CBS’s Pelley: Don Siegelman Free After ‘60 Minutes’ Story

On Sunday’s "60 Minutes" on CBS, anchor Scott Pelley provided an update for a story done in February about former Democratic Governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman, who was convicted of bribery in 2006: "A federal court has released former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman from prison six weeks after our story...Siegelman says his prosecution was political, orchestrated in the White House."

The original "60 Minutes" story, which Pelley credits for Seigelman’s release, was aired on February 24 and claimed that not only was Sigelman’s prosecution politically motivated, but that it was done at the direct order of White House advisor Karl Rove. During that story, Pelley talked to Republican Alabama attorney, Jill Simpson, and asked: "Karl Rove asked you to take pictures of Siegelman...in a compromising sexual position with one of his aides?"

During Sunday’s update on the story, Pelley interviewed Siegelman:

PELLEY: Siegelman was once the most successful Democrat in Alabama. He claims that his prosecution by the US Department of Justice was influenced by the president's former political adviser, Karl Rove.

SIEGELMAN: What we need is Karl Rove to get himself over to the Judiciary Committee and put his hand on a Bible and take an oath and give testimony. And he can either tell the truth or take the Fifth. Either one will satisfy me.

Pelley concluded the update by offering a brief quote of Rove’s response to the accusations: "Rove declined to appear before the House Committee investigating the case, but he told us, quote, ‘I never talked to the Department of Justice about Siegelman. I never talked to anyone at the White House about Siegelman.’" No reaction from Rove was included in the original story and in an interview with GQ Magazine, Rove was quoted as saying: "CBS is a shoddy operation. They said, "Hey, if we can say 'Karl Rove,' 'Siegelman,' that'll be good for ratings. Let's hype it."

Here is the full transcript of the story update:

7:54PM SEGMENT:

SCOTT PELLEY: An update now on the story that we called "The Prosecution of Governor Siegelman." A federal court has released former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman from prison six weeks after our story. In 2006, Siegelman was convicted of bribery, but the prosecution was so troubling that Congress started an investigation. Siegelman says his prosecution was political, orchestrated in the White House. He was in prison in February when he watched our story with other inmates. What was the reaction to the piece?

DON SIEGELMAN: Well they, immediately, the people were standing up saying, 'You got screwed.' And I said, 'Well, you know, I think there were a lot of y'all that got screwed.' And then one guy stood up and said, 'No, I was guilty; you got screwed.'

PELLEY: Using different words, a federal appeals court raised the same possibility; agreeing that his "appeal raises substantial questions of law or fact likely to result in reversal" of his conviction. Siegelman was once the most successful Democrat in Alabama. He claims that his prosecution by the US Department of Justice was influenced by the president's former political adviser, Karl Rove.

SIEGELMAN: What we need is Karl Rove to get himself over to the Judiciary Committee and put his hand on a Bible and take an oath and give testimony. And he can either tell the truth or take the Fifth. Either one will satisfy me.

PELLEY: Rove declined to appear before the House Committee investigating the case, but he told us, quote, "I never talked to the Department of Justice about Siegelman. I never talked to anyone at the White House about Siegelman." Siegelman's case is now on appeal.