By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – A federal jury in Montgomery has convicted former Governor Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth C-E-O Richard Scrushy on charges of government corruption. Judge Mark Fuller began reading the verdicts shortly before two o'clock Thursday afternoon. Siegelman was convicted on several counts including bribery, conspiracy, mail fraud and obstruction of justice. The decision may end his long political career here in Alabama. Siegelman has held the offices of secretary of state, attorney general, lieutenant governor and governor. He was even campaigning for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination earlier this month. He lost to current Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley.
Meanwhile, Scrushy was convicted on bribery, conspiracy and mail fraud charges. Prosecutors told the jury he bought a seat on a state board with 500-thousand dollars in campaign contributions to Siegelman. Scrushy was acquitted last year of orchestrating a massive accounting fraud at HealthSouth, and today's guilty verdict against him isn't the last legal challenge facing him. Scrushy is still a defendant in civil cases concerning the HealthSouth scandal. A trial has been scheduled for next April in Birmingham involving the Securities and Exchange Commission's lawsuit against Scrushy. He faces about 40 other cases, too.
Scrushy and Siegelman got the most attention during the trial, but two others faced charges, as well. Siegelman's former chief of staff Paul Hamrick and state transportation director Mack Roberts were both acquitted on all charges against them. Today was the 11th day of jury deliberations in the case.