Letter from a Louisiana Jail - From Don Siegelman

[JPZenger]

I just received a hand-written letter from Don Siegelman, America's number one political prisoner.

He has not been allowed to speak to the press, has not been allowed access to the internet, and has had only limited contact with his attorneys. He was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in Federal prison, with no ability to post bail during the appeal. His trial was 8 months ago, but the Feds still have not been able to produce a transcript, so he has not been able to file an appeal.

Here's what Don wrote:

"Thank you for your uplifting words! Karl Rove (and others) must be held responsible for perverting our country's sense of right and wrong must be held accountable.

The U.S. House must hold Rove in contempt, and then go to court to enforce the citation.

Congress must seek the truth. Rove's documents, emails and phone records will prove his abuse of power and misuse of the Department of Justice for political purposes.

Please write Congress to encourage them to take the next important steps to the truth.

- Don.

Go to www.donsiegelman.org "

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Here's his address:

Don Siegelman 24775-001
FPC PO Box 5010
Oakdale LA 71463
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His daughter is asking everyone to write 60 Minutes to thank them for their report, and to ask them to broadcast a second follow-up story. They only had time to skim the surfaces of the injustices in their 15 minute report, and they have hours of material already recorded. Their email address is:

[e-mail]

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Last year, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Siegelman case as part of the US attorney scandal. Chairman Conyers requested documents from the prosecutors. Here's an excerpt from the Judiciary Committee's summary of what happened:

"As a primary reason for declining to provide the information that we have requested, Mr. Benczkowski’s (of the Dept. of Justice) letter states that 'We want to avoid any perception that the conduct of our criminal investigations and prosecutions is subject to political influence'.

This concern should lead to precisely the opposite result. Due to the events and revelations of recent months, the 'perception that the conduct of our criminal investigations and prosecutions is subject to political influence' already exists, and a refusal to cooperate with the Committee’s investigative efforts can only reinforce it."

http://judiciary.house.gov/newscenter.aspx?A=846

[robinlynne]

1. Thankyou for this post JP!

[JPZenger]

2. Martin Luther King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail

http://www.mlkonline.net/jail.html

[AikidoSoul]

18. Please keep this in front of DU

at every opportunity. This is such an important story that illustrates
what kind of rot is at the center of our current administration.

[Ghost in the Machine]

3. K&R for Don Siegelman!

[Pastiche423]

4. My second letter from Governor Don arrived today

The action page of his web site, http://www.donsiegelman.org/ is set up to make it easier to write our representatives and the members of the House Judiciary Committee.

I urge everyone to please write emails and demand that something be done NOW.

Don needs to be out of prison and rove needs to be in!

[Jacobin]

5. Jiminy Cricket. Normally white collar 'criminals' are put in a club fed

Sending him to the Oakdale facility shows that someone has a bone to pick with him and they want him isolated so he can't talk.

This is completely outrageous. Putin would approve.

This country is so fucked up its unbelievable.

[trof]

6. I wrote him and put $20 in his prison commissary account.

You can deposit money in his account through Western Union.
I couldn't get their online form to work so walked it through at the local grocery store.

Here's the info you'll need for the form:
Pay to: FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS
Code City: FBOP
Account Number With Company: 24775-001 Don Eugene Siegelman

The rest is self-explanatory, your name, address, phone #, etc.
I urge you to send him a few bucks if you can.
It cost me $5.95 to send the $20 money order.

K&R and thanks.

[JPZenger]

7. I imagine that is needed for postage, etc.

[trof]

11. If not for his commissary account, he wouldn't have seen 60 Minutes.

He bought canned mackerel and tuna to bribe his cellmates to vote to watch CBS that night.
And and it was his birthday.
How sad is that?
:-(

[myrna minx]

15. Oh good lord. I had no idea.

That's horrible. :-(

[myrna minx]

14. That's a great idea.

I received a lovely note from him today, too. Thanks for the information.

[mentalsolstice]

8. K&R for my governor! nt

[spanone]

9. i want a letter from a texas jail - from tom delay....goddamit

[Truth2Tell]

10. 60 Minutes has hours of material.

But what? They can only broadcast 15 minutes of news every 60 days? They don't have any other means of communicating information to their viewers? Other news shows maybe? Yep, "we'd broadcast this important information to our viewers... but gosh, we just don't have any available time... sorry."

Remember when news organizations reported newsworthy items to the public as soon as they learned about them? Me neither.

[AikidoSoul]

17. Siegelman's story would make a GREAT movie

It's a story that needs to be told. Too many Americans still think we're a free country.

[Truth2Tell]

21. True, It'd be a great movie...

hopefully the sub-title would be "The Fall of Karl Rove"

[trof]

23. He could sure use the money. Legal bills are astronomical.

[Hissyspit]

12. k&r n/t

[scarletwoman]

13. k&r (nt)

[AikidoSoul]

16. Let's keep this one alive

Let's all work to free Don Siegelman.

Thank you for this post.

Kicked and recommended

[lonestarnot]

19. Sent [e-mail] an email! Thanks for posting!

K but too late to R

[AikidoSoul]

20. Kick!!!

:kick:

[mitchtv]

22. I heard from him today too

a short mote. People have to start on the candidates about this