Leura Canary Investigates; Kicked Off Case for Political Conflicts

Leura Canary Investigates; Kicked Off Case For Political Conflicts

Canary Was Forced To Leave The Investigation Of Siegelman Because Her Husband Has Political And Financial Ties To Republicans And Bob Riley. “U.S. Attorney Leura Canary stepped aside from the investigation of Gov. Don Siegelman's administration on Thursday, saying she wanted to avoid any question of impartiality. The move came nearly two months after Siegelman's attorney complained to the U.S. Justice Department about Canary's husband, political consultant Bill Canary, having ties to some of Siegelman's Republican opponents.” [AP, 5/16/02]

Bill And Leura Canary Donated $2,500 To George W. Bush’s 2000 Presidential Campaign. Leura Canary made two $500 donations to Bush in 1999; Bill Canary donated $1,500 to Bush in 1999. [FEC.gov]

Bill Canary Was Steve Windom’s Political Consultant. Steve Windom Has Paid Bill Canary More Than $38,000 For His Services. Since 1999, Steve Windom has paid William J. Canary and Company $38,022 for polling and consulting. According to Windom’s 2001 campaign finance forms, Steve Windom’s campaign fund made four $2,000 payments to William J. Canary and Company, Inc. for ‘Consulting and Polling.’ Windom’s campaign paid Canary $2,000 each on January 3, January 11, March 27, and May 1, 2001. [Steve Windom, 2001 Annual ‘Fair Campaign Practices Act’ Disclosure, Form 5: Expenditures, page 42, lines 4-7; Windom Victory Fund, Expenditures, 1999-2000, Alabama Secretary of State]

Bill Canary Is Bill Pryor’s Political Consultant. According to Pryor’s campaign finance forms, Canary’s Capital Group has received $40,665.56 for consulting, polling, and advertising for Pryor’s campaign. According to the Mobile Register, “Windom also paid $66,900 to Mintzer Media of Baltimore and $8,000 to Bill Canary of Montgomery, who is working with Attorney General Bill Pryor's re-election campaign.” [Bill Pryor, 2001 Annual ‘Fair Campaign Practices Act’ Disclosure, Form 5: Expenditures, pages 2-4; MR, Amy and Owen, 2/1/02; 1999 and 2000 Disclosure Forms]

Bill Canary Is The Alabama House Republican Caucus’ Political Consultant. “Bill Canary served in the White House under President George H. W. Bush and is now a political consultant to the Alabama House Republican Caucus.” [

In 1998, Bill Canary Started “Truckers For Fob”, A Pac That Donated $28,000 To Help Fob James’ Attempt To Beat Gov. Siegelman. Truckers for Fob donated $28,000 in 1998 to Fob James. Canary is the chairman. [Alabama Secretary of State]

Bill Canary Has Been An Active Republican Operative Since 1989. Canary has worked for Republicans since 1989. He worked for then-President George Bush, and he has been Chief-of-Staff of the Republican National Committee, National Political Field Director for the Bush/Quayle campaign, Senior Advisor to Dole/Kemp, and Senior Advisor to the chairman of the 2000 Republican Convention, current White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card. [Alabamatrucking.org]

Canary Served As Special Assistant To President George Bush For Intergovernmental Affairs. “From January 1989 through June 1991, Canary served as a Special Assistant to President Bush for Intergovernmental Affairs. At the White House, he served as the President’s liaison to local elected officials and mayors throughout the nation. In that role he was directly responsible for intergovernmental public policy development between municipal governments, national associations and the White House.” [Alabamatrucking.org]

Canary Was The Republican National Committee’s Chief Of Staff And Served As National Political Field Director For Bush’s 1992 Reelection Campaign. “In 1992, he served as Chief of Staff for the Republican National Committee and National Political Field Director for the Committee to Re-Elect President Bush and Vice President Quayle.” [Alabamatrucking.org]

Canary Served As Senior Advisor To The Dole/Kemp Campaign. “In 1996, he served as a Senior Advisor to the Dole/Kemp for President Committee at the Republican National Convention.” [Alabamatrucking.org]

Canary Served As Senior Advisor To Andrew Card, George W. Bush’s Chief Of Staff. In 2000, Canary served as “a Senior Advisor to the Co-Chairman of the Convention, current White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card.”[Alabamatrucking.org]

Canary Served As Co-Chair Of The U.S. Conference Of Mayors’ Business Council. Canary is listed as the ‘past co-chair’ of the council. [

