Saturday, June 30, 2007
NY Times Urges Congress Investigate Siegelman Prosecution (1:53 am)
The editors of the NY Times have written an editorial titled “Questions About a Governor’s Fall.”
It is extremely disturbing that Don Siegelman, the former governor of Alabama, was hauled off to jail this week. There is reason to believe his prosecution may have been a political hit, intended to take out the state’s most prominent Democrat, a serious charge that has not been adequately investigated. The appeals court that hears his case should demand answers, as should Congress.
The United States attorneys scandal has made clear that partisan politics is a driving force in the Bush Justice Department. Top prosecutors were fired for refusing to prosecute Democrats or for not bringing baseless vote-fraud cases to help Republicans. Lawyers were improperly hired based on party affiliation.
(…)
The charges Mr. Siegelman was convicted of suggest that he may have been a victim of selective prosecution.
(…)
The idea of federal prosecutors putting someone in jail for partisan gain is shocking. But the United States attorneys scandal has made clear that the Bush Justice Department acts in shocking ways. We hope that the appeals court that hears Mr. Siegelman’s case will give it the same hard look that another appeals court recently gave the case of Georgia Thompson.
posted by Brian Zick
Reader Comments
The case of Georgia Thompson, cited by the Times, provides plenty of reason to be skeptical of the prosecutorial motive of US Attorneys working for this administration. A jury convicted, but the appellate court threw out the case and ordered Thompson released immediately, the day it heard oral argument, and gave a blistering rebuke to the prosecutor.
Jeralyn at Talk Left, who is a defense attorney, provides some educated speculation about the prosecution of the Thompson case.
Moreover, there’s the affadavit signed by longtime GOP lawyer Dana Jill Simpson, attesting to Rove’s involvement in the Siegelman prosecution.
posted by Brian Zick on 6-30-07 at 10:50 PM
Discussion Closed
Commenting is closed on articles six months or older. This helps us prevent spam and maintain continuous discussions. We also close discussions from time to time that we are unable to moderate. Thanks for your understanding.
I am not familiar with this case, but it seems a tad far fetched to believe that a jury would go along with a purely political prosecution.
Although, here in Texas, we had a jury that decided that killing, dismembering and dumping someone in the Gulf was an act of self-defense.
The lock-step R’s all say that other President’s have done the same in firing all US Attorney’s. This is true; but they did it upon taking office, not waiting until they saw which party loyalist’s were being brought to trial.
Duhbya cannot understand why the rest of the country won’t accept the fact that laws only apply to Democrat’s; the Republican’s being above such trivial matters.
Right now, the Brown One is waiting on approval from Der Karl and then he will issue a “ruling”.
posted by farmer on 6-30-07 at 3:53 PM