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Siegelman: Rove's Fingerprints "Are Smeared All over The Case"
Don Siegelman's first interview out of prison:
Former Governor Don Siegelman of Alabama, released from prison today on bond in a bribery case, said he was as convinced as ever that politics played a leading role in his prosecution.In a telephone interview shortly after he walked out of a federal prison in Oakdale, La., Mr. Siegelman said there had been “abuse of power” in his case, and repeatedly cited the influence of Karl Rove, the former White House political director.
“His fingerprints are smeared all over the case,” Mr. Siegelman said, a day after a federal appeals court ordered him released on bond and said there were legitimate questions about his case.
Update: Here's video of Siegelman's very brief statement just after leaving prison.
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Comments (44)
Maybe Siegelman will finally get the justice he deserves.
March 28, 2008 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
While I have regained my faith that Siegelman will get justice now that everyone in the country is paying attention (finally), I have very little faith that Karl Rove will get the justice HE deserves. But oh how I would love to be there if Karl was shipped off in cuffs and an orange jumpsuit...
March 28, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd love to see a "frog march" but I doubt it will ever happen.
March 28, 2008 5:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why? How will Karl get out of this one? Jeebus. There should be enough in this case that something oughtta stick. And if the trial isn't concluded by Jan. 20, 2009, Rove can't count on a pardon.
Or are you just keeping expectations low to keep from having hopes crushed?
March 28, 2008 8:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
His release is a huge victory for the bloggers and the progressives. Another one will be Obama Presidency.
March 28, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hi hope he screams from the mountain tops what was done to him...
March 28, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone think that Rove will not be pardoned if he gets implicated in this mess?
March 28, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
The question is whether Rove will be indicted before or after Bush leaves office.
Can someone be pardoned before they are indicted? Besides not passing the smell test (it would be an admission of guilt) there is a real question whether it would even be legal.
Of course, Mukasey might indict Rove just top invite a pardon.
March 29, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's change this Poll, the numbers are against Don at the moment. http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=8081985#poll69912
March 28, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
For Rove to get a Bush pardon, the current DOJ would have to act with unnatural speed to bring Karl to trial. Remember, it took almost fourteen months from Scooter Libby's indictment to his trial's start. As stupid as he may be, Bush would not dare put Rove on trial before the upcoming election.
Even if for some reason he wanted to, Cheney wouldn't let him.
-AF
Andrew Sullivan Is A Fraud
March 28, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while he was President. Bush can pardon Rove for any crimes he may have committed while working for the President thus heading off any future prosecutions.
March 28, 2008 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
It would be so nice to see something blow back in Rove's face.
Not that anything would ever happen thereafter.
March 28, 2008 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pardons can be made before any crime is charged (according to Wikipedia, and by the precedent of pardoning, en masse, those who went to Canada instead of Vietnam -- I'm sure there are others, of course).
March 28, 2008 6:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh my god. That's ridiculous!
Crap!
March 28, 2008 8:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's not right about needing a conviction before a pardon. Remember Bush Sr. stopped the Iran Contra investigation by pardoning several conspirators, even though they were only under investigation and not all were even indicted. So Junior definitely could pardon all his cronies preemptively.
On the other hand, and I direct this to Democrats who say they would vote for McCain or not vote if they don't get their candidate, a Democratic president, whoever it is, could pardon Siegelman and others convicted in political persecutions by the Bush DOJ. McCain won't do that.
March 28, 2008 6:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rove will never be called to justice -- at least not in this lifetime. You see, even though he leaves his fingerprints all over the place, he is always several steps ahead of accountability. The dirty work is always done by someone else. Rove is simply the evil genius, not the perpetrator. If you want to draw the next conclusion, that he is a coward, that is up to you.
March 28, 2008 6:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry Suntzu, Rove is not several steps ahead of accountability...it's just that no one even bothers to try to hold him accountable...it might take away from "policy making" as Pelosi stated. Rocve is not an "evil genius" either...he's just a gutter scumbag adviser doing things that are beneath most people's thinking. He's managed to help fill this administration with cronies just like him. While the dems are preparing their 'roach spray' it is up to the rest of us to begin making lists of who these roaches are and what government positions they are hiding in as they continue pushing the privatization of our democracy for power and profit.
