Time: Documents confirm misconduct by Siegelman prosecution Muriel Kane

Published: Friday November 14, 2008





Print This Email This New documents have surfaced to show possible prosecutorial misconduct in the case of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Siegelman, whose appeal will be heard next month by a federal court, was convicted of corruption in 2006 in a case that has aroused widespread suspicions of political bias.



As reported last year by RAW STORY, the investigation of Siegelman was initiated by US Attorney Leura Canary in 2002, at the same time as her husband William Canary, a long-time associate of Karl Rove, was a campaign advisor for Bob Riley, who defeated Siegelman that November in his bid for relection.



Canary has claimed that she had recused herself after spending more than six months investigating Siegelman, well before the prosecution went to trial, but it is widely believed that she continued to guide the case from behind the scenes.



Now Time has obtained documents, submitted by a staffer in Canary's office to Department of Justice watchdogs in 2007, which confirm these doubts and also indicate other irregularities.



The documents include a written statement from the aide saying that Canary "kept up with every detail of the case," as well as emails from Canary to her subordinates offering ideas for how to manage the case, one of which which ultimately convinced the judge to increase Siegelman's prison sentence.



The aide also provided emails showing attempts by jurors to warn that one member of the jury was romantically interested in a member of the prosecution team and had even asked members of the prosecution for personal advice. In addition, some jurors who were suspected of improper conduct were interviewed by the prosecution before the judge could speak to them, in direct violation of the judge's orders.







