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October 27, 2005
Don & Dick's Big Day
That's the News' headline. I like it. Maybe there'll be convictions this time! Siegelman:
"The charges are false. I'm going to be proven innocent again and we're going to go on to win this primary and win this election."
What else is he going to say? Still, yet again, he's in the papers. Most candidates would kill for this much free media. (Don't get any ideas, Roy.)
The RICO charges date back to Siegelman's term as Lieutenant Governor. At the time, that was a pretty powerful position, but the legislature stripped it of most of its authority when a Republican (Steve "Urine Jug" Windom) took over the office in 1998.
Among the accusations in the indictment are that Young gave Siegelman $204,200 and an all-terrain vehicle and gave Hamrick $46,000. In return, they helped Young obtain a tax break for Waste Management Inc., pushed a bill to let the Talladega Superspeedway sell beer on Sundays, and selected a company in which Young was involved for a lucrative contract to build two state warehouses, according to the indictment.
You know it was the ATV that put it over the top.
Scrushy is charged with three bribery and mail fraud counts. The US Attorney says that it was sealed to allow the grand jury to continue work, but I'm pretty sure that's a part-truth at best. When the indictment was handed down, Scrushy was still on trial and the judge might not have looked kindly upon another indictment being handed down.
Posted by Mac Thomason at October 27, 2005 08:11 AM
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Comments
This kind of stuff happens all the time, at all levels of government. A former local state Representative and probate judge from where I grew up is doing time right now for something similar. One of the few politicians that I can say I knew personally; went to school with his kids. He was a really nice guy too... just a little greedy.
Posted by: E. Nonee Moose at October 28, 2005 07:57 AM