Karl Rove 60 Minutes Expose: GOP Operative Explains Smear Campaign

Updated -- Watch the full report below:

"A Republican operative in Alabama says Karl Rove asked her to try to prove the state's Democratic governor was unfaithful to his wife in an effort to thwart the highly successful politician's re-election," CBS's Scott Pelley reports for 60 Minutes. "Rove's attempt to smear Don Siegelman was part of a Republican campaign to ruin him that finally succeeded in imprisoning him, says the operative, Jill Simpson."

Simpson speaks to Scott Pelley in her first television interview, to be broadcast on "60 MINUTES" Sunday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. ET/PT, on the CBS Television Network.

Simpson spoke to Pelley because, she says, Siegelman's seven-year sentence for bribery bothers her. She recalls what Rove, then President Bush's senior political adviser, asked her to do at a 2001 meeting in this exchange from Sunday's report.

"Karl Rove asked you to take pictures of Siegelman?" asks Pelley.

"Yes," replies Simpson.

"In a compromising, sexual position with one of his aides," clarifies Pelley.

"Yes, if I could," says Simpson.

Story continues below

Simpson found no evidence of infidelity "despite months of observation," CBS reports.

But the case goes far beyond lurid photos. Simpson, the GOP operative, alleged in a sworn statement to the House Judiciary Committee last year that "she heard a close associate of Rove say that the White House political adviser 'had spoken with the Department of Justice' about 'pursuing' Don Siegelman, a former Democratic governor of Alabama, with help from two of Alabama's U.S. attorneys. Siegelman was later indicted on 32 counts of corruption, convicted on seven of them, and is currently serving an 88-month sentence in Federal prison."

Time magazine reported:

If Simpson's version of events is accurate, it would show direct political involvement by the White House in federal prosecutions -- a charge leveled by Administration critics in connection with the U.S. attorney scandal that led to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. But her account is disputed; those who she alleges told her about Rove's involvement during a G.O.P. campaign conference call claim that no such conversation took place. Rove himself has not responded to Simpson's allegations, which are clearly based on second-hand information, and the White House has refused to comment while Siegelman's case remains on appeal.

Also in the sworn statement, Simpson...

...recalls conversations in early 2005 with Rob Riley, Jr., son of Alabama's current Republican governor, over his father's coming gubernatorial race, in which Siegelman appeared to be the top Democratic challenger. The younger Riley, she says, told her that his father and Bill Canary, the state's top Republican political operative and a longtime friend of Rove, contacted Rove in late 2004, after which he intervened with the Justice Department's Public Integrity section to push for criminal prosecution of Siegelman. Months later, in May 2005, Siegelman was indicted, setting off a chain of events that led to his imprisonment and the end of his political career.

Simpson also claims Riley, Jr., named the judge who would eventually be assigned to the case, and says Riley told her the judge would "hang Don Siegelman" because of a grudge against the former governor.

Watch Scott Pelley's "reporter's notebook" on his Rove story:

Here's a preview of the 60 Minutes story:

Comments

[misterconcept]

Truth or Consequences

It is becoming more apparent each day that the Democratic Party will be guiding the course of American politics for the next four to eight years depending upon its degree of success. As this reality looms closer, the Republican Party, in order to exert any influence upon the hearts and minds of the American people, will undoubtedly employ any means necessary to acquire control of the media. A good illustration of this type of influence was exhibited during the Presidential Election of 2004. It is now a matter of historical record that the Karl Rove propaganda machine, funded by T. Boone Pickens, launched a campaign of lies to disparage the military record of John Kerry. The subsequent character assassination produced a new colloquialism in the American lexicon labeled, “swift boating.” The American people have since expressed disappointment, if not outrage, for the implementation of this deceitful practice.

Let’s imagine the following scenario: Four prominent journalists employed by a major newspaper known for its support for liberal policies are approached by the Karl Rove propaganda locomotive which is now an independent contract apparatus funded by the same private interests which own the Republican Party. Let’s say these four journalists are enticed into planting a vague, if not fictitious, story in their newspaper which, hypothetically, involved sexual improprieties on the part of a leading conservative Presidential candidate. Let’s say, in return, these writers are offered a prominent place in either the Rove Truth Grinder or, perhaps, an upper echelon position with a competing enterprise such as the Rupert Murdoch Fact Assassins, Inc. To sweeten the deal, they are offered surreptitious cash incentives and an open window into the Republican underground during the next administration.

The benefits from the successful execution of this plot would be the following: First and foremost, the credibility of the hypothetical newspaper which, up until this point, has served as the gold standard in journalism would be severely compromised. Second, the subsequent loss of readership and advertising dollars would deplete the dollar value of the entire enterprise. The few journalists who still respect the First Amendment would seek out new venues for its protection and preservation, perhaps on the internet politico.comm, huffingtonpost.com, etc.). The skeletal remains of The Newspaper, Inc. would ultimately be sold and fall into the hands of the highest bidder, perhaps the Murdoch group. Thus, silencing a prominent liberal voice forever. This drama may seem far-fetched however, this is America, where everything is for sale, including the truth.

The American people are tired of and disgusted with negative campaigning. The latest attacks on John McCain have done nothing but increase support for the Republican Party, which has been noticeably weak of late. Karl Rove “won” the Presidential campaign for George Bush in 2004 by spreading a blanket of lies, deceit, and fear over the entire American heartland, one county at a time. He will employ similar techniques to discredit and disqualify key players in the Democratic Party one by one, even if it requires falsely attacking members of his own party and attributing blame to the “liberals.” Rove is a master of deceit, the same deceit which coats the underbelly of all Republican politics. It has no limits.

