Davis suggests Siegelman prosecution was political

[Syrinx]

In his questioning of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales last week, U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham, suggested on a national stage for the first time that the prosecutions of former Ala-bama Gov. Don Siegelman may have been politically motivated.

Davis suggested during Gonzales‘ testimony before the House Judiciary Committee that the corruption case against Siegelman may have been part of a larger U.S. Department of Justice tactic to target Democratic politicians for prosecution before major elections.

“My place is to raise questions about whether there is a pattern of abuses by this Justice Department — this is bigger and broader than the question of whether Don Siegelman should or shouldn’t have been convicted.

“I think there have been a number of legitimate questions raised about the Department of Justice having a skewed pattern of prosecutions toward Democrats,” said Davis, who represents the 7th District of Alabama, which includes part of Tuscaloosa and much of West Alabama.

“I think that is why it is important, frankly for Karl Rove to testify,” Davis said of President George W. Bush political adviser who has been implicated in the firings of U.S. attorneys. “That’s why there has to be a substantial investigation of this Department of Justice and the way they have done business.”

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20070518/NEWS/70518002&SearchID=73281463238373