Siegelman Will Raise Issues of Justice at Democratic National Convention

Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman has accepted an invitation to speak at the Democratic National Convention, and that is good news for folks who care about justice-related issues.

Both presidential candidates have been mostly silent on the brewing scandal at the Bush Justice Department. But Siegelman's speech should ensure that the issue will receive at least some traction from the Democrats.

Let's hope Barack Obama and his advisors are listening carefully.

Investigative reporter Greg Privett of WHNT in Huntsville breaks the story, and here is his full report:

Don Siegelman will speak at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Siegelman tells NewsChannel 19 he has accepted an invitation extended by the Colorado Democratic delegation.

Targeted by Republican prosecutors, Alabama's former governor says he will talk, in particular, about the critical need to reveal former Bush White House adviser Karl Rove's role in politicizing the United States Department of Justice. The DOJ, under Bush, has gone after Democrats seven times more than Republicans.

In the Siegelman case, the prosecutors--then Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor followed by U.S. Attorneys Alice Martin and Leura Canary--along with Federal District Judge Mark Fuller have personal, political, or in some cases, business ties to the Bush administration.

Siegelman tells us it's not just his case he'll be talking about in Denver. The Governor explains he'll be advancing the cause to seek the truth about who hijacked the Justice Department.

Even though President Bush leaves office in January, Siegleman insists Congress must take action now. "I think you can have an election," Siegelman told NewsChannel 19 in an exclusive interview. "You can elect a president," he said. "And you can put in new people. But unless Congress speaks loudly on this issue and unless people are held accountable for their violations of the law, for their abuse of power and their misuse of the Department of Justice--using it as a political weapon, using it as a political tool which subverted peoples rights to a fair trial which jeopardized our democracy. If we don't speak loudly on this issue and hold people accountable, then those new U.S, Attorneys are not going to take this thing as seriously as they should. And it's likely to happen again. This country doesn't need that."

The House Judiciary Committee voted last month to cite Karl Rove for contempt of Congress. That's because Rove hid behind the White House and chose not to appear as ordered before the committee.

The full House must vote on charging Rove with contempt. And they must take action before they adjourn in September.

Governor Siegelman has started a website, ContemptForRove.com.

The Democratic Convention begins August 25.