--Quinn Stilletto, President unwantedchildren.com

[savertime]

We can all be sooooooo PROUD of our country.
(or we'll be called unpatriotic)

[scottymac11]

It's maddening what has happened to our government. These cretins have usurped the honor and dignity our forefathers left us in our American judicial system. They just don't care. They don't care about decency or scruples. They only care about massing more wealth and even more power.
They hijack the republican party ,hollow it out, and build personal atms of our tax funds. They use all facets of our government to perpetuate their egocentric ends. They dupe the public into thinking all government is bad. They promise their electorate one key thing and say may as well vote for us cause the other guy's as bad as we are and they won't give you your one issue. It's not true everybody isn't as bad as these guys. Not every politician is 100 percent selfish. Rove, Bush, Cheney, Libby and the rest have done this to our government because they never feared a day of accounting. The next set of charlatans will go even further if justice doesn't prevail and make these guys pay for subverting the backbone of our freedoms in this country.They threaten our fair and impartial justice system . Our system must win. Without it we have nothing.

[Davwbaird]

Republicans are trying to cover their backs in a big way right now. They will tell on anyone to stay out of the jail house.

[savertime]

We can all be sooooooo PROUD of our country.
(or we'll be called unpatriotic)

[SmolderingRuin]

And nobody will ever do a damned thing about it.

[Zentomato]

Oh how we all howl and scream in righteous outrage over all the crimes the sleazebags manage to get away with! Trouble is we all know exactly why Rove and the rest of these republicants get away with murder. It is because we have lilly livered weenies like Reid, Pelosi and more than a few other Dinos who triangulating and politically measuring absolutely everything to death just to maintain their own fat asses in Congress. Impeachment is off the table remember? Nancy says we're all gonna play nice now and to hell with justice and accountability. We don't want to seem like the angry vengeful type! I been a Democrat for 50 years and this current crop, with a few exclusions, we have now just makes me sick.

[lungfish]

I feel your pain, Zentomato, and you are correct. Rove and the rest of the neocons are currently beyond the law and I see no motivation to pin them down for it. Too bad for Siegelman...

[ljsfolly]

So now I see another article/post that says the part about Rove in the 60 minutes program was blocked out in at least parts of ALabama. Supposedly someone from the white house asked for the mother of cbs to pull the show completely. Now a problem in New York caused only that segment from being aired in parts of the country. What the hell is going on? Censurship of public tv makes little or no sense unless you remember whoes in the oval office andit was about Karl Rove and the direct relationship to the oval office.... The othe post is in Media. Check it out.

[LAShores]

Well, maybe Rove does have something on every democrat. They seem scared of him but Obama isn't. Maybe Obama can give this poor guy a pardon.

Repubs are the scum of the earth.

[jdm58]

CBS is NOT public TV. We may "own" the airwaves, but corporations "own" the content. This has been going on for years, but it is only since the advent of the internet, when expose's are halted in areas where the public might be inflamed. In Texas, we sometimes have national shows that might be perceived as inflamatory to certain interest groups interrupted, or otherwise not shown, with excuses of weather, or more pressing local event coverage.

[Libsrule]

Why are democrats such cowards?

Does Rove have THAT much on that many of them that they are absolutely terrified to start REAL investigations instead of just going after a couple of fucking sports figures for using some fucking enhancing drugs??????

Fucking democrats. We EXPECT Thug party members to be crooked and anti America and anti Middle class, but for Chrissake can't democrats EVER do the right thing??

Rove should have been behind bars long ago. Granted, fucking Chimpy McFlightsuit would have commuted his sentence or pardoned him before it got too far, but for god's sake DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!

Cowards....the lot of 'em.

[jazzence]

Well the Cowards you speak of [i.e. Democrats] don't run the DOJ (dept. of Justice). Now if you soft brainers don't remember, Att. Gen. Gonzalez had to resign after it was discovered that the DOJ was basically working as a enforcer for the Bush Administration. The federal governments' institution of checks and balances, was highjacked by the Whitte House. So Libsrule: (which I think you're not even) Take your issue to the Independent Oversight Committee that's being formed, right now, to investigate the DOJ.

DO SOMETHING! Think before you speak.

[LAShores]

Why is Rove still walking the streets and not in jail

[dax49]

why isn't congress acting on this instead of butler acting a fool about steroid use?

[dax49]

why isn't congress acting on this instead of butler acting a fool about steroid use?

[Dap]

After the clear evidence of this 60 Minutes expose', there can be no doubt about the Bu$h administration using the United States Justice Department for political purposes.

It also shows creditable reasons for the *Strong-arm* tactics the Bu$h administration used against qualified and honorable U.S. Attorneys and the true reason as to why they were fired.

[cae]

Can't anyone in Washington do anything about this?

Hello Dems.. that's you! That's why we worked so hard in 2006 and elected you! DO SOMETHING!

[ljsfolly]

The best thing we can do is to write, email and call the congressperson who represents you. Do it until they listen or call you. I have heard of stories that the call comes when you don't stop.

[IngeniousGirl]

yes, you can do this, and sign up for the family's email updates. Also Seigleman is not the only political prisoner. Keep in mind last week a federal judge in California ordered Wikileaks to shut down its entire website - this is censorship. The Bush regime has a lot to protect, but I believe so do a lot of democrats. There is so much we don't know.

[incontempt]

Prosecute and CONVICT...we need an EXAMPLE made of This Turd. I toast the day Rove finds himself a cellhoney!

[mcfried]

Waterboard him, waterboard him, waterboard him .... this man is the worst of all creatures... manipulative ubertroll.
Since torture isn't reliable it won't make a difference to the crap that comes out of his mouth so no loss.

[lovethesinner]

Karl Rove needs to go to jail.