Bill Canary Is The President And Ceo Of The American Trucking Association, Which Has Given More Than $1 Million To Republicans Since 1998. Canary is the president of the American Trucking Association, a trucking industry lobbying group, which has donated $1,090,495 to Republicans since 1998. [Center for Responsive Politics, opensecrets.org]

The American Trucking Association Has Donated $4,500 To Bob Riley’s Congressional Campaigns. ATA gave Riley $1,500 in 1996, $2,000 in 1998, and $1,000 in 2000. Since 1996, Riley has taken $9,000 from trucking interests. [Center for Reponsive Politics, opensecrets.org]

Canary’s Partner Patrick Mcwhorter And His Pac’s Gave $150,000 To Steve Windom’s 2002 Gubernatorial Campaign. According to Windom’s 2001 annual disclosure form, Patrick McWhorter’s PAC’s donated to Windom. FOR PAC gave $27,000, GOV PAC gave $27,500, INS PAC gave $34,500, McPAC gave $33,500 and MUST PAC gave $26,500. McWhorter personally donated $1,000 to Windom’s campaign fund. [Steve Windom, ‘Fair Campaign Practices Act’ Disclosure, Form 2: Contributions, filed 1/31/02]

Here’s Canary and Riley Together At The 2000 Gop National Convention And Rep. Hubbard In Action:

[Courtesy of Rep. Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn);

Here’s Bill Canary With His ‘Good Friend’ Alabama Rep. Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn), Riley’s Top Lieutenant And LeeCounty Campaign Chairman:

[Courtesy of Alabamatrucking.org]

Here’s Bill And Leura Canary With Their ‘Good Friends,’ The Hubbards.

[Courtesy of Rep. Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn)]

Canary Is President Of William J. Canary And Company, Inc. And Chairman Of The Board Of Capitol Group, Llc. “WHEREAS, Mr. Canary is President of William J. Canary and Company, Inc., and Chairman of the Board, Capitol Group, L. L. C., and former Special Assistant to President George Bush and Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee; and Mrs. Canary is Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, Chief of Civil Division, and former State Assistant Attorney General” [Alabama HJR 454, 4/27/98]

William J. Canary And Company, Inc. Is A Montgomery-Based Consulting Firm. Canary is the president of the firm, which was incorporated May 1, 1995 in MontgomeryCounty. [Secretary of State Corporate Records]

Capitol Group LLC Is A Partnership Between William J. Canary And Co., Inc. And The McWhorter Group. McWhorter Is A Registered Lobbyist For Some Large Out-Of-State Corporations And Associations. According to the Alabama Ethics Commission, McWhorter is the registered lobbyist for Select Management Resources, Grocers Association, The Williams Companies, Anheuser-Busch, Assurant Group, Nationwide Insurance Enterprise, Primerica Financial Services Home Mortgages, MWD Group, The McWhorter Group, Liberty Mutual, Technical Training Aids, the Alabama Funeral Directors Association, Thomas and Associates, National Association of Independent Insurers, and Gulfstream Natural Gas System. [Alabama Ethics Commission]

McWhorter’s Clients Include Five Of The Nation’s Largest Insurance And Financial Services Corporations. Assurant Group, Nationwide Insurance, Primerica, and Liberty Mutual are among the nation’s largest insurance and financial services corporations. The National Association of Independent Insurers, another McWhorter client, is ‘the nation’s largest full-service property and casualty trade association.’

McWhorter And Canary Share An Office. According to corporate records, both The McWhorter Group and William J. Canary and Company, Inc. share Suite 368 of the RSAUnionBuilding. McWhorter and Canary’s partnership, The Capitol Group, also lists Suite 368 as its mailing address. [Corporate Records, Alabama Secretary of State]

In 1998, Pryor’s Campaign Paid Montgomery Political Consultant Claire Austin, Who Served As His Campaign Manager And Spokesperson, More Than $75,000 For Administrative And Travel Expenses. Between January 1998 and January 1999, Pryor paid Austin $76,519.12 for administrative and travel expenses. [Pryor Campaign Finance Disclosure Forms, 1998-9, Alabama Secretary of State]

Austin Was Pryor’s Campaign Spokeswoman And Campaign Manager. “Pryor and Gov. Fob James' state Finance Director, Jimmy Baker, were in Chicago meeting Tuesday with attorneys general from states that have not settled with the tobacco industry, said Claire Austin, a spokeswoman for Pryor's re-election campaign.” “Claire Austin, campaign manager for Republican Attorney General Bill Pryor, said she would advise any candidate against using a party label in the general election campaign.” [AP, 7/21/98; AP, Rawls, 8/1/98]

