Attorney-gate Touches Alabama

Fallout from the US Attorney scandal -- casting a shadow on another scandal.

A former campaign aide to Gov Bob Riley (R-AL) suggests the White House used the Justice Department to cause problems in a close gubernatorial race.

Back in 2002, Gov Don Siegelman (D-AL) was seeking a recount after losing a close race to Mr Riley. Jill Simpson was a Riley aide at the time.

She's sworn out an affidavit saying she was in a telephone conference call meeting about the recount when Republican consultant Bill Canary suggested Karl Rove had said the US Justice Department was pursuing a case against Gov Siegelman.

Mr Canary refered to "his girls" taking care of the Democrat -- later defining "his girls" to mean his wife, US Attorney Leura Canary and US Attorney Alice Martin -- both serving in Alabama.

Ms Simpson suggests the investigation and eventual conviction may have been a miscarriage of justice.

Former Gov Don Siegelman was convicted last year of federal bribery, conspiracy, obstructing justice and mail fraud charges after an investigation that began in 2002.

Mr Canary and other people Ms Simpson says were on the call deny any such promise was ever made. The White House won't comment one way or another.

The unfolding US Attorney scandal has suggested the fired prosecutors may have lost their jobs for failing to persue cases against Democrats. (TuscaloosaNews.com)