"Just answer the damn question mam. Are you now or have you ever been a member of the republican party?"
March 29, 2008 3:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice to see this. Kudos to Scott Horton.
P.S. Remember that nasty troll (and alleged independent) JakeD?
He spends his days trolling the WaPo, now. I wonder if he's getting paid to do it?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/mypost/index.html?newspaperUserId=JakeD
March 28, 2008 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
In Dec 2008/Jan 2009 the pardons will be piling up I suspect. I'm not well up on the US political system; I don't really understand why pardons are even permitted. Doesn't such a mechanism circumvent the necessarily ubiquitous application of law?
March 28, 2008 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
My Dearest Elbonian,
Presidential pardons are defined in Article II of the Constitution. Your comment is really about the problem of misuseof this power by Bush. When used properly, Presidential pardons have the ability to right wrongs that have occured within our (fallible) system of justice.
Bush doesn't believe that anyone convicted, particularly anyone on Death Row, could actually be innocent. However, he does have a penchant for pardoning (white) drug dealers.
March 31, 2008 9:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dear Cynical Jim:
Now that is interesting. So let's see if I've got this straight: pardons are to right wrongs but if a right is wronged with a pardon (i.e. justice is cheated of its raison d'etre) then the pardon system eats itself. I'm assuming that a pardon cannot be rescinded even if it's considered questionable.
\\
April 1, 2008 7:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Somebody please tell me: did the guy accept bribes or not?
March 28, 2008 7:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
JakeD is not smart enough to get paid for writing. He does it because he likes it.
March 28, 2008 7:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think JakeD is that other irritating WaPo hack, zuckermand. They say the same annoying shit.
One time they had a faux interaction in essentially consecutive posts, like, hi JakeD, your post trashing Democrats was so thoughtful, why thank you zuckermand, your prior post was well reasoned also.
March 28, 2008 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's a thought, let's hope Karl Rove gets caught and convicted AFTER new president comes to office. I wonder if Fox News will run continuous clips 24/7 for weeks on end of Karl in his little orange suit and shackles. He is an evil man. What they did to Governor Siegleman is deserving of extreme punishment and I hope they get it.
March 28, 2008 8:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Bush pardoned Rove before Rove was even charged there would be a tremendous outcry. The MSM is just starting to become aware of this story. This awareness is only going grow now that Siegelman is out and free to do interviews. This will not be addressed in any way until after the election.
Rove's best bet is for his formerly hated arch enemy McCain to get elected. Why do you think the Rovester has been advising the guy he tried to destroy with his infamous SC push polling?
-AF
Andrew Sullivan Is A Fraud
March 28, 2008 8:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
The think about outcries ... they die down. There is no shame left in America, and no attention span. Rove will walk.
March 29, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm delighted Siegleman is a free man today, but I am concerned that his illegal/political prosecution will not be appropriately used as the reason for a wide ranging and unyielding investigation of the crimes of the Bush administration that will end in appropriately harsh and unforgiving sentences for all those (including Bush and Rove) who so cavalierly manipulated and abused our system of law and government. These petty tyrants and their henchmen should all be made to pay a very heavy price for these unspeakable, practically treasonous crimes. Siegleman's is just one of the most obvious and clear cut. The damage they have done to the nation is irreparable without putting them behind bars. Sadly, I've not the slightest bit of hope that the collection of weaklings and cowards that lead the Democratic Party will seize the moment and deliver the justice these criminals have coming to them.
March 28, 2008 8:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pardon by Bush in his last day in office?
March 28, 2008 9:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
And yesterday the governor of Puerto Rico was indicted on multiple violations of federal election laws. For those of you unfamiliar with the byzantine politics of the Isla de Encanto, the current governor is from the Popular Democratic Party, which is assocaited with the US Democratic party. The main opposition is called soemhting like New Progressive Party, and is affiliated with the US Republican Party. Rosello', the previous NPP governor ended up with most of his cabinet and half his staff in federal jail on corruption charges. But he personally escaped unscathed despite widespread feeling that he knew exactly what was going on.