Claire Austin Was Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Spokeswoman. “Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced that Claire Austin, former Assistant State Finance Director, has joined his staff as Special Administrative Assistant for Legislative and Public Affairs. She will prepare and guide the office's legislative program and direct the office's news communications.” [AG Bulletin, 11/95]

Austin Was Sessions’ Senate Campaign Spokeswoman. “GOP ads on behalf of Sessions will begin to air this week, says his campaign spokeswoman Claire Austin.” [Atlanta Journal, Smith, 10/13/96]

Claire Austin And Lanny Young Are Business Partners. “Ms. Austin, who also worked for former Attorney General Jeff Sessions as public affairs and legislation director and was his U.S. Senate campaign public relations director, was Pryor's main campaign fund-raiser. She left Pryor's employment after his November election to set up her own business for lobbying, public relations and PAC development. Lanny Young, her business partner in their new Montgomery firm of Austin & Young Capital Resources, is a frequent visitor to the governor's office.” [Harbinger, Donaldson, 5/4/99]

Austin And Young Are Members Of Austin & Young Capital Resources, A Montgomery-Based Lobbying And Public Relations Firm. Claire Austin and Lanny Young formed Austin & Young Capital Resources, LLC on January 18, 1999 in MontgomeryCounty for “providing general consulting and public relations.” [Alabama Secretary of State, Corporate Records]

Canary’s Capitol Group And Austin & Young Are Neighbors; The Capitol Group’s Office Is In 100 N Union Street’s Suite 368, Austin & Young Are In Suite 364. [Alabama Secretary of State, Corporate Records]

Claire Austin, Who Is Neither A Prosecutor Nor Involved In The Investigation, Admitted She Had Prior Knowledge Of Future Indictments. “Vaughan said Friday the newspaper [the Register] was led to the [GH] story by Claire Austin, a lobbyist with ties to Republicans, who wanted to get back at her former business partner, Lanny Young… Austin confirmed Friday that Young was a former business partner but denied providing information to the newspaper. “But I can’t really be talking to you about this because of other reasons,” Austin said. “There are several more indictments pending.” [MA, Kleffman, 3/16/02]

What Did Republicans Do With Information Leaked From Investigation?

Republicans Made Investigation Centerpiece Of Campaign

Riley Attacked Siegelman For ‘Corruption’. “A second GOP gubernatorial candidate, U.S. Rep. Bob Riley, R-Ashland, also slammed the governor. ‘They say “Where there is smoke, there is fire,” and our state government is choking on a lot of smoke right now,’ Riley said in a written statement. ‘Like all Alabamians, I'm tired of all the scandals and embarrassing things our state leaders do from time to time. It's time to clean that place up.’” [MR, Owen, 2/12/02]

Riley Made Ethics Central Issue In Campaign. “U.S. Rep. Bob Riley, another Republican seeking Siegelman’s job, has started television commercials that do not mention Siegelman by name but mention the climate in the capital. ‘As governor I’ll clean up Montgomery and end the corruption,’ Riley said, mentioning ‘sweetheart’ no-bid contracts.” [TN, Beyerle, 2/12/02]

Windom Ran Political Ads On Corruption. Windom ran a political advertisement that attacked Siegelman for corruption. The ad said, “Newspapers condemn Don Siegelman’s no-bid state contracts to campaign contributors Siegelman’s contributors convicted.” [Steve Windom Television Ad, “Mad”, 1/24/02]

Recount, Or Lack Thereof

Siegelman Wins Election, Gets Votes Taken Away In RepublicanCounty, Denied Recount

Siegelman Wins, Then Gets Votes Taken Away

Siegelman Initially Won Election; Republican-DominatedBaldwinCounty Changed Vote Tally To Take Away Enough Votes From Siegelman So Riley Won. “BaldwinCounty officials put their stamp of approval Wednesday on vote totals giving Republican Bob Riley victory over Democratic Gov. Don Siegelman, but a dispute left the outcome in doubt. Election officials in the Republican-dominated county said the correct number for Siegelman was 12,736, not the 19,070 initially reported by county officials on election night. Probate Judge Adrian Johns said Wednesday that "a programming glitch in the software" showed Siegelman with 19,070 votes, the number given to The Associated Press by BaldwinCounty officials on Tuesday night. That figure was enough to give Siegelman the victory in the unofficial count. Election officials in Republican-dominatedBaldwinCounty originally showed Siegelman with 19,070 votes, but later reduced his tally to 12,736.” [AP, Rawls, 11/6/02]

