Governor's son says he'll refute lawyer's testimony

montgomery - Gov. Bob Riley's son, Rob, said Wednesday he's willing under oath to refute testimony by a Rainsville lawyer who said she heard him and others discuss an ability to influence the criminal prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman.

Rainsville lawyer Jill Simpson told lawyers for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in testimony that was released Wednesday that she believes Rob Riley Jr. and others conspired in 2002 with the White House to nullify Siegelman as a challenger to Riley's 2006 reelection by influencing a federal prosecution of him.

In her Sept. 14 testimony that was released Wednesday along with Judiciary Committee majority membership talking points, Rob Riley said Simpson did not tell the truth.

"I'm working right now on an affidavit I plan to file with the committee addressing the untruthfulness of Ms. Simpson's testimony," said Rob Riley, a Birmingham lawyer.

When asked if he is willing to testify under oath before the committee, he said, "Absolutely." He said he has not been called to testify.

Simpson's hearsay testimony and Rob Riley's willingness to testify puts pressure on the committee to force reported participants in a November 2002 telephone call Simpson said she overheard to testify.

Carl Grafton, a retired political science professor at Auburn University Montgomery, said the committee looking into the Siegelman prosecution could end speculation by issuing subpoenas.

"You think they would because the committee is run by Democrats, and it would potentially serve their interests to cast the Republicans in a bad light," Grafton said. "The only thing I imagine is there's something about the story that could come back and bite them."

The House Judiciary Committee is conducting a hearing on allegations that the Republican Justice Department targeted Democrats.

Simpson said she believes the targeting occurred after Alabama Republicans got involved, including Rob Riley, Former Democratic Supreme Court Justice Terry Butts and Business Council of Alabama President William Canary, whose wife, Leura Garrett Canary, is the U.S. Attorney in Montgomery.

Simpson said they discussed it in a phone call. Simpson said William Canary said he'd get White House insider Karl Rove to help.

Canary denied Simpson's version of events and Rob Riley challenged Simpson's version.

"Billy Canary has never made those statements at any time in my presence, not in any private conversations nor in any public conversations," Rob Riley said.

Thomas Gallion III, who represents Simpson "on a limited basis," said she has been told not to discuss the matter publicly.

Gallion said that since Rob Riley once said he barely knew Simpson, a classmate at the University of Alabama, anything he says has to be taken with a grain of salt.

"Jill Simpson has shown me, and I have witnessed with my own eyes, she has represented Rob Riley in plaintiff cases and has canceled checks and documents ... and I believe what she says is true," Gallion said. "What they ought to do with everybody involved (on Rob Riley's side) is to go to Washington and testify."

HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy and Sigelman were convicted of government corruption charges and are now in prison.

Rob Riley said errors in Simpson's testimony lead to questions about her overall testimony.

In 143 pages of testimony, Simpson said Rob Riley once mentioned e-mailing something to a "Karl." "I believe that is Karl Rove," Simpson testified. Rob Riley said "Karl" was Atlanta attorney Karl Dix.

Dix said in a phone interview that he had worked with Rob Riley and Simpson on a FEMA cleanup contract. "Rob did give me an e-mail in 2002 and I was the Karl in the e-mail," Dix said.

Rob Riley said Simpson made other misstatements such as he and U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller, who presided over Siegelman's trial, knew each other from their days at the University of Alabama.

Fuller is about eight years older than Riley, who said he doesn't know Fuller.

Melanie Roussell, an information officer with the House Judiciary Committee majority, said there are no plans to subpoena witnesses. Minority counsel for the committee couldn't be reached for comment.

Roussell said the committee meeting will be rescheduled due to a death.

Dana Beyerle can be reached at (334) 281-4588 or dtb12345ataol.com.