| __________________________________________________________________________________________ Sponsored by Friends of Don Siegelman 2007 <feedback>________________________________________________________________________________ __________ |
Early Press & Media
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2007
In this year, the nation questioned the firing of eight Attorney's General who refused
to use their office for political purposes. Then in June the Don Siegelman
prosecution hit the MSM news stands exposing the other side of the equation: what
happens when the Attorney's General agree to play along with the partisan political
agenda.
In June a troubled Republican political operative - an oppositional researcher
named Jill Simpson - became a whistle-blower in the Don Siegelman Case,
indicating that Karl Rove was a puppet master in the Siegelman prosecution.
Don's Siegelman's extreme sentencing in June involved cuffing and shackling the
former Governor of Alabama and whisking him right away to prison without time to
even say goodbye to his family. This excessive treatment galvanized a nation of
friends, supporters and onlookers who believed they were seeing in this unbalanced
action a suspiciously partisan prosecution.
In July, forty four former attorney's general demanded that congress investigate this
case due to irregularities in the case ranging from conflicts of interest and
withholding of documents to witness and jury tampering.
In August, Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales left the White House; And the House
Judiciary began an investigation into the case of Don Siegelman and other politically
motivated cases.
The year ended with Don Siegelman spending Christmas away from his family and
friends in a Louisiana Prison .
<link to the media for 2007 and earlier for more>
....................................................................................................................
2008
2008 was a " best of times and worst of times" kind of year. It began with former
Governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman, in a prison in Louisiana; and it ended with
Barack Obama being the first African American elected president of the United
States and Don Siegelman released from prison to await his appeal.
In February 2008, CBS 60 Minutes produced an expose of the Siegelman Case. It
ran on Don Siegelman's birthday while he was still in prison, and caused loud
denouncements from Karl Rove and other ultra right wing thought-leaders. A month
later, after serving 9 months in prison, Don Siegelman was released to wait for his
appeal.
John Conyers, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, demanded that Karl
Rove testify about the Siegelman Case and other related concerns. Rove claimed
executive privilege and as a result was subpoenaed. On the day that he was to
testify, he left the country in defiance of the Judiciary Committee subpoena.
In May, fifty four bi-partisan Attorneys General filed a brief asking the appeals court to
overturn the Siegelman conviction. In November a panel of three Republican judges
were selected to hear the Siegelman Appeal.
In December, Don Siegelman went to Atlanta to appeal his case before the 11th
Circuit Appeals Court.
<link to media 2008 for more details>
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2009 (first quarter)
In January of this year, Barack Obama took office as the first African-American
president of the United States.
The Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Karl Rove once again, and the
President appointed Eric Holder to the post of US Attorney General. The Appeals
Court in Atlanta upheld 5 of the 7 convictions in the Siegelman Case.
Don Siegelman prepares a second appeal, while friends and supporters try to bring
his case to the attention of the new president, the US Attorney General and the nation.
In April, 75 bi-partisan former attorneys general petitioned Eric Holder to investigate
the Siegelman case in order over turn the conviction.
<link to media 2009 for more details>
....................................................................................................................
2007
In this year, the nation questioned the firing of eight Attorney's General who refused
to use their office for political purposes. Then in June the Don Siegelman
prosecution hit the MSM news stands exposing the other side of the equation: what
happens when the Attorney's General agree to play along with the partisan political
agenda.
In June a troubled Republican political operative - an oppositional researcher
named Jill Simpson - became a whistle-blower in the Don Siegelman Case,
indicating that Karl Rove was a puppet master in the Siegelman prosecution.
Don's Siegelman's extreme sentencing in June involved cuffing and shackling the
former Governor of Alabama and whisking him right away to prison without time to
even say goodbye to his family. This excessive treatment galvanized a nation of
friends, supporters and onlookers who believed they were seeing in this unbalanced
action a suspiciously partisan prosecution.
In July, forty four former attorney's general demanded that congress investigate this
case due to irregularities in the case ranging from conflicts of interest and
withholding of documents to witness and jury tampering.
In August, Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales left the White House; And the House
Judiciary began an investigation into the case of Don Siegelman and other politically
motivated cases.
The year ended with Don Siegelman spending Christmas away from his family and
friends in a Louisiana Prison .
<link to the media for 2007 and earlier for more>
....................................................................................................................
2008
2008 was a " best of times and worst of times" kind of year. It began with former
Governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman, in a prison in Louisiana; and it ended with
Barack Obama being the first African American elected president of the United
States and Don Siegelman released from prison to await his appeal.
In February 2008, CBS 60 Minutes produced an expose of the Siegelman Case. It
ran on Don Siegelman's birthday while he was still in prison, and caused loud
denouncements from Karl Rove and other ultra right wing thought-leaders. A month
later, after serving 9 months in prison, Don Siegelman was released to wait for his
appeal.
John Conyers, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, demanded that Karl
Rove testify about the Siegelman Case and other related concerns. Rove claimed
executive privilege and as a result was subpoenaed. On the day that he was to
testify, he left the country in defiance of the Judiciary Committee subpoena.
In May, fifty four bi-partisan Attorneys General filed a brief asking the appeals court to
overturn the Siegelman conviction. In November a panel of three Republican judges
were selected to hear the Siegelman Appeal.
In December, Don Siegelman went to Atlanta to appeal his case before the 11th
Circuit Appeals Court.
<link to media 2008 for more details>
.........................................................................................................................................................
2009 (first quarter)
In January of this year, Barack Obama took office as the first African-American
president of the United States.
The Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Karl Rove once again, and the
President appointed Eric Holder to the post of US Attorney General. The Appeals
Court in Atlanta upheld 5 of the 7 convictions in the Siegelman Case.
Don Siegelman prepares a second appeal, while friends and supporters try to bring
his case to the attention of the new president, the US Attorney General and the nation.
In April, 75 bi-partisan former attorneys general petitioned Eric Holder to investigate
the Siegelman case in order over turn the conviction.
<link to media 2009 for more details>
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| image captured from MSNBC video Rove's Lawyer, Luskin, claims that Rove will testify, but not under oath. In response, the House issued a subpoena for Rove. |
| photo: Jim Young/Reuters Karl Rove, a top political strategist for George W. Bush, was implicated in the Siegelman Prosecution.<more> |
| Excerpt from Simpson Affidavit May 21, 2007 “Rob Riley...was told by “Bill” Canary not to worry about Don Siegelman that “his girls would take care of him...” that he had already gotten it worked out with Karl and Karl had spoken with the Department of Justice…” |
| Bush appointed Bill Canary's "girls", Alice Martin (middle) and Leura Canary (rt) to US Attorney General positions in Alabama. They both brought indictment vs. Democratic Governor Siegelman. |
| CBS "60 Minutes" Segment aired their Siegelman Report on Don's 62nd Birthday! Link to "60 Minutes" Website for more . |
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