When former Gov. Don Siegelman reappointed a member to a state health board, he was indicted by federal prosecutors because that person had made a substantial contribution, not to Siegelman, but to a campaign to create a state lottery in Alabama. This lottery would have provided scholarships to our young people. Siegelman was prosecuted by federal prosecutors in Montgomery, found guilty and sent to prison. Many, including myself, think this was a purely political prosecution.
Now, along comes Gov. Robert Bentley, who according to a newspaper article printed April 20, reappointed a member of the Auburn Board of Trustees whose wife made a $25,000 contribution to the Bentley campaign. |