Alabama: witness testified that Scrushy traded a campaign contribution for a board appointment
AP reports: Former HealthSouth Corp. CEO Richard Scrushy threatened to fire the company's investment banking firm if it didn't provide money for Gov. Don Siegelman's campaign for a state lottery, a former executive told a grand jury.
The grand jury testimony of former HealthSouth Chief Financial Officer Mike Martin was among several documents unsealed by a federal judge handling the government corruption charges against Siegelman, Scrushy and two former members of Siegelman's Cabinet. The judge has set their trial for May 1 in Montgomery.
Scrushy and Siegelman repeatedly have said they are innocent, and Scrushy has predicted that prosecutors will be embarrassed at trial.
In an appearance before the grand jury in August 2004, Martin said Scrushy initiated the push for a $250,000 donation. Prosecutors contend the money was part of a plan for Scrushy to provide $500,000 in lottery donations for Siegelman in return for influence on a state hospital regulatory board. -- montgomeryadvertiser.com�::� Scrushy threat to firm alleged