Siegelman, Scrushy, two others indicted

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and three others - including former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy - have been indicted on charges of "widespread racketeering conspiracy" that include bribery and extortion in exchange for official acts in the state.

The prosecutors said Siegelman and former chief of staff Paul Hamrick violated racketeering laws during his term from 1999 to 2003. The indictment, in part, alleges Scrushy made disguised payments totaling $500,000 to Siegelman to get appointed to a key state hospital regulatory board.

Former state Transportation Director Gary Mack Roberts also was charged with mail and wire fraud for his alleged role influencing agency actions on behalf of Siegelman.

The announcement was made simultaneously in Montgomery and Washington. Siegelman has called the long-running grand jury probe a political witch hunt by Republican prosecutors trying to derail his current Democratic campaign for a second term. He planned a statement later Wednesday.

The former governor was indicted last year on charges of health care fraud, but the case was later dismissed.

U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon dismissed all charges on Oct. 5, 2004, against Siegelman and Hamrick after federal prosecutors failed to convince the judge that the two conspired to rig bids for Medicaid contracts.

The prosecution moved to dismiss all charges after Clemon rejected the key charge of conspiracy in which the government alleged that Siegelman and Hamrick conspired with Tuscaloosa physician Phillip K. Bobo to funnel $550,000 to the Alabama Fire College.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.