Thank you for holding the hearing "Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice" this Tuesday, March 23, 2010.
It is important for our democracy to have checks and balances, which this hearing exemplifies. However, it seems we have been remiss in the last few yearsinholding our Justice Department accountable. There have been hundreds of prosecutions that certainly fall into the political category. We know that is not supposed to be what justice in America is about. I hope this oversight hearing will begin to do something about this.
Former Alabama Governor, Don Siegelman, has been prosecuted and imprisoned for a crime that is not a crime. While he was released from prison pending re-sentencing and is awaiting an opportunity to appear before theUS Supreme Court, he is fighting for his freedom as well as justice for the rest of us. Many legal experts have expressed the opinion that this case was clearly a bogus prosecution and Gov. Siegelman should be exonerated from all charges.
Congressman John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has written letters, not just to Attorney General Eric Holder, butthe two previous Attorneys General,Gonzales and Mukasey, on Gov. Siegelman's behalf. Between law professors,over 90 former State's Attorneys General and hundreds of citizens having senta multitude of requests to the Justice Department, still over two years later, there has not been any investigation of this case.
According to Time magazine, the wife of his opponent's campaign manager, Leura Canary, who was and still is the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, selectively prosecuted Gov. Siegelman. She, by the way, is married to Karl Rove's best friend and former business and political associate, Bill Canary.
Mr. Canarywas being paid by one ofGov. Siegelman'spotential Republican opponentswhile his wife was investigating Gov. Siegelman. Who can defend that kind of conflict of interest?
A Republican whistle-blower has given sworn testimony tothe House Judiciary Committee that she was on a conference call with Mr. Canary, keep in mind, the husband of the prosecutor investigating Siegelman, whenMr. Canaryadmitted having talked to Karl Rove about the Department Of Justice pursuing and his wife prosecuting Gov. Siegelman.
The wife of his opponent's campaign manager brought Gov. Siegelman to trial one month before the gubernatorial election.
Gov. Siegelman'sconviction was basedsolely on the false testimony of a felon who made a deal with the government to change his testimony so they could get a conviction. The CBS program,60 Minutes, reported that the prosecutors made the felon write and re-write his testimony until he got it the way the government wanted it, a Department of Justice employee gave testimony to substantiate this.
It is unlawful for a prosecutor to knowingly present false evidence; as citizens we should not tolerate such practices.
I urge you to take the time to go to Gov. Siegelman's website: http://donsiegelman.org/
Here you will be able to observe why so many Americans are concerned and want something done that will stop this kind of practice in our Justice Department.
I hope you will be certain to ask AG Holder whyhis departmenthasnot initiated aninvestigation into the Don Siegelman case.
Alabama lost it's best Governor in this atrocity simply because he was a popular Democrat and some felt it was time to put a Republican in hisplace. That could only be done if Gov. Siegelman was out of the way. There were many people involved in this orchestration. It's up to you to make certain the Justice Department gives this case the investigation it is due.
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