Opinion

Response to Karl Rove's WSJ opinion piece

Guest Opinion by Don Siegelman, Governor of Alabama, 1999-2003

Gov. Don Siegelman Image — Instagram screen capture

Guest Opinion by Don Siegelman, Governor of Alabama, 1999-2003

In Karl Rove’s WSJ opinion piece, June 10^th, “Scott Pelley’s Idea of Journalism — Why Would Anyone Think ‘60 Minutes’ Is Biased? Consider What Happened to Me”, Karl criticizes CBS 60 Minute veteran journalist Scott Pelley for not doing his due diligence. As an example, Rove focuses on a 60 Minutes story “The Prosecution of Don Siegelman”, 02/24/08, in which Pelley interviews Republican Jill Simpson about whether politics had influenced my prosecution.

Mr. Rove argues that 60 Minutes failed to substantiate Ms. Simpson’s allegations. However, Karl does not mention that Ms. Simpson had given sworn testimony to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee linking Rove and his Alabama business partner, Bill Canary, to political and prosecutorial efforts directed against me.

Bill Canary was not merely Karl Rove’s political associate. He was also the husband of my prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Leura Canary. Ms. Canary was vetted by Mr. Rove and appointed by President George W. Bush.

According to Ms. Simpson’s sworn testimony, Bill Canary stated during a 2002 conference call Republicans didn’t need to worry about Don Siegelman because his wife and another U.S. Attorney would “take care of Siegelman.”

While Simpson gave sworn testimony to Congress, subject to criminal penalties, notably Rove refused to testify under oath; and then, when asked directly if he was involved in my prosecution, refused to answer. (This Week, ABC News (Mar. 25, 2002))

There was additional context that 60 Minutes could not ignore.

On March 28, 2001, The Kiplinger Letter (White House 2004: Early Look at Democrats) identified me as a “dark horse” candidate for president in 2004, adding, all I needed to do was win reelection in 2002. At that time, the last two Democrats elected had been Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, by implication, I too could break the Republican hold on Southern electoral votes.

It was then the forces of Karl Rove became animated.

$20 million of Indian casino money had been laundered into Alabama by Karl Rove’s fellow College Republican, Jack Abramoff, both to defeat me and my proposed State lottery initiative dedicated to public education. (See “Capitol Punishment” by Jack Abramoff, 2012; also see Atticus v. The Architect, the political assassination of Governor Don Siegelman.)

Bill Canary’s wife, the United States Attorney, accelerated the federal investigation.

Alabama’s Attorney General, a political ally and client of Mr. Rove, pursued a parallel state investigation leading into my 2002 reelection campaign.

While I was under investigation by Bill Canary's wife, he was being paid by one Republican candidate seeking to defeat me. Later, Bill Canary helped run my opponent's campaign in 2002.

The Bush Department of Justice concluded there was “no actual conflict.” (Department of Justice memorandum, May 15, 2002, at 3; David Beiler, Campaigns & Elections, June 2003.)

The night of the 2002 election, after all counties had reported, I was declared the winner. Overnight more than 6,000 of my votes disappeared from Baldwin County, a Republican dominated county.

My demand for a hand count of the ballots was blocked by Karl Rove’s client, the State Attorney General. I then walked away and said I’d run again in 2006.

One month before my reelection date in 2006, I was brought to trial and convicted of bribery. Even though I wasn’t accused of benefiting personally, a campaign contribution to a State lottery referendum was used to support a bribery charge.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote about the 2002 election in Chapter 28, “Stuffed” in “Tales of Billionaires & Ballot Bandits” by Greg Palast, 2012.

“The faux bribery charge received national attention, but not this story of the theft of Siegelman’s 2002 election.”

Kennedy gave credit for electronic vote-switching to Karl Rove’s Deputy and President Bush’s Southern Political Director, saying that Republicans gave her the credit for “finding the votes that delivered the election” to my opponent. Kennedy says it was Karl Rove’s political client, the State’s Attorney General who seized all of the ballots and blocked a hand recount, and “threatened to jail anyone who attempted to count the ballots.” (pp 229-231; See also Professor James H. Gundlach, Auburn University, “Statistical Analysis of Possible Electronic Ballot Stuffing,” April 11, 2003.)

Questions about the prosecution were not limited to the media:

David Margolis, the Justice Department’s longest-serving Associate Deputy Attorney General, (praised by James Comey for being “The Department of Justice”...NPR, July 13, 2016) observed:

“The way DOJ managed this case, if brought to light, would do real harm to the reputation of the department.”(Washington Spectator, March 8, 2016.)

Ironically, while the Department of Justice denied political motivation,it acknowledged that its lead corruption prosecutor had been in email contact with my Republican opponent’s son. (Ronald Welch, Assistant Attorney General, Letter to House Committee on the Judiciary, June 3, 2010, at 3.)

As you have read, many of the claims examined by Scott Pelley in that 60 Minutes broadcast about my prosecution were supported by sworn testimony, government records, contemporaneous reporting, published books, academic analysis, and statements from officials across the political spectrum.

Journalism is not the avoidance of controversy; it is the examination of evidence. Journalists are supposed to investigate serious allegations involving powerful public officials and present the facts to the American people.

Don Siegelman served as Governor of Alabama from 1999 to 2003 and previously served as Alabama Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Lieutenant Governor. He is the only person in Alabama history elected to the State's top four constitutional offices. He may be contacted through https://linktr.ee/donsiegelman.

Opinions do not reflect the views and opinions of ALPolitics.com. ALPolitics.com makes no claims nor assumes any responsibility for the information and opinions expressed above.

Mr. Rove’s WSJ Opinion piece is available at the above link, or on Apple News at https://apple.news/ANMmRDWZiShiJ9DbqQ2jIng.

CBS News, 60 Minutes, ‘The Prosecution of Don Siegelman“ may be seen on YouTube and below: