When the Chickens Comes Home to Roost

Former Alabama governor Don Siegelman has been released on bail pending appeal of his somewhat questionable conviction on corruption charges.

A federal appeals court on Thursday ordered Siegelman released pending the appeal of his corruption case, just hours after the House Judiciary Committee announced that it wants to hear his views when it probes claims of selective prosecution by the Justice Department.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in its ruling Thursday, said the former governor had raised "substantial questions of fact and law" in challenging his conviction.

Considering that there are allegations that a key witness was lying and that the prosecutors knew it, I would say yes, there are substantial questions regarding this whole thing.

It appears that the Justice Department is playing CYA. This is from yesterday:

The House Judiciary Committee asked the Justice Department on Thursday to allow imprisoned former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman to testify before Congress about possible political influence over his prosecution.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey indicated that he would not support the request for a temporary release but said that officials might arrange for Siegelman's testimony in some other way.

Oh, man -- can you say "slime bag"? Fortunately, the courts took the decision out of Mukasey's hands.

(Footnote: This is choice:

"I consider it one of my paramount responsibilities to ensure that the department continues to handle its public corruption investigations and prosecutions in a consistent, nonpartisan and appropriate manner," Mukasey said. "Just as important, though, I also consider it my duty to ensure that the department continues to pursue public corruption wherever we find it."

Permit me to be a bit sceptical. And, it appears that Digby agrees.)

It will be interesting to see, first, how Siegelman fares on appeal, and second, how this affects any possible prosecution of Eliot Spitzer.