Word comes today that the U.S. House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed former Bush White House strategist Karl Rove to testify about his role in several possible political prosecutions, including that of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.
The news comes on the heels of Dan Abrams' televised interview last night with committee member Linda Sanchez (D-CA). The interview included this intriguing tidbit: The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is officially reviewing the issue of selective prosecution and the actions of several U.S. attorneys around the country.
If the review is legitimate, one would assume it would include heavy scrutiny of Alabama U.S. attorneys Alice Martin and Leura Canary. We are about to start a revealing series of posts that includes clear evidence of selective prosecution on Ms. Martin's part, and we intend to share that information with OPR staff members--and anyone else who cares to read Legal Schnauzer.
But before we commence our "Malice of Alice" series, let's take a closer look at the Rove issue. When it comes to insight on this subject, few Americans can match Republican whistleblower and Alabama attorney Jill Simpson.
After hearing about Rove's refusal to testify, citing executive privilege, a number of observers have been scratching their heads. Rove has said he did not discuss prosecutions with the White House. But by claiming executive privilege, Rove is indicating he did discuss prosecutions with the White House. And that raises the question: Why would George W. Bush be talking about Don Siegelman?
Simpson has considerable insight on that question and issued the following statement today:
Why would Bush be talking about Governor Don Siegelman? The answer is this: In the summer of 2002 George Bush came down to Alabama and held a fundraiser for Big Bob Riley who was running against Governor Don Siegelman at the time for Governor.
Karl Rove tries to claim in his letter to (Dan) Abrams that he wasn't involved with Bob Riley's campaign in Alabama; he was too busy working for the President of The United States of America. He suggested he was only involved in one event that year regarding Bob Riley, but does not say what (that event was) in his famous letter to Dan Abrams.
However, when I spoke with congressional investigators last summer I told them what I knew about the Riley campaign that summer of 2002. They are fully aware of all that was going on with the White House in the Riley Campaign. Further, it is my understanding the trip of President George W. Bush was videotaped from the time the wheels of his plane touched down in Alabama until he left Alabama on the day he raised the four million dollars for Big Bob Riley.
All Presidential trips are videotaped for security reasons, and that video of this day exists and has been talked about in the press. I also pointed out to the investigators last summer that George Bush came to Alabama and raised four million dollars in one day for Bob Riley, whose opponent was Governor Don Siegelman.
Further, that event was not the only event that the President was involved with in beating Don Siegelman in 2002. That is why Bush would have been talking about Siegelman in 2002. He was campaigning for and fundraising for Big Bob Riley to help him beat Don Siegelman.
Also, (you) will probably remember last summer when the President came to Alabama. He got off the airplane, and Mr. Rove started running his mouth, and the media folks for the White House stepped in front of Mr Rove and said what Mr Rove meant to say was "no comment."
Further, when my story broke in The New York Times and Time magazine, the White House said no comment. They knew President Bush was very active in the 2002 campaign against Governor Don Siegelman. That is why I believe Mr Rove is asserting executive privilege.
There is just no telling what they talked about since the President was actively campaigning against Governor Don Siegelman in 2002.
No comments:
Post a Comment