Don Siegelman has recovered from months of brutal and unjust imprisonment and has his fight back. He's ready to help the House Judiciary committee's investigations of Karl Rove and the Bush administration's abuse Department of Justice. Siegelman's case goes back to the relationship between Rove and Jack Abramoff beginning before Bush became president.
The Star: Since 1998, you've been the subject of some kind of investigation. Why do you think that is?
Siegelman: It's all part of the same case. It started when Karl Rove's bag man, I call him, Jack Abramoff, started putting Indian casino money into Alabama to defeat me in 1998.
Rove and all the Republicans involved in the DOJ abuses continue to refuse to testify before Congress. John Conyers continues to demand information from the Department of Justice.
Repeating and emphasizing requests of 7/17/07 and 9/10/07 for documents and information related to selective prosecution, specifically including:
- "Any memoranda, analysis, communications, or documents discussing whether and to what extent criminal charges should be or were pursued against Governor Siegelman or Dr. Wecht.
- Any memoranda, analysis, or any other documents from, reflecting, or referencing any communication involving White House staff, members of Congress or their staff, any state or local political party officials or their staff, or any private person, regarding Governor Siegelman or Dr. Wecht.
- Case impression, prosecution or declination memoranda, including drafts, and notes or emails discussing or referencing the Siegelman or Wecht matters.
- Any memoranda, analysis, communication or other documents regarding whether or not any federal prosecutor, investigator, or judge should recuse from either the Wecht or Siegelman matters, including the 514 pages of documents related to the recusal of U.S. Attorney Leura Canary in the Siegelman matter reportedly being withheld in response to a public FOIA request.
- Indictment review files/memoranda, and notes or emails discussing or referencing the Siegelman or Wecht matters.
- Discovery correspondence regarding the Siegelman or Wecht matters.
- FBI 302s and other witness interview records or memoranda relating to or referencing the Siegelman or Wecht matters.
- Witness immunity agreements, Giglio materials, or Brady materials regarding the Siegelman or Wecht matters including any notes, draft testimony, or witness preparation materials created by or for any witnesses in the Siegelman or Wecht matters.
- Any document regarding any contact of any kind between any juror in either the Siegelman or Wecht matter and any member of the prosecution or investigative team.
- Any other emails or documents discussing the strengths, weaknesses, merits, wisdom, or political implications of the Siegelman or Wecht prosecutions, including whether to bring any particular charges or types of charges in either case such as RICO charges and whether or not to impanel, re-impanel, or continue any grand jury in either matter."
All items requested; no response received.
Don Siegelman tells why he wants to testify before Congress. He wants to restore our system of justice from the police state it has become under Bush.
The Star: You've got a lot on your plate with your appeal. Why are you working so hard at this appeal to Congress?
Siegelman: It's much bigger than me because it's not just my case. This was not an isolated incident. This was a pernicious, political plan that was set in motion by Karl Rove to further his espoused dream of establishing a permanent Republican majority in this country, and what he left out was by any means necessary.
It is clear to me — and I think to those who have been investigating, and that's why they're so hot about this case — it is clear that Karl Rove abused his power and misused the Department of Justice as a political tool to win elections, and that is something that would happen in a police state. That is something that we might have read about in history books as happening in Russia, but it is not something that should be allowed to happen in the United States of America. And Congress, and I believe John Conyers, clearly sees this as a wrongful action against democracy in this country, and he wants to make a statement that is clear and unequivocal that this kind of abuse of power is not going to be tolerated under any administration whether it's a Democratic administration or a Republican administration.
We have got to regain control over our system of justice, and it's got to be put back in order, and not allowed ever to be used in this manner again.
That's why I've been working not just on my legal appeal, but on an appeal to the United States Congress to keep digging in and fighting for the truth.
We need to keep the pressure on Congress to do their job. We need to send e-mails and letters of encouragement to John Conyers to frog march Rove to testify if that's what it takes.
Contact the House Judiciary Committee here.