MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) A bipartisan group of 54 former state attorneys general from across the country has filed a federal appeals brief supporting former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman's bid to overturn his criminal conviction.
Saying the prosecution and sentencing of Siegelman "raised serious First Amendment concerns," the brief asks the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn Siegelman's conviction.
Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy were convicted in 2006 of bribery and other charges. Prosecutors accused Siegelman of appointing Scrushy to an influential hospital regulatory board in exchange for Scrushy arranging for $500,000 in donations to Siegelman's campaign for a statewide lottery.