MONTGOMERY — Richard Scrushy announced on Thursday that he is requesting U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) "commence an immediate investigation into the corruption, widespread fraud, lawfare, and weaponization of the DOJ relating to the politically motivated prosecution wrongfully brought against him."
Scrushy said he was also asking Trump's pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson to review his case for a pardon. Attorneys for Scrushy, the former chairman, CEO and founder of HealthSouth Corporation (now Encompass Health), announced on Thursday that they have "uncovered clear and convincing evidence that Scrushy was wrongly convicted and incarcerated, citing widespread misconduct by federal prosecutors in the case."
According to Tommy Gallion, a retired attorney in Montgomery, prosecutors knowingly withheld voluminous amounts of information relating to exculpatory evidence that would have proven Scrushy's innocence.
"One of the worst political prosecutions in recent history. ... The public will be shocked at the diabolical ploy and actions of the high-ranking officials within the Middle District Department of Justice that destroyed the lives of Richard Scrushy and his family who were prominent Alabamians," Gallion said.
U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller sentenced Scrushy in 2007 to 82 months in prison and fined him $150,000. Scrushy was convicted of six counts—bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud and four counts of honest services mail fraud. According to a 2007 DOJ press release, the jury found former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and Scrushy guilty of crimes arising from a bribery scheme in which Scrushy paid Siegelman $500,000 in laundered funds to obtain a seat on the state regulatory board governing HealthSouth.
Scrushy said at a press conference in Montgomery on Thursday, "We hopefully do get the attention and have the opportunity to get this reviewed by the higher-ups and ranking officials that could change the outcome and make a wrong a right."
"We're looking forward to that. We have not gotten it yet, but we hope this is coming soon," he added.
Steve Feaga, a former assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted Scrushy, told 1819 News on Thursday, “These previously debunked falsehoods have been established time and again to be untrue and I will not dignify them with any further response.”
“I welcome anyone inclined to believe Scrushy to examine the pleadings and the record of his trial and appeal in this case to see that they’ve been asked, answered and proven to be false,” he added.
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