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Ex-Alabama governor going back to prison for bribery

By BOB JOHNSON

| The Associated Press

First Published Aug 03 2012 12:34 pm • Last Updated Aug 03 2012 04:17 pm

Montgomery, Ala. • Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman says he never expected his four-decade career in public service to end in a federal courtroom.

It did Friday when a federal judge in Montgomery sentenced him to more than six years in prison for bribery and other convictions.

The 66-year-old former governor and former HealthSouth chief Richard Scrushy were convicted in 2006. They arranged $500,000 in contributions to Siegelman’s campaign for a state lottery in exchange for the governor appointing Scrushy to an important hospital regulatory board.

Acting U.S. Attorney Louis Franklin says the sentence is a "welcomed step toward closer to a dark chapter in Alabama politics."

But the case may not be over. Siegelman said he’s made no decision about whether to appeal his sentence.

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