Pryor Threatened Jail For Anyone Who Recounted Votes

Pryor Threatened Election Officials With Jail Time If They Conducted A Requested Statewide Recount. In November 2002, Attorney General Bill Pryor issued an opinion blocking a true statewide recount of votes cast in Alabama’s disputed governor’s race. Citing a 1953 state law, Pryor banned county election officials from unsealing ballot boxes or voting machines to conduct a recount and threatened officials with “misdemeanor convictions” and “jail time” if they went ahead with a recount. [BN, 11/9/02]

Pryor Needed Riley to Win to Secure Appointment to Federal Bench

Bush Nominated Pryor For Federal Judgeship Less Than Three Months After Riley Took Office. On April 9, 2003 – less than three months after Riley’s inauguration as governor – President Bush nominated Bill Pryor for a federal appeals court judgeship. [Birmingham News, 4/10/03]

Sessions: Riley’s Election Was A Factor In Pryor’s Appointment, GOP Wanted To Wait For A Republican Governor To Appoint Replacement. According to the Birmingham News, “Pryor might have been nominated earlier, but there was a desire to wait for a Republican governor to be elected and appoint his replacement.” “I’m sure that was a factor," Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Mobile) told the News. [Birmingham News, 4/10/03]

Pryor’s Replacement Was GOP Political Hack, Served Siegelman’s 1998 And 2002 Gubernatorial Opponents. In March 2004, Riley named his legal advisor Troy King to replace Pryor as attorney general. According to the Birmingham News, King was “a former top aide to former Gov. Fob James,” Siegelman’s 1998 gubernatorial opponent, “an assistant attorney general from January 1999 to January 2003 in Pryor's office” and Riley’s “legal adviser” from January 2003 until March 2004. [Birmingham News, 3/9/04]

Siegelman Indicted

Who Are The Prosecutors?

Siegelman Indicted By Riley’s Former Lawyer, Republican Politician

Siegelman Indicted Because Statute Of Limitations Close To Running Out. “The indictments were announced at a press conference where Alabama Attorney General Troy King proclaimed Thursday ‘a sad day in Alabama.’ King said Thursday was the last day, under a five-year statute of limitations, for prosecutors to charge Siegelman and Hamrick with at least one of the crimes. ‘The statute of limitations was at play here,’ he said. ‘So it was important that we go ahead and get these charges in place.’” [BN, Walton and Archibald, 5/28/04]

King Is Riley’s Former Adviser, Handpicked Attorney General. Martin is working closely with new attorney general Troy King, Bob Riley’s former legal adviser Troy King. King appeared at the press conference announcing Siegelman’s indictment of Siegelman because, “the investigation was a joint federal-state project conducted by Martin and state Attorney General Troy King's staff.” [AP, Rawls, 3/8/04; AP, Rawls, 5/27/04]

Martin Has Run for Public Office Twice as a Republican

Martin Has Run Twice For Public Office As A Republican, Lost Both Races To Democrats. Republican Gov. Fob James appointed Martin as a Lauderdale County Circuit Court judge in 1997. She lost her bid to retain the judgeship in the 1998 general election to a Democrat. In 2000, Martin ran for a place on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. She won the Republican primary but lost to incumbent Democrat Sue Bell Cobb in the general election. [Birmingham News, Faulk, 5/4/00; Birmingham News, Orndorff, 4/28/01]

When She Lost Her 1998 Campaign, Martin Expressed Bitterness Toward Democrats And Said She Thought Republicans Were Treated Unfairly. When she lost her 1998 campaign for election to the Lauderdale County Circuit Court, Martin told the Associated Press, “As long as the most important question people ask candidates is whether you’re a Republican or Democrat in this county, I think Republicans will have difficulty.” [AP, 11/5/98]

Martin Took More Than $60,000 From Republican PACs And Republican Politicians For Her Two Campaigns. Martin took $63,379 in contributions from Republican Party PACs, Executive Committees, and politicians for her 1998 and 2000 judicial elections. [Alabama Secretary of State, Campaign Finance Records, Alice Martin, 1998-2001]

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM REPUBLICAN PACS AND POLS

DATE

Contributor

Amount

TOTAL

* Contributions received after election.