Representative Speaks After Co-Workers Subpoenaed
In a story first broken at Doc’s Political Parlor, federal agents came to Rep. Todd Greeson’s workplace at Northeast Alabama Community College while he was in Montgomery last week, took his computer’s hard drive and served subpoenas to several of his co-workers.
Rep. Greeson (R - Ider) took a few minutes to talk with the Parlor about the incident. “I need some files [off the hard drive]. I have a project I was trying to get done. I’m going to be spending time trying to get programs and files I need.”
“A lot of co-workers got subpoenaed. They even subpoenaed some business leaders. I was trying to get letters of support from people in the community for a grant application, and they subpoenaed 2 or 3 of them.
“Most of my co-workers took about 15 minutes [giving testimony in answer to questions]. My supervisor took about 3 hours. Most of it was about whether I come to work.
“I was glad to fax my work log, all my documentation.
“All the rumors I hear are that with 60 Minutes coming out about Don Siegelman and all, there is talk that they want to throw a Republican under the bus to make it look better.”
A capital city Democrat weighed in with the Parlor this weekend:
I had not heard about Greeson until I read it on your site (as usual). However, I’m not surprised. There is no doubt what this is Danny – it’s an orchestrated purge. We all see it for it is. If Martin is not kept in check then they will use this investigation to go in any direction until they get to the funding sources of the party. That’s their ultimate goal. Remember that the Siegelman matter began years ago with an investigation into a state warehouse and today he is in prison for charges relating to the CON board. Where they start an investigation has nothing to do with where they want it to end up. We saw with Nick and Lanny the power of the subpoena. Pressure someone and then they give you someone else. This gives the USA the ability to say “we had no choice but to move the investigation into another area.” If Martin is made to play by the rule of law, and gets ANY scrutiny she will collapse.
There is no doubt that there is some crime in this two year deal. But it’s not the wide ranging “culture of corruption” that the party, the US Attorney’s office, Bradley Byrne, and Riley’s office say. FYI, note how they all use the same phrase. Whenever you see talking points or catch phrases, you know someone is running an orchestrated campaign. But, it won’t suit their purposes if only a couple of isolated incidents are prosecuted. It has to be a wide ranging. This is about damaging Democrats not prosecuting crime. So be it if they can use it to take down some of their disloyal brethren. All the better from their viewpoint.
I asked Greeson his take on that.
“If the idea is to use this to gain seats, it’s not going to work. The only thing that works is to get a good candidate and to do grassroots work.”
Greeson gives the recent Democratic special election victory in Cullman’s HD 12 as an example where the Democrats had the advantage with a good candidate and good grassroots work. “We were polling a few points down, the campaign started going negative, and I knew we were going to lose by double digits.”
“AEA worked hard to defeat me the first time, but they supported me the last two times. I took their money directly. A lot of Republicans take it but not directly. I am upfront about it, and I let the constituents decide.
“48% of AEA’s membership is Republican. Beating up on AEA is not the way to win elections. It’s grassroots and good candidates.”
Is that what this is about? Cutting off AEA funding or cutting off the head?
“Are they going to touch Hubbert with this?” He paused and seemed to consider the question genuinely. “I don’t see where he’s connected.”
“I tell you though. My lawyer makes more in a day than I make in a month. This kind of thing is going to make it where only your wealthiest can serve.
“By George, if they want to take the job I’d about give it to them.”
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There is simply too much wood already in the shed regarding Alice Martin. There is a political stench around everything she touches. She hasn’t been successful as a prosecutor which begs the question of why she is still there. She is ham-handed and transparent in her methods and motives.
Comment by Skeptic — February 20, 2008 @ 9:30 am
I want to go on record as supporting the throwing of Republicans under busses.
Comment by Roy — February 20, 2008 @ 10:14 am
They can complain all they want about this. But look, Siegelman was convicted before a jury of HIS PEERS(NOT BOB RILEYS PEERS). If that case was made up by the USA then Don would be a free man today. As far as Greeson goes, its very hard for me to muster any sympathy for him,Schultz,Guin etc.. I live up here on the stateline and Ive paid close attention to whats gone on in with the bribery scandals in Tennessee and Mississippi the last three years. Nearly everyone of those politicians/lobbyists/trial lawyers that were involved in those scandals swore up and down before and right after they were indicted that they were innocent and it was a huge scam being run by the Bush Justice Dept. But as time went by, nearly every one of them either cut a plea deal or ended being found guilty in court. Not a single person in those two scandals has been found not guilty as of yet. It reminds me of that old saying…how can you tell if a politican is lieing? The answer is if their lips are moving.
Comment by dan t — February 20, 2008 @ 10:27 am
If they were throwing Republicans under buses, Todd Greeson would be very safe . . .
Comment by Paul Ray — February 20, 2008 @ 11:21 am
It is interesting that the FBI went to Rep. Greeson’s office when he was not there, yet 5 pistol packin’ FBI agents dragged Sue Schmitz out of the shower at her home early in the morning when her lawyer had already said she would turn herself in.
