Federal court orders Siegelman freed pending appeal

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman is to be released from prison tomorrow on the orders of a federal appeals court in Atlanta. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit said his larger appeal had raised "substantial questions," the New York Times reports:

Mr. Siegelman, a Democrat, had been taken to prison immediately following his sentencing last year, an unusual move by federal authorities in a white-collar case. His lawyers said Thursday that he never should have been imprisoned while he appealed his conviction.

Earlier today, a House committee called for Siegelman's release to testify before Congress about the politics of the case. In the meantime, the FCC is investigating an alleged technical glitch that resulted in one Alabama TV station blacking out a national CBS report on Karl Rove's reported involvement.