Siegelman: McCain Should Compel Rove To Testify
Why should Rove not testify?
HP-On Friday, former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman called on John McCain to compel his informal adviser Karl Rove to testify before Congress, and to remove Rove from any and all campaign capacities.
“Sen. McCain should distance himself from Karl Rove,” said Siegelman. “And I think it is important and a smart political move [for him] to call on Rove to go and obey the law and to show up before the Judiciary Committee, to put his hand on the Bible, and to try to tell the truth - or at least plead the fifth.”
Siegelman, whose controversial trial for corruption contained many Rove fingerprints, would not go so far as to claim that by employing Rove as a consultant, McCain was sullying his own good-government credentials. “That’s a question that is left to the people and the electorate and they will have an opportunity to express themselves in November,” he said.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Wht should anyone do what this guy wants them to do?
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Sgt Mac
Is Rove above the law?
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:04 am
This Siegelman debacle has already been exposed as a complete lie and Siegelman needs to get the hint and withdraw his campaign against Rove but, I guess, he wouldn’t be fulfilling his contractual obligations otherwise.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:19 am
John
Has anybody else in history ignored Congressional subpoenas like this?
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:53 am
Hoads
Do you have any facts?
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:53 am
Bill
A very good point!
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:10 am
John,
Read the facts here:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives2/2008/03/019926.php
http://www.flashpointblog.com/2008/03/02/a-quick-primer-on-the-don-siegelman-fantasy/
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/02/60-minutes-too-major-scandal-brewing.html
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:06 pm
BRAVO HOADS! But be careful. Facts are not, necessarily, as important as rampant speculation on this blog.
You can bet the crackpots will be doing their utmost to refute the truth.
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:16 pm
FYI
A Republican former AG says Gov. Don Siegelman’s case raised red flags
Monday, February 25, 2008KIM CHANDLERNews staff writer
Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods told “60 Minutes” in an interview aired Sunday night that “red flags” surrounding the case against former Gov. Don Siegelman make him think the case is politically motivated.
Woods, a Republican, said Siegelman’s having been prosecuted over campaign contributions made him question the prosecution.
The segment also included accusations that prosecutors did not give defense attorneys notes from their star witness.
The lead prosecutor in the Siegelman case called the piece an “assassination.”
A federal jury in 2006 convicted Siegelman and HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy of conspiracy and federal funds bribery. Prosecutors alleged Scrushy bought a seat on a state board with a $500,000 donation to Siegelman’s lottery campaign.
The jury also convicted Siegelman of a separate obstruction of justice charge, finding that he tried to hide $9,200 he received from a lobbyist.
“I personally believe that what happened here is that they targeted Don Siegelman because they could not beat him fair and square. This was a Republican state and he was the one Democrat they could never get rid of,” Woods told “60 Minutes.”
Woods is one of 52 former state attorneys general who signed a letter saying they were concerned about the Siegelman prosecution, and the case has been one mentioned in accusations that politics tainted Department of Justice prosecutions.
Louis Franklin, the acting U.S. attorney in the case, said Sunday night that evidence, not politics, drove the Siegelman case.
“It’s obvious he does not know the evidence - and how strong the evidence was - that put Don Siegelman in jail,” Franklin said.
Campaign contributors give to candidates expecting their interests will be served. But when there is a deal worked out to sell an official action for a donation, it’s a crime, Franklin said
The “60 Minutes” piece also alleged that prosecutors, concerned their star witness, former Siegelman aide Nick Bailey, had trouble remembering, had Bailey write out his testimony over and over and that those notes were not turned over to defense attorneys. Bailey, who is in prison on a convictions of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and making false statements, did not appear on camera but told that to reporters from the news program.
“That is a problem,” former U.S. attorney and Siegelman defense attorney Doug Jones said in an interview Sunday night. Such material should have been made available to the defense, said Jones, who said he had not heard that accusation before Sunday night.
Franklin said Bailey was not asked to write out his testimony over and over.
North Alabama lawyer Jill Simpson in the piece also said she viewed the prosecution as part of a five-year campaign to stop Siegelman’s political career.
Simpson raised claims she has not made in previous interviews, in an affidavit or in sworn testimony before Congress.
Simpson said White House strategist Karl Rove in 2001 asked her to get photos proving Siegelman was cheating on his wife with an aide.
Simpson said it wasn’t the first time that Rove, who had run campaigns in Alabama before going to the White House, had asked her to do opposition research.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Mike Hubbard issued a statement accusing Simpson of fabricating her story and saying no one in Republic Party leadership positions know of her or work she’s done for Republicans.
Simpson’s lawyer, Priscilla Duncan, told the Associated Press that Simpson could provide details of fundraisers and other activities she helped arrange.
July 24th, 2008 at 12:21 am
John,
Quite telling that you fail to provide the link and ignore the sources I posted in your reply as if your one source trumps the sources I provided. Simpson has been proven a liar by multiple sources and yet you are going to go with this? You need to seriously take a step back and look at ALL “the evidence”—your bias is getting the best of you.
July 24th, 2008 at 6:14 am
Hoads
What bias? My bias for following the law?
July 24th, 2008 at 6:18 am
hoads
Siegelman:
Rove’s ‘fingerprints are smeared all over this case.’?
Watch