A fellow Kossack alerted me to this story, so I decided to give it a little more sunlight, particularly because it is time sensitive.
Paul Minor was a prominent Mississippi attorney who was a heavy donor to Democrats and Democratic causes. Much like Don Siegelman, he became the target of a DOJ investitgation for "honest services mail fraud" during the Bush years. As profiled in Harper's in 2007, the charges against Minor were so convoluted, several public integrity attorneys consulted for the article could not make heads or tails of them. Regardless, Minor was tried and convicted and currently serving 11 years in prison.
The time sensitive part of this story is that Minor's wife of 41 years, Sylvia, is dying of brain cancer. Minor's attorneys have filed an emergency motion for his release to see his wife before she passes. DOJ has until noon today to decide whether it will oppose the motion.
Minor's case was highlighted by a recent New York Times editorial for the Justice Department to review. Much like Ted Stevens, NYT argues, the Holder DOJ should review not only Stevens for Siegelman and Minor's cases as well for prosecutorial misconduct. And as Robert Kennedy Jr. and Brendan Demelle have pointed out on Huffington Post, Minor has already established a key legal point in seeking appeal of his conviction:
Minor is legally entitled to release on bail from the Pensacola Federal Prison Camp where he has spent the last two-and-a-half years. His attorneys have successfully raised "substantial questions" about Minor's conviction, the key legal test which requires the defendant's release on bond pending the outcome of an appeal. The tough questions asked of the DOJ attorney by the panel of judges hearing Minor's appeal last week make clear the fact that these judges appear to have their own "substantial questions" about the Justice Department's prosecution of Mr. Minor for bribery.
At this point, regardless of the results of Minor's attempts for release, one thing is painfully clear: DOJ should not oppose Minor's emergency motion. Given the questions surrounding the case, DOJ should not, at a minimum, stand in the way of Minor's ability to see his dying wife.
Let's keep the pressure on. Contact DOJ at askdoj@doj.gov, and the White House directly by clicking here. Let them know that the only way to wash clean the sins of the prior 8 years is to give a full review not only the Ted Stevens of the world, but the Paul Minors as well.
It would a crime not let Minor see his wife before she dies. It would be a further crime not to give Minor a full review, and the full measure of justice.