Siegelman Sentencing Hearing Begins TodayFormer Alabama governor, Don Siegelman (D), goes to court today for the start of his sentencing hearing which is expected to drag on for days. The former lawmaker faces up to 30 years in prison, while his his co-defendant, health care executive Richard Scrushy, could get 25 years — both are ostensibly life sentences. Siegelman was convicted of appointing Scrushy to a public board in exchange for a donation to a lottery campaign.
Siegelman maintains his innocence and says the prosecution stemmed from a politically-motivated vendetta by Republicans. A Republican lawyer, Dana Jill Simpson, attested to this possibility in a sworn affidavit implicating Karl Rove in pushing the Justice Department to bring a case against Siegelman. (Simpson’s affidavit is available here.)
Siegelman and others have called the prosecution’s insistence on a long prison sentence further evidence of ulterior motives. As a contrast, Siegelman points to the last time an Alabama governor — Guy Hunt (R) — was convicted on political corruption charges, in 1993. A key prosecutor in that case, Steve Feaga, did not push for jail time. Now, that same prosecutor has fought for the 30-year term for Siegelman. From an editorial in the Birmingham News :
“The government doesn’t contend I ever put a penny in my pocket, and they’re asking for a life sentence,” Siegelman said. “For the Republican governor who actually stole $200,000, Mr. Feaga did not ask for a day in prison, not a day.”
The Los Angeles Times pointed out today that a 30 year sentence is longer than the average term served in Alabama for murder.
The Times also has the first White House acknowledgment of the case:
White House spokesman Tony Fratto waved away the controversy, saying: “Someone is always making some baseless charge about Karl. Unfortunately I can’t comment in this case while legal proceedings are ongoing.”
Rove himself has also given a vague comment (with a smile) on the accusation that he had a hand in the case.