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Siegelman Case

One Lobbyist that has pled guilty

One Staffer that has pled guilty

Riley/Abramoff

One Lobbyist that has pled guilty

One staffer that has pled guilty

Two other past/current staffers tied directly to Abramoff

MEDIA ERRORS

For over a year, when reporting on the investigation and indictments, the media continually minimizes Siegelman’s allegations of political motives by simply saying that he says it’s “politically motivated.” While a true statement on the part of the media, they continually fail to simply lay out the facts as to why Siegelman makes the allegations.

The media continues to write that Leura Canary “voluntarily recused herself.” This is a blatant falsehood. The Governor’s first attorney David Cromwell Johnson exposed the connections to her husband and his background in a press conference. Then, two months after that, she recused herself.

The media misses the story because they continue to see Canary as he is now; head of the BCA. But, to grasp the story, one must look at Rove’s journey into Alabama and see the big picture. The media must understand the fact the beginning in 94, Karl Rove and his team (of which Canary was a member) targeted Alabama. (See attached). First judgeships, then the investigative arms, then the prosecutorial arms. They then had a political meat grinder in which to feed any challenge to their power. Governor Siegelman was a “new south Governor”, heralded as the Democrats last best hopes in the South. He was a target. Also, keep in mind that he was the first Southern Governor to endorse Gore in 2000, and seen by some as a possible VP candidate in 04.

Also, due to the extensive work they had done in Alabama, Rove was intimately familiar with every aspect of our State, it’s laws regarding political contributions etc…

Now, keep in mind that Abramoff and Grover Norquist were key associates of Rove’s. Where, as we are now learning, did Abramoff center much of his money laundering and illegal financing schemes?; Rove’s Texas, and Alabama.

Now, much of the other info we are learning fits the puzzle. Bob Riley aide Michael Scanlon also works for Delay. We now learn that Delay was allegedly involved with money laundering in Texas and Alabama. Scanlon goes to work for Abramoff, and is charged in the current scandal and pleads guilty.

The Alexander Strategy group is set up with Abramoff money. They are key in the national investigation. They folded once the scandal broke and shut down their website. But, before they did, the bio’s were captured of key ASG personnel. A principal was Dan Gans. Gans was Riley’s chief of staff in Washington and in Montgomery. The website touts his “election ballot security system” as key to Riley’s win in 02. Refer to the last two coincidences mentioned below.

We now know from published reports that the unholy triumvirate of Abramoff/Norquist/Reed funneled Indian Casino money into Alabama to manipulate the Christian community regarding the lottery referendum.

Now, we remember a controversy from the late 90’s; Channel 1. Just as with the Indian Casino money, the Christian community was manipulated to support Channel 1, an Abramoff client. On the local level, Norquist hires two local lobbyists, Pat McWorter and Dax Swatek. McWhorter was partners in Capitol Group with Bill Canary and Dax Swatek is a current spokesman for the Riley Campaign. In the Channel 1 controversy, Swatek ran ads under the organization “Coalition to protect our children.” A non-profit group for which no paperwork exists.

Summary

Don Siegelman is fighting for his life in a case that center around the testimony of ONE lobbyist, Lanny Young, and ONE former staffer, Nick Bailey. Yet as of today, the Abramoff scandal involves a lobbyist and , so far, at least THREE current and former Riley staffers. Scanlon, Gans, and Swatek.

The Journey to Prosecutorial Misconduct in Alabama

Bill Canary is proud to be known as a fixer. In his official bio, he uses this quote from Rich Bond, former Chairman of the Republican National Committee which appeared in TIME Magazine:

“Canary is an expert (political) paratrooper: You drop him into some state where something needs fixing and it gets fixed.”

Bill Canary has a long history as a hardball political soldier for the GOP. Canary was the National Field Director for the Bush/Quayle campaign in 1992.

He directed the White House office of intergovernmental affairs under George H. Bush. He was a special assistant to Andrew Card, now Chief of Staff to George W. Bush, for the 2000 GOP convention.

Canary served as Chief of Staff for the Republican National Committee. In that capacity he provided campaign assistance to Republican congressmen, which at the time included now-Alabama Governor Bob Riley.

Karl Rove and Bill Canary worked together in Alabama in the 1994, and 1998 election cycles on political races as paid consultants to the Business Council of Alabama. Bill Canary was a key soldier in Karl Rove’s well-documented battles for the Republican takeover of Alabama’s Appeals Courts and Supreme Court judgeships in 94, 98, and 2000.

