HealthSouth,did donate $250,000 to the Alabama Democratic party along with Alabama Power, Alfa Insurance and many other companies and those funds were used to pay back the money the party had borrowed to pay the marketing expenses for the Educational lottery foundation. The prosecutors kept saying that I gave the Governor $500,000. They said it in the courtroom and to the press over and over till they got it to stick in the minds of the jury and people everywhere. The press played right into their lies and propaganda. This actually helped them win the case and till this day every single article that is written about this case states that I gave the Governor $500,000 which is totally false. I have repeatedly told the press, newspapers, magazines and television that I never gave the Governor a dime, but the press continues with the lies of our Government prosecutors.

Their PR campaign was effective and it continues to have legs regardless that it is totally false.

The story Nick Bailey and the Government made up about the check was totally false. I never gave the Governor a check and I wasn't even in his office the day Nick testified that I was there. HealthSouth security and their chief pilot testified that I was not in Montgomery on that date. They gave testimony and proof that I was somewhere else. Nick said the check had my name on it and we proved that not only was my name not on the check but that I never even gave the Governor a check.

The story was created by the prosecutors, and Nick has since told others that he was pressured into the testimony he gave.

Another testimony that the press will not ever print is the testimony of Elmer Harris who was the transition chief for the Governor and the President of Alabama Power. Mr. Harris testified that Richard Scrushy did not want to serve on the Certificate of Need board and that he had to convince Richard that it was good for the state and that the Governor needed his experience on that board. Richard said okay but I will only serve one more year which is what he did then he resigned. Now, if I had cut a deal with the Governor to get to serve on that board why would I resign and only serve one year when it was a 3 year term? You must also remember that I served under the following Governors; Jim Folsom, Guy Hunt and Fob James and I was tired of being on that board and really wanted off. I had already resigned under Fob James and when Governor Siegelman was elected he asked Elmer Harris to ask me to go back on the board. It was also proven that I received no benefit from being on the board.

I pray that God almighty will shine His bright light on all the corruption, the behind the scene dealings, the politics and truth in this case. I believe that one day that will happen and this case will be seen for the horrible injustice it is and political corruption that took place.

Right now I pray that the 11th circuit or the President or somebody will come forward and finally let this Governor who is innocent out of prison and let him go home and be with his family. He is truly a political prisoner.

I have to ask God daily to help me with what they did to my family, my wife and my little children. I have 9 children and 5 of them were still at home just little children with one a baby in diapers when they sent me off for 5 years to prison 600 miles from my family. They did this on a story that was a lie and that our government prosecutors just made up to take out a powerful democratic governor. I will always believe it also was to get back at me for beating them on the HealthSouth case in Birmingham.