If Greeson gets dragged out of the shower at some point in the future by five pistol packin’ FBI agents then I guess there is no cause for suspicion based on the differences in the way these two cases (both related to the same two-year college scandal) were handled.
Perhaps an indictment has not been handed down against Greeson yet and that is why he hasn’t been publicly humiliated with the perp-walk like Schmitz. If he doesn’t get dragged out of the shower like Schmitz was then something isn’t right.
I am neither Republican nor Democrat and this whole thing stinks to high heaven to me.
Comment by Loretta Nall — February 20, 2008 @ 11:43 am
dan t,
Just because a person was convicted by a jury or their peers doesn’t mean they are guilty. I would like to direct your attention to The Innocence Project as proof:
http://www.innocenceproject.org/news/Blog.php
Comment by bhmhomeboy — February 20, 2008 @ 12:36 pm
“a jury of his peers” is a linchpin of the Siegelman appeal. There was substantial evidence of juror misconduct filed post-verdict with the court that Judge Fuller refused to address. ADDITIONALLY, at a November 14th hearing, SEVEN jurors testified that outside material was brought into the deliberation and Fuller dismissed that testimony out of hand. Mark it down, the jury misconduct issue will be the point that gets Siegelman a new trial.
Let’s not forget, as reported in teh Birmingham News, the text of one email allegedly written by one juror to another DURING THE TRIAL not deliberation……”Pastor and Gov up S**T creek. They missed before but we won’t”
Who among us would be sitting quietly and accepting our fates if we were the subject of such an email between jurors at our trial.
This has long passed being a Dem or Repub issue. It’s now simply about right and wrong.
Comment by Skeptic — February 20, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
Skeptic, you correct in the sense that the Siegelman case, and the ALLEGED misconduct of USA Canary and Martin [if proven correct], are beyond Democrat or Republican issues.
The central issue is the trampling of the US Constitution, of which it appears the Bush Justice Department has done with reckless abandon.
Comment by Nixon — February 20, 2008 @ 1:08 pm
It speaks volumes that the legislators caught up in Roy Johnson’s tangled web want to put the onus on the investigators. They will say or do anything to keep the attention focused away from their dirty dealings.
There is a great deal of evidence that the two-year system was used by Roy Johnson and certain legislators (mostly Democrat, but a couple of Republicans) to feather their own nests at the expense of taxpayer. Anyone who wants to sweep this under the rug is as guilty of misconduct as Johnson himself.
Comment by Susan Fillippeli — February 20, 2008 @ 2:01 pm
To number 8 above,
There is no reasonable doubt that Judge Mark Fuller had an ongoing antagonistic relationship with Don Siegelman before he accepted the case. It is also clear the Judge Mark Fuller perjured himself in the case where he tried to raid the state retirement system for his crony who covered for him while he failed to show up for work as a DA because he was running his business in Colorado. All it takes is a little looking into existing documents to see that this trial stinks. Forty-four current and former USA’s, republicans as well as democrats, looked at this case and signed a letter asking Congress to look into it because it had so many problems.
Comment by Anonymous — February 20, 2008 @ 2:12 pm
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Pingback by Daily Dixie: Misguided bipartisanship? — February 20, 2008 @ 3:01 pm
Susan, why is it not shocking to hear the GOP talking points spewing from the keyboard of someone who is a Republican political consultant, a committee chair for the Alabama Federation of Republican Women, and sits on the state Republican Party Steering Committee?
You hardly qualify as a neutral observer of anything other than being an accomplice to more partisan rhetoric.
God only knows what you fill those poor kids’ heads with at Auburn.
Comment by Anonymous — February 20, 2008 @ 3:44 pm
I wonder if Alice knew before she did this to Todd Greeson that Greeson’s wife went to school wih Riley and Simpson at Alabama this may be more interesting than she thinks. Poor old Alice always the last to know plus she might learn something if she went to work everyday. Also Greeson would not make a bad statement about Simpson in the press this summer he refused to comment about situation wonder what M Hubbard thought about that? Also have any of ya’ll heard whether she plans on arresting the other nine dems the day after sixty minute airs that’s the gossip in Montgomery according to one good gop man ? What a plan wonder if it is true and who would have come up with such a plan? Sounds pretty desparate but then again we are dealing with Desperate Alice. I wonder if orange or tan is a good color on Alice? I hope so
Comment by desperate alice — February 20, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
Anonymous # 12, I suppose it is ok to be a partisan if you are a Democrat because you don’t seem to have any problem with those spouting the Democratic party line. But the evidence against Johnson and company is overwhelming and no amount of hysterical rantings will negate that.
Roy Johnson is the one who made it easy for the legislators to get jobs where they had to do little or no work for ther pay. As long as they voted Roy’s way and turned a blind eye to his dealings, they were fine. Don’t forget that this even touches the Turnham family business. Tim Turnham plead guilty because he was caught red handed paying kickbacks and bribes and funneling money to candidates in return for business in the two-year system. That’s all on the record and no longer a point of dispute.
