The longer Republicans stonewall the Don Siegelman case the more they appear to be covering up political skullduggery that cuts to the heart of the judicial system.

Congress is set for hearings into whether the former governor was the target of selective prosecution to enhance the Republican stronghold on state politics.

Yet, the Bush White House is using all kinds of excuses to withhold the mounds of paper trail that might support Mr. Siegelman’s claim or vindicate the Justice Department and the Alabama attorney general’s office.

Last week, however, Time magazine obtained investigative documents that show one of the key witnesses in Mr. Siegelman’s corruption case said he also gave illegal contributions to U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions and U.S. Circuit Judge Bill Pryor, both Republicans and both former state attorneys general, who were not investigated. Both denied the allegation.

Prosecutors said that Lanny Young never alleged that he received anything in return for the contributions. Yet that didn’t stop the federal government, with help from the attorney general’s office, from prosecuting Mr. Siegelman for accepting $500,000 in lottery campaign money from HealthSouth founder and former CEO Richard Scrushy.

Prosecutors alleged Mr. Scrushy won appointment to a health regulatory board as a result of the contribution that went to help pay for the failed education lottery campaign. There is no evidence any of the money went to Mr. Siegelman for personal use.

The lingering allegations also have credibility because of the political firings of nine federal prosecutors before Alberto Gonzales resigned earlier this year in disgrace.

Meanwhile, Mr. Siegelman and Mr. Scrushy are in prison convinced that President Bush’s former political guru Karl Rove helped Montgomery Republicans orchestrate their indictments for political purposes.

Political prosecutions are a danger to democracy’s survival.

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