"60 Minutes" blames Karl Rove for fmr Gov. Don Siegelman's (D-AL) prosecution; state GOP says "show proof or retract"
3/1/2008
According to The Birmingham News:
In the segment aired Sunday [on 60 Minutes], north Alabama lawyer Jill Simpson said Republican strategist Karl Rove in 2001 asked her take a compromising photo of [former Democrat Gov. Don] Siegelman with one of his aides.Rove has denied knowing Simpson at all. Siegelman was, of course, convicted of conspiracy and bribery in 2006. During his trial:
Prosecutors contended [HealthSouth founder Richard] Scrushy bought a seat on a state health board with $500,000 in contributions to Siegelman's 1999 lottery campaign.I have no idea why this story suddenly came up now, outside of the MSM's complicity in the well-publicized attempt to spike GWB's legacy before it gets started; however, the chairman of the AL state GOP has in effect told 60 Minutes to put up or retract.
Siegelman was also convicted on an unrelated obstruction of justice charge that he hid $9,200 he received from a lobbyist.
"If you are unable to publicly produce hard and convincing evidence that backs the outrageous charges you aired to millions of viewers across the nation, I ask that you publicly retract the story on your next broadcast," Rep. Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, head of the Alabama Republican Party, wrote in a letter to the show.
Labels: Blog