So - are these new indictments yet another effort by US DoJ to punish Democrats while letting Republicans off with a wrist slap? I've no doubt that the current govrenor is guilty, but i also have no doubt that Rosello was even worse and yet was never even indicted.
March 28, 2008 10:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
And this is why Pelosi is dumber than a box of hammers. Or as corrupt as Rove. You have impeachment hearings to expose this sort of thing and force Rethugs to either vote to impeach OR GO ON RECORD DEFENDING THIS KIND OF ABUSE.
I'm just going to stop here before I have an aneurysm.
March 29, 2008 3:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
I am a democrat from Ala. and want the rest of you to know the reason no one screamed from the rooftops is that siegleman os a very crooked and corupted man. He has never held to demcratic ideas he was just power hungry and after self interests. There were plenty of things to catch him on. Of course that is all politicians here in Ala he was just one of the worst. It is hard for me to see him as a maryter. i think there should be many more sent to prison here from both sides because they aLL on both sides line thier pockets with graft while there are kids going to schools in unsafe buildings living in homes without running water. I wish someone in ALa on either side cared about the people.
March 29, 2008 8:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hear you Pamela, but still that does not excuse a targeted hit on a local politician by the administration. A lot of people in Alabama are in fact unsure of what to believe. Many but not all of the media there were co-opted by business interests who supported Riley, so it's hard to know which outlets to believe. I think that is another reason for the muted reaction among Democrats, not just because they all thought he was a crook. For me, there are three things that really stand out: how quickly Siegelman was shackled (SHACKLED!) and whisked off to prison; the blackout in Huntsville of the 60 Minutes broadcast; and that he was released. If all politicians are as corrupt as you say they are, why then are they all not being summarily imprisoned as the former governor was, and if all Democrats are outraged as you say they are, why are they not actively bringing pressure to bear to prosecute to every corrupt politician? Siegelman may not have been an angel, but come on, they really were out to get him from the get go.
March 29, 2008 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
The right wing news media in Alabama spread all those rumors about Siegelman, Pamela. He has been one of the most honest straight forward Governors Alabama has ever had and brought about huge reforms in the state government. If you trace your rumors down you'll see where they really lead and why the republicans went to such great lengths to get Siegleman out of the picture. They treated the governor like a serial killer...no respect and railroaded him...smearing him in every way possible. Don't you believe it for a moment. As more comes out you will see what a joint concentrated effort by the media, the DoJ, and the Alabama republican party it was to try to bury Siegelman for good. What a shame it was, because the light was just beginning to shine in Alabama but was temporarily overcome by the dark side by a stolen election and the total miscarriage of justice instigated by Rove, the DoJ. and Alabama republicans.
March 29, 2008 3:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
"He has been one of the most honest straight forward Governors Alabama has ever had..."
bjobotts2,
You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. Siegelman's malfeasance has been reported on for years -- LONG before any of this Scrushy/hospital board stuff started -- by reputable reporters in Alabama who have a track record of nailing corrupt officials from both parties. The same Alabama media you deride as "right wing" was responsible for the reporting that ultimately led to the resignationa and imprisonment of Guy Hunt, Alabama's first Republican governor since Reconstruction.
The knee-jerk attitudes of your post reflect what is, in my opinion, so depressing about the way many TPM posters and liberal bloggers have treated this story. It's perfectly fine to argue that Siegelman's prosecution was tainted by politics -- I wouldn't be surprised if the facts bear that out. But to suggest that Siegelman was "honest" and "straight-forward" is delusional or willfully ignorant.
Consider what is NOT disputed about this case. It is not disputed that Siegelman appointed Richard Scrushy -- a man fired by the company he founded because his underlings testified that he personally oversaw a $2.7 BILLION fraud by keeping 2 sets of books -- to the state regulatory board that oversaw Scrushy's own industry. It is NOT disputed that Scrushy donated $500,000 -- half a million!!! -- to a defunct political campaign fund for which Siegelman was personally liable.
The best the Siegelman defenders can argue -- since they can't argue that the payments didnt take place -- is either it wasnt technically a "bribe" because the money went into a campaign fund, not directly into Siegelman's pocket. (Nevermind that the money went to pay debts Siegelman was liable for himself.) Or else they argue that the timing of the payment suggests that it wasn't specifically in exchange for the position on the hospital board -- in which case we are all supposed to believe that Richard Scrushy gave $500,000 to this already defunct politcal campaign fund just for the heck of it, and not because he wanted anything in return. How many people do you know who give away $500K to politicians without expecting (or having received) something in return? Right.
