The Locust Fork News-Journal Calls For Special Prosecutor
February 25th, 2008The Locust Fork News-Journal will take the stand as the first news organization - and perhaps the only one in Alabama - to call for a special prosecutor to get to the bottom of the Alabama wing of the Bush Justice Department’s corrupt and political prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.
Today, the Alabama Democratic Party called for a special prosecutor in a press release, along with Siegelman’s attorneys in an AP story.
Siegelman Attorney Calls for Special Prosecutor
And, the Alabama Democratic Party is also calling for a special FCC investigation of the blackout of the CBS News “60 Minutes” show last night all over North Alabama.
The release:
The Alabama Democratic Party today called on the US Justice Dept. and the US House Judiciary Committee to appoint a special prosecutor into the allegations of the political prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman after the facts and interviews were released by CBS Television Network in their 60 Minutes program this past Sunday night.
Executive Director, Jim Spearman says there is too much smoke and too many facts for DOJ and Congress to ignore. “Abuse of the federal prosecutorial system for partisan political gain must be taken very seriously. The accusations by the 52 former state attorneys general, including the former republican AG from Arizona Grant Woods should be taken into account by the US Attorney General”, Spearman says. Congress should not delay in taking the next step to call witnesses and to hold those not answering supeanoes in contempt of Congress.
For the Alabama Republican Party to issue its statement yesterday prior to the airing of the 60 Minutes segment trying to discredit CBS even before the program airs shows that indeed republicans may have something to hide. “How can the ALGOP really try to discredit a former republican AG who is now a co-chair of their US Presidential Nominee’s Arizona campaign effort,”Spearman notes.
Also today, Alabama Democratic Chairman Joe Turnham says he will send a letter to the Federal Communications Commission asking for a formal inquiry into the CBS Huntsville affiliate black out of the the Siegelman airing. It has come to the attention of many Democrats in North Alabama that the principal owners of WHNT are Bush Pioneers and major republican donors. Many suspect that enormous pressure was put on CBS to not air the Siegelman story. If CBS received political pressure to stifle the first amendment rights of the network or affiliate, the FCC and Congress should take appropriate oversight into the matter.
The blackout is highly suspicious, in spite of comments posted below in previous entries from the station blaming a technical glitch.
February 25th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
The black out of 60 minutes last night was Channel 19’s doings. The other affiliates were not blacked out. If New York had a problem then all the affiliates that re-broad cast their programs would have been blacked out at the same time. That would be believable. Only WHNT-19 in Huntsville which covers most of North Alabama and Southern Tennessee had a black out problem. That is a dead give away. A New York black out would have affected “lots of people” in the country. Not just us North Alabamians and Southern Tennesseans. I’m no pro at t.v. but I am certainly no fool either.
Tommy
February 25th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Just talked to Jill. The Dan Abrams show on MSNBC is definitely on tonight, as of now, and will be taped in Rainsville before it airs at 9 p.m. tonight.
More trouble earlier today because of the Alabama GOP trying to lie and say she was never a Republican.
TV producers…
Making her prove it again!
February 25th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
From al.com:
“The Justice Department declined to comment on their requests and said it would “respond appropriately” to concerns about Bailey’s testimony if they are raised in court.”
Brilliant. The DOJ will do something if a question comes up in court, but Fuller won’t release the transcripts to the trial so Siegelman can get to court.
Wilson, Fuller’s still sitting on the transcript, right?
February 25th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Yes. The deadline is the end of March for the new court reporter to have the transcript ready. The other one died. No media outlet I know of in Alabama ever raised a question about that, that I know of, although they started reporting on it after we did. The Tuscaloosa News has reported it anyway a time or two…
February 26th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Thanks so much for your excellent coverage of this story. I’ve been posting links to it everywhere I can think of - everyone should read your coverage.
February 26th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Thank you! I saw the links at the TPMMuckraker and the New York Times blog…