Joseph Siegelman and Bill Baxley
A prominent whistle blower and opposition researcher yesterday blasted Alabama attorney general candidate Joseph Siegelman for posing with former AG and gubernatorial candidate Bill Baxley. The photo appeared at the Joseph Siegelman for Attorney General Facebook page, and Dana Jill Simpson responded by essentially saying it showed extremely poor taste and judgment on Siegelman's part.In the process, Simpson stood up for Legal Schnauzer and me, noting our role in reporting -- in more depth, quality, and quantity than any other news site -- on the political prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman, Joseph's father. We've paid a steep price for that reporting, in the form of a bogus lawsuit and other corrupt legal actions from Bill Baxley, acting on behalf of the noxious "Alabama Gang" of crooked Republicans -- including Rob Riley, Mike Hubbard, Jeff Sessions, Bill Canary, Luther Strange, and Jessica Medeiros Garrison.
Specifically, Baxley almost certainly played a major role in my 2013 kidnapping (no warrant ever has surfaced) and five-month incarceration, which was ordered by retired judge Claud Neilson -- a long-time Baxley crony, who was specially appointed by the hideously corrupt Alabama Supreme Court. The five months I spent in jail made it impossible for my wife, Carol, and me to resolve issues with our home mortgage -- leading to a foreclosure that had Baxley's fingerprints all over it. Finally, Baxley filed a baseless defamation lawsuit against me on behalf of Jessica Garrison -- former campaign manager and mistress to Luther Strange. That case resulted in a $3.5-million default judgment -- issued by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Don Blankenship, even though the case involved no discovery, no trial, no jury, no cross-examination, nothing associated with a normal defamation case. What kind of favors or "patronage" had to be dolled out to get that worthless judgment from Blankenship?
On top of that, the Garrison judgment is void on multiple grounds (improper jurisdiction and lack of notice re: default application and hearing), and can be attacked as such at any time, Baxley surely knows this -- as does Garrison, who happens to have a law degree -- but neither has said a peep about it in a public forum.
That helps explain, in part, why Jill Simpson was appalled that Joseph Siegelman, a Democrat, would allow himself to be photographed with Baxley, a Democrat who has become a lap dog for the right wing in his senior years. This is from a post last night at Simpson's Facebook page (with some editing for clarity):
First let me say, folks, I am not sure why Joseph Siegelman got his picture with Bill Baxley? However, one thing is for sure: I heard from a bunch of progressives all over the state about it today, as they just thought it was wrong and were asking me: "Is the Siegelman kid ignorant as to what happened to Roger Shuler, his father's biggest press defender, because of Baxley?
They are like: "There he is, Jill, standing with the Alabama Gang guy, Bill Baxley, that got the $3.5-million judgment against Roger Shuler, while he was in jail, on bullshit deal about Jessica Garrison and Luther Strange and Liberty Duke and Rob Riley.
After all, everyone knows Bill Baxley covered for Luther with his Jessica deal, suing Roger for her, while he was in jail unable to defend himself. Former State Senator Lowell Barron months ago appeared on Marcus Echols' progressive radio show in Huntsville and told what he knew and why Luther dropped the charges on him like a hot potato out of fear of having to testify under oath about Luther's relationship with Jessica Garrison.
Curiously, we've seen no reports of Garrison suing Lowell Barron, no claims that he defamed her for stating unequivocally she had an affair with Strange, and it badly compromised Strange in his role as attorney general. So, Garrison claimed my reporting was false and defamatory, but Lowell Barron's broadcast statements -- pulled pretty much from my posts and Barron's own knowledge -- are fine?
Garrison has not sued Barron, of course, because his statements are true -- as were my posts. Bill Baxley has every reason to know that, but he filed a groundless lawsuit against me anyway. So why, on earth would Joseph Siegelman -- running for the state's top law-enforcement office -- align himself with an integrity-challenged figure like Bill Baxley? Here is more from Jill Simpson:
So that brings me back to being clueless why Joseph would stand beside the guy that terrorized the Shuler family. Roger Shuler, without a doubt, is the most fearless reporter who told the whole story on how Don Siegelman was politically prosecuted. How that young man, Joseph Siegelman, could stand with Billy Baxley is beyond my comprehension.
I might add this: Please direct your questions to Don and Joseph, as I have no answer to this matter -- and well, frankly, have no intention of defending him of such behavior. I also might add that I was pretty harshly attacked as well for helping get friends from D.C. and Montgomery to help get Shuler. The very same bunch attacked me, and lost everything, so seeing this picture was kind of disgusting.
I am forever grateful to Andy Kreig, flying down to help Carol Shuler get Roger out -- and helping me when this bunch left me with nothing. But the Siegelmans did not come to my rescue. At the time all of Roger's stuff was happening, I heard from religious right Republicans that they were fearful Roger might get hurt if left in jail. I am grateful for their advice on getting him out, as they knew what Luther and Jessica and Rob and Liberty were capable of, as well.
That said, I am disappointed Joseph got his picture taken with Bill Baxley as I know how awful Bill Baxley treated the Shuler family -- by representing a corrupt bunch of Republicans against Roger, who lost everything defending Joseph's dad, as did I.
So you all know, I am not planning on voting in the primary; I will be voting in the fall. I have little interest in this slate of candidates. I don't really see any true progressives willing to kick the corrupt Alabama Gang out of our state. All we at this point have is folks snuggling with the Alabama Gang.