In 1996, while working for the Republican National Committee, Canary provided services for Bob Riley’s Congressional race. In the 1998 cycle Canary and Rove ran the campaign of now-Federal Appellate Judge, Bill Pryor in his race for Alabama Attorney General.

After Bill Canary comes to Alabama, so begins the strangest series of coincidences in the history of American politics:

FACT: Canary is paid as chief political consultant for AL. Attorney General Candidate William Pryor in 1998.

COINCIDENCE: Six months after taking office, Pryor announces investigation of Governor Don Siegelman.

FACT: Canary is paid as chief political consultant for AL. Lt. Gov. Steve Windom in his run for Governor in 2002.

COINCIDENCE: Windom runs exclusively on accusations of corruption in Siegelman Administration and publicly calls for additional investigations in 2001.

FACT: Canary’s Company Capitol Group PAC, makes payments to Court of Criminal Appeals Candidate Alice Martin in 2000.

COINCIDENCE: In 2001, Bush names Alice Martin US Attorney for Northern District of Alabama. Martin investigates, and indicts Siegelman in 2003.

FACT: In 2001, Bush names Bill Canary’s wife, Leura Canary, US Attorney for Middle District of Alabama.

COINCIDENCE: In 2003, she empanels a Grand Jury, and Indicts Siegelman in 2005.

FACT: In 2002, Bill Canary joins Congressman Riley’s Campaign for Governor after Windom’s loss in GOP primary.

COINCIDENCE: Riley defeats Siegelman due to a questionable vote tally in Baldwin County. AG Pryor, like Riley, a Canary client, halts re-count, insuring Riley’s win.

FACT: In 2003 Bush nominates Bill Pryor for Federal Judgeship. The Birmingham News reports that US Senator Jeff Sessions said they waited for a Republican Governor to nominate Pryor.

COINCIDENCE: By blocking the vote recount in the Alabama Governor’s race, Pryor insured a Republican Governor and thus his nomination as a federal judge.

Canary is financially linked to everyone who began and/or furthered the investigation and indictment of Don Siegelman.

Canary benefited financially by working directly with the investigative arm (Pryor) and the prosecutorial arm, by having financial ties to the Northern District US Attorney, Alice Martin and being married to the Middle District US Attorney, Leura Canary.

Can it possibly be a coincidence that a man who Business Alabama reported, to this day, is a key advisor to Governor Riley, and who is known as a Republican Fixer, had this many incidental connections to people who sought the destruction of Don Siegelman?

Dylan the Democratic Dog

Camp Yellow Dog

Howard Dean in Alabama

Huntsville
Should Alabama's Primary Be Moved?

Jason Miles Reports, 01/19/04

Democratic hopeful, Dick Gephardt, ran for President the first time in 1988, and made a stop in Huntsville. Along with Gephardt, the campaign trail also led Al Gore and Jesse Jackson to the area that year. Many say it was the last time Alabama's Presidential Primary really mattered. "This was back when democrats in the South tried to put together primaries in all the southern states," says UAH Political Science Professor, Tommy Williams, PhD. "They were trying to influence the nomination to make sure there was a more conservative democrat nominated, but it didn't work."

However, it did encourage candidates to visit. That's why political activist, Pam Miles, no relation to Reporter Jason Miles, would like to see Alabama's Presidential Primary moved back. "We have been so forgotten for so long, we're an afterthought to most of these candidates," says Miles.

Miles is a die-hard Howard Dean supporter. Part of the reason is the fact that he's the only current, presidential hopeful, who's been on the stump in the Tennessee Valley. He appeared at Alabama A&M University last September. "He talked with people, talked issues, joked with students. I was truly, truly impressed," she says.

Miles thinks all of the other candidates would come here if the state's primary wasn't held so late in the game. She says not only would it help get the word out, it would help the economy. "Financially, it would be such a boon to have the primary in, say, February," says Miles. "All of these people coming in from all over and fighting for their candidates."

Dr. Williams says presidential politics has changed drastically over the last 30 years or so. Once upon a time, nominees were chosen during conventions, which are now nothing more than big pep rallies. "Prior to 1972, there had been only a handful of states with primaries," says Williams. "You couldn't win the nomination by winning presidential primaries in the states, and now you can."

Whether or not Alabama will get another shot at, say, a "Super Tuesday," remains to be seen.