The Siegelman story has been suppressed in Alabama mainly because of the three largest newspapers which are owned by Newhouse Publications which are part of Bush’s left wing attack machine. Some of the smaller Independents newspapers have done a really good job of reporting the truth.
Alabama is controlled by corrupt politicians, top elected state judges and Bush appointed federal judges.
Siegelman had to be taken care so Bob Riley could become governor of Alabama. Riley is being groomed as a future GOP candidate for vice president. Being a past congressman wasn’t enough, he needed to have experience as a governor. To give him a record of success Bush’s left wing supporters mainly U.S. senators and congressmen have allowed Riley to take all credit for the millions of dollars of large government/military contracts that have magically flowed into Alabama.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:46 am
nice use of the straw man. just call it “conspiracy theory’ and we can all relax.
a deliberately disgraceful summary of the concerns over siegelman’s charging and conviction. are people in alabama so dumb that they take mistake this kind of vacuous nonsense for political coverage?
March 4th, 2008 at 7:15 am
This is about one issue and one issue alone–a fair and just judiciary. When the firewall that separates the judiciary from the political is breached, our country is lost. Alabama and the entire South has been hurt by this and the Alabama press would do well to lead the charge for a special prosecutor.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:55 am
As an outsider, come-lately to this story - I’m trying to wrap my arms around this - perhaps you can help. If I assume all the prosecution alleges - the seven year sentence seems…overdone? It would seem the punishment does not fit the crime.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Daniel,
Certainly, the sentences were stiff, but they were not out of line with other public corruption cases I’ve seen go to trial. Also, Judge Fuller’s sentences for Scrushy and Siegelman took downward departures from the federal sentencing guidelines.
The guidelines called for a sentence of 10 to 12.5 years for Siegelman and eight to 10 years for Scrushy.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:33 am
> Alabama media have taken a beating for being so skeptical
The Birmingham News can always be counted on to print Republican Party press releases as if they were independent reporting. I guess this is what you mean by skeptical.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Lovely writing as always. I do love the smithery of the words…however…
It is a tad defensive about Alabama journalism - would be more interested in the facts that you are supporting your case with.
They don’t like us because we’re journalists from Alabama is as much a conspiracy as the WTC crap the permeates the air we breath…even in France.
Are you saying that there is no validity in these charges against Rove? That’s the info I’m after.
KGB
March 5th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Now, the reason to corrupt Alabama has become oh sooo clear!
“U.S. Air Force Selects Northrop Grumman to Provide the New KC-45A Aerial Refueling Tanker”
The politicization of defense spending seems to be fast following on the heels of the politicization of the justice system.
Maybe Alabama Republicans should print “Corrupt Bastards Club” tee-shirts too!
Follow the money with the link.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Anyone who believes that Don & Dick were convicted because of some political motive are naive. While it is arguable that they were indicted because of politics, a jury convicted them after a lengthy trial. As far as we know, nobody named Karl Rove, Bob Riley, or anyone else connected with this so called conspiracy to bring Don down were on the jury. Oh sure, we’ll hear about improper communications amongst jurors, the judge had it in for the defendants, etc. But, who among us is stupid enough to believe that the jurors were bought off. The fact of the matter is that they knew both of these guys had been getting away with theft on a massive scale for years, and had the guts to do what the idiots on Scrushy’s jury didn’t do in Birmingham. If you think that jurors don’t violate the judge’s instructions not to discuss the case outside of the jury room during deliberations in damned near every case tried in this state (civil or criminal), I’ve got some JeffCo bonds I’d like to sell you.
The simple fact of the matter is that a lot of what the US Attorney does is politically motivated. After all, he or she is an appointee of the then sitting administration. If you don’t think Doug Jones’ (a Clinton appointee) prosecution of the bombers of the church, nearly 40 years after the act, was anything other than political grandstanding and patting oneself on the back, think again. The irregularities in that trial reads like a novel. The inadmissible evidence allowed would fill a 55 gallon garbage can. I wonder if the jury would have been moved to tears by Chris McNair’s testimony if he had appeared as a convicted felon who had participated in stealing millions of dollars of the county’s money to build an addition to his vacation home in Arkansas (ah, a Clinton conspiracy thread, no?) and outfitted his photography studio with the latest and greatest equipment.
In closing, stop yelling about what motivated the U S Attorney to seek these charges. Focus instead on whether these men conspired to exchange a substantial sum of money for a specific “special favor”. That is what the appeals court will focus on. If they overturn the convictions, so be it. If they uphold the convictions, God knows we will have to endure more bitching, whining and outrage over the Bush appointees railroading them.