Comment by Susan Fillippeli — February 20, 2008 @ 4:24 pm
Purge begats counter purge and full employment for the tumbril drovers. Next Spring should be a busy season.
Comment by walt moffett — February 20, 2008 @ 4:40 pm
For the record, I’m an independent.
I don’t think it is in dispute that the two year college system is corrupt and has been grossly abused by many of the people involved.
What is suspect is utilizing the investigation and indicting individuals for partisan gain. And I don’t mean running for office on a ticket of outing corrupt dems and [sacrificial Pubs].
I mean coordinating the timing of indictments and announcements from the Northern District to conform with the wishes of the state republican party.
Do you not find it odd that so many GOP insiders and elected officials are running around Montgomery with so much “inside” information about this investigation?
I really don’t expect you to see anything wrong with this situation since you have likely [i hope I’m wrong] been drinking the cool aid too long to be able to see things objectively, which again, is why I shudder to think of what you’re teaching the students at Auburn.
Comment by Anonymous #12 — February 20, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
Not “inside” info, it’s been common knowledge that a lot of “double dippers” were just carried by their employers for political gain. This issue was raised in campaigns and did not interest the voters. The fact it is Tax money that paid their salery opened them up to a visit to court. A lot of smoke in Montgomery, means a good many fire. Remember the talk about the Montgomery Republican and his insurance contracts, lot of talk about South Alabama state Senator that lives outside his district and lies to the voters. The three blind mice “republicans” that took the speakers laundered campaign money to vote against the people who elected them. I only have occasional connections with these politicians and I’ve heard these stories for 10 years. Sooner or later law and order finds “most” of the wrong doers. You should be happy the legislature is being cleaned up. Let the chips fall where they may.
Comment by JD — February 20, 2008 @ 5:54 pm
Anonymous# 12, I don’t find it odd at all since there are also so many Democrats and Independents running around claiming to know everything. People gossip and speculate and talk to people who have gone before the Grandy Jury and claim to know what is going on–and it may or may not jibe with what is really going on.
I will tell you point blank. There is no coordination between the state GOP and the investigation. Sixty Minutes can call me if they are so interested in the truth. I don’t much think they are.
Comment by Susan Fillippeli — February 20, 2008 @ 5:57 pm
Just makes me want to cry. Poor things. So overworked and underpaid, just like Sue Schmitz, and Yvonne Kennedy. I wonder what Scott Horton will say? And I also wonder how he knows so much about what’s going on in Ala. when he’s off in Yankeeland? Someone must be feeding him [mis]information!
two-year - college corruption:
There’s more money where that came from.
Heck, taxpayers don’t care. They just work for it.
Comment by Pookie — February 20, 2008 @ 6:21 pm
Pookie is funny. Without a bought and sold AL court, the Exxon Mobile royalty case wouldn’t have been overturned. With $3.6 billion bucks, you could take the whole two year college system toss it in the gulf and buy another one.
Comment by numbertwopencil — February 20, 2008 @ 11:00 pm
Let’s all be honest. The two-year college system was designed to enrich the political allies of those who controlled it, a system perfected by George Wallace. In that sense, it is doing exactly what it was designed to do.
Let’s be even more honest. Democrats have run this state almost completely since the end of Reconstruction. Yes, there have been Republican governors, but we also know that as an institution the office of Governor is much weaker in Alabama than the Legislature.
Consequently, when it comes to situations in which there is corruption in places of power, doesn’t it naturally follow that the party that has been in power for well over a century will probably suffer the most? A a Republican, I freely admit that, had the situation been reversed, Republicans would be the one’s bearing the brunt of this investigation. That said, this is the system the Democratic Party, which for years was the only party of any worth in this state, has used for quite a long time. The main difference is that people are now more aware of it and, with a viable political alternative, much less likely to countenance corruption.
I can only imagine how annoying it must be for a legislator to face scrutiny for having a bogus job at a two-year college when legislators since before he was born enjoyed the same benefits without any public censure. Yet times are different, the media is more accessible to all, and there is actually partisan competition in this state to point out when either party has stepped over the line. I will take the partisan squabbling such a system brings over the quiet support of malfeasance and incompetence a one-party system brings any day of the week.
Comment by Will — February 21, 2008 @ 12:37 am
That’s a great post, Will. And I think most people are jumping the gun on Greeson. His hard drive is being looked at and his co-workers have been questioned. That is all we know. We might still find out that he has been doing a great job, but then we might not. We don’t know yet. Also, all this talk about his being picked on because he is a Republican at odds with his party is premature. I would think that all the legislators who got their jobs at a community college after they were elected will be scrutinized. It seems they are moving one legislator at a time. I could be wrong, but I think all of them in this situation will end up facing the same sort of scrutiny.
Comment by Margaret — February 21, 2008 @ 7:42 am