The Justice Department Swallows Its Tale

The story of how former Alabama governor Don Siegelman ended up with a seven year prison sentence for corruption is a lot more tangled than the "crime" itself.  Siegelman was a popular politician, the only person to ever be elected to all four statewide offices -- Secretary of State, Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor and Governor -- in the history of Alabama.  Furthermore, Siegelman was a popular Democrat, a progressive Democrat, in a state that is seen as the heart of the Republican south.  His election was seen by some a sea change.

But the tide didn't stay out for long.  In running for Governor, Siegelman had campaigned on starting a state lottery, with the proceeds to provide college tuition for students graduating high school in the state.  The issue was popular enough to help Siegelman take office in a general election year, but when the lottery itself was put forward in a single issue election during an off-year, religious conservatives bolstered by money from across the nation defeated the proposal in a campaign that left Seigelman both politically and financially drained.  Thus conservatives successfully protected their children from the threat of scratch off tickets.  And education.

Two years later, Siegelman -- his lottery proposal dead and every other proposal stalled by the state legislature -- was out of office.  Shortly thereafter, the Bush administration launched a probe, accusing Siegleman of... eh, helping get someone onto a state hospital board if they would drum up donations to the lottery plan.  Siegelman didn't get a penny.  Naturally he was charged with bribery, conspiracy, racketeering, and mail fraud.  Because, as we all know, the Bush administration can't stand the idea of unqualified friends getting important positions in government only because they rounded up lots of political cash.  Got it?

Twenty five counts against Siegelman were thrown out of court, and the jury reported it was deadlocked twice.  However, the judge -- who, like the federal prosecutor who brought the case, just happened to be a Bush appointee -- told the jury to get back in there and deliberate.  When they finally produced an proper result, the judge tossed a hefty book at the former governor, giving him an 88-month sentence (that's 2 1/2 Original Scooter Sentences, 15 Freidman units, or an infinity of Bush-approved Scooter Sentences).  Not only that, but Gov. Siegelman was shackled and marched off to prison on the spot, by order of the judge, with no chance for bond.

Charges of political persecution started before the trial, and were bolstered when one of the lawyers testified about some Republican gloating.

Jill Simpson, an Alabama lawyer who signed an affidavit saying she overheard a Republican political operative connect the prosecution of Mr. Siegelman to Karl Rove, will be questioned under oath this week by investigators for the House Judiciary Committee.

That's not the good part.  Oh, I know that the prospect of dragging Karl Rove (again) into political witch hunts launched by the Justice Department might seem like the good part.  But listen to this.

The chairman of that committee, Representative John Conyers Jr., Democrat of Michigan, has asked the Justice Department to turn over its documents in the case.

The department has refused his request, saying in a letter last week to the committee that "we want to avoid any perception that the conduct of our criminal investigations and prosecutions is subject to political influence."

Got that?  You might want to read it again.  

What the Justice Department is saying, is that it can't turn over documents in a case where it's accused of being influenced by politics, because letting Congress see what it's been up to might cause it to be... influenced by politics.  It's a defense so brilliant, so brain-numbing, so completely circular, that it's amazing it hasn't been used before.  Going after a man for political reasons is okay.  Turning over the documents that show you broke the law is buckling to political pressure.

(And yes, "tale" was intentional.  I was also going to put "Ouroboros" in the tags, but someone would just come along and change it to "Reptiles, Mythical.")