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Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, out of prison on bond as he fights his bribery conviction, said Tuesday he has been barred from traveling without prior approval.
Siegelman was informed by his probation officer Tuesday afternoon that he was being classified as a special offender for travel purposes, he said in an interview with The Associated Press. The order means he must get approval from the judge overseeing his case and from the district where he seeks to travel.
The Democrat, who traveled to Washington just a few weeks ago and has made national media appearances on programs such as CBS' "60 Minutes," questioned the motives behind the restrictions, noting that the courts have deemed him not to be a flight risk. He has called for a probe of federal prosecutors.
Although he said he had no immediate plans to travel, he said the new restrictions would severely hamper his ability to publicly discuss his case.
"If I'm not a flight risk, why would they be constricting my travel and making it very difficult if not impossible to leave the state?" he said. "There isn't but one conclusion, and that is that they don't want me speaking out on issues. They don't want me speaking to Congress or speaking to the media."
Siegelman has been invited to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on his claims of political influence behind his prosecution. He said he probably would file a motion in court to lift the restrictions.
Federal prosecutors who handled the case against Siegelman in Montgomery federal court have denied any political manipulation and emphasized that the verdict was returned by a jury.
Siegelman served one term as governor but was later convicted in 2006 on bribery-related and obstruction of justice charges and sentenced to more than seven years in prison. Last month, a federal appeals court approved Siegelman's release from prison while he appeals, saying the former governor had raised "substantial questions of fact and law."
The prosecution stemmed from his appointment of former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy to an influential hospital regulatory board in exchange for Scrushy arranging contributions to Siegelman's campaign for a state lottery.
Siegelman has long maintained that his prosecution was politically motivated, and his argument has gained momentum on Capitol Hill in recent months. He came to Washington earlier this month to meet with lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee, which has been investigating his case.
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