Judge Springs Gov. Linked to 'Political Prosecution'

The former governor of Alabama, serving seven years for bribery in a case critics claim was engineered by the White House, has been ordered released pending appeal. Don Siegelman will now be free to testify at congressional hearings on politically motivated prosecutions, reports CNN. Siegelman's supporters charge that he was the target of a smear campaign by former White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove.

In ordering his release, a judge ruled that Siegelman's appeal is likely to raise "substantial questions  of law or fact." The House Judiciary Committee has been investigating allegations Rove was involved in the dismissal of several US attorneys on political grounds. The Siegelman case ties into that inquiry. The prosecution of Siegelman involves "profound issues that should concern every American—Republican or Democrat," said his attorney. (More Don Siegelman stories.)