Letter to Judiciary Committee

From: Eddie Curran

133 Silverwood

Mobile, AL, 36607

Cell: 251-454-1911

E-mail: eddcurran@aol.com

Attn: Jonathan Godfrey, Spokesperson

Committee on the Judiciary

Phone: 202-225-3951

E-mail: Jonathan.Godfrey@mail.house.gov

Dear Jonathan,

            I’m a reporter from Mobile, Ala., soon to complete a book on former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, about whom I reported on extensively when he was governor. I have several questions and one records request regarding the Judiciary Committee's investigation of the Siegelman case.

            They are:

            1. Scott Horton, an internet columnist for Harper's, has publicly claimed that he was interviewed and/or gave testimony at least three times to Judiciary Committee lawyers or investigators. 

            Is this true?

            If so, why would the committee seek information from Scott Horton on the Siegelman case?

            2. The committee’s April 17, 2008, report, “Allegations of Selective Prosecution in Our Federal Criminal Justice System,” contained 15 footnotes citing Scott Horton as the source. No other source was footnoted near that much, including Jill Simpson.

            He was also referred to, though not by name, twice in the report. For example, the report noted that during a talk in San Francisco, then-Attorney General Mukasey said that politics had no role in the prosecution of public corruption cases; and that he’d seen no evidence of that during his time in the department. And then, from the report: “One commentator responded, ‘My reaction and apparently the reaction of much of Mukasey’s audience in San Francisco, was the same: ‘Wake up and open your eyes.’”

            A footnote below identified the “commentator” as Horton.

            And later in the report, this statement: “In addition, a leading commenter on the matter has criticized an aggressive and ongoing prosecution effort by Alabama U.S. Attorney Alice Martin against a number of state Democratic officeholders and has linked these cases to the Siegelman matter.”

A footnote identified the “leading commentator” as Horton.

My question is: Yes or no, did Scott Horton write or contribute in any way to the writing of the Selective Prosecution report?

3. I generally cover local and state government and have never made a records (or FOIA) request to a congressional committee. If I need to do that for the following, then I will resubmit it.

In any event, I’m asking if the Judiciary Committee has made or authorized any payments to Scott Horton.

If so, how much, and for what services?

I would include, in this request, a copy of or chance to review bills submitted by Horton for payment.

4. Though a somewhat separate issue, I have been trying to locate a list of the 9 U.S. Attorneys who were fired/terminated by the Bush Justice Department and have been the subject of investigation by the committee. I believe that a former U.S. Attorney from Mobile, David York, may be on the list, but I’m not certain, and was hoping you could tell me if that is the case.

Thanks for any help you can provide me. Am hoping you could respond by e-mail to let me know that you received this.

Sincerely,

Eddie Curran