Siegelman and Scrushy ask judge not to sent them to prison (AP)

[eppur_se_muova]

5/30/2007, 5:18 p.m. CDT
By BOB JOHNSON
The Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Former Gov. Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy have asked a judge not to send them to prison when he sentences them next month on federal bribery, conspiracy and mail fraud charges.

Their filings late Tuesday are in sharp contrast to federal prosecutors' recommendation that Siegelman be given a 30-year prison sentence and Scrushy 25 years on their convictions by a federal court jury in June 2006.

Siegelman, 61, and Scrushy, 54, contend no prison time would be in line with the lack of severity of the crime. The bribery, conspiracy and mail fraud charges stemmed from Siegelman giving Scrushy a position on a powerful hospital regulatory board, where he had served for other governors, in exchange for $500,000 in contributions to Siegelman's 1999 campaign for a statewide lottery.

Scrushy's attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller to show leniency on grounds that Scrushy did nothing wrong when he arranged for the contributions to the campaign for a lottery, which was to help pay for college educations.

"Mr. Scrushy believed, in good faith, that the contributions to the Alabama lottery campaign that lie at the core of this case were made for legitimate political purposes, and were no different in character than the hundreds of millions of dollars that are contributed to candidates and political causes every year across the country," said the filing, signed by Scrushy's chief attorney, Art Leach.
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more: http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-29/11805469228700.xml&storylist=alabamanews

No different in character...? Better rethink that wording.

[Syrinx]

1. I think thirty years is insane

I wonder if Alice Martin is part of the Rove "machine?" I suspect so.

[Syrinx]

2. Well, look here, if you haven't already

Thread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2866829

Talking about Time story here:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1627427,00.html?xid=rss-nation

Short version: Rove was behind the prosecution of Don Siegelman.