What would you say if George W. Bush or John McCain received $500,000 from some crooked businessman but then tried to argue that they didn't possibly do anything unethical? Please tell us.
Again, argue that it was a political prosecution -- as perhaps the Spitzer investigation was. But you dont have to excuse Siegelman (or Spitzer) to do so. And in my opinion, what Spitzer did pales in comparison to what Siegelman did; Spitzer at least didn't hand over a regulatory board seat to the very person the board was supposed to regulate.
And go do some reading on Siegelman's record before all this started. He black listed reporters; withheld public documents from the press; he lied by telling the public that he didn't receive any money from the tobacco settlement, then later admitted he'd received $800K. And on and on. So again: Rove may be the devil in this case, but Don Siegelman is no angel.
March 30, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
laurajordan,
Two words regarding the human-porcine hybrid getting away:
'Passport' & 'Dubai'
Cuz iffin he don't . . .
He will be disappeared by Pappy Bush's buddy's from the 60's.
March 29, 2008 9:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
From what I've read, the reasons for prosecuting Speigelman all scream of politicis. But as another poster remarked, I haven't heard much about him being wrongfully convicted. Does anyone know if the facts/evidence in the case were manufactured?
March 29, 2008 9:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks Ifthethunder.
I voted yes. Currently at yes 76%.
March 29, 2008 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can anyone answer the following question?
Currently President Bush has blocked Congressional testimony, under oath, by members of his administration, such as Rove. When we have President Obama or President Clinton and a Democratic Attorney General, can we expect such testimony?
I would think even a blanket pardon would not cover future perjury.
March 29, 2008 1:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hopefully my previous comment re: Alabama's media bias will show up someday...
Here's some perspective. It took the Alabama courts' and DOJ almost 9 months to let Siegelman (D) out pending his appeal. Even though the charges against him were far more serious, Brent Wilkes (R)spent just 5 weeks in jail pending appeal.
-AF
Andrew Sullivan Is A Fraud
March 29, 2008 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for pointing that out, AF. What a contrast- Wilkes hardly warms the jailhouse bunk & is released, while we have to watch Siegelman in a ragged shirt yesterday asking to have some quiet time with his family.
Nice to hear that Siegelman isn't waiting for the HJC hearing to speak up & is already playing pin the tail/tale on the Rove......
March 29, 2008 2:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
"We lost the emails...we lost the transcripts...we lost the evidence...Attorney generals cannot be investigated...just read my post at the WSJ...I had nothing to do with it....blah blah blah."
As Pelosi states...justice is off the table for this administration and their partners in crime...the DoJ .
March 29, 2008 2:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Scott Horton on Mukasey, Siegelman, and our corrupt Department of Justice.
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/03/hbc-90002750
But indeed, Mukasey’s brush off fails to properly weigh the concern. Many observers continue to view the probe into the dealings of California Congressman Jerry Lewis, one of the G.O.P.’s Congressional powerhouses, as the most significant corruption case in the country. It raises weighty issues of management of the public trust and misuse of legislative power for personal benefit. Yet there is much to believe that the scandal that brought Gonzales down and elevated Mukasey to the position he now holds revolves around just this investigation, which has at its crux Ted Olson, almost certainly President Bush’s preferred choice to be attorney general, and a man whose influence is widely felt in many selections. Ted Olson is Jerry Lewis’s attorney.
March 29, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nobody real challenged Ford's pardon of Nixon. As disgusting as it was to let Nixon go free, the pardon was a good thing for the country.
In Bush's case however, a similar type pardon would be bad for the country. His actions are directly responsible for the deaths of over 4000 military. His actions are responsible for the deaths of 10s of thousands of Iraqi civilians. His actions are directly responsible for the abasement of our standing in the world. And besides, he has done absolutely nothing of a positive nature for this country.
I look forward to the punditocracy orgy when he's indicted for War Crimes at the Hague...
March 31, 2008 9:18 AM | Reply | Permalink