Ex-Alabama governor exits prison on appeal

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman was released on bond from a federal prison Friday, saying he remains upbeat despite serving nine months for corruption.

Leaving the prison in a black sport utility vehicle, he stopped on a road outside the lockup to comment. He wore a ragged shirt that appeared to be prison clothing.

“I may have lost my freedom for a while, but I never lost faith,” Siegelman, 62, told reporters.

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Siegelman should be released while he appeals his conviction.

He declined to comment further, saying, “I want to be with my family for a few days.”

Siegelman was placed in federal custody after being sentenced in June to more than seven years in prison for bribery-related counts and one obstruction of justice count.

The House Judiciary Committee also has announced that it wants to hear Siegelman’s views when it investigates claims of selective prosecution by the Justice Department.

Siegelman has maintained that certain Republicans targeted him after he was elected governor in 1998. The House committee has begun reviewing his case as part of a broader investigation into allegations of political meddling in federal prosecutions.