Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman has reported to a minimum security federal prison in southwest Louisiana to serve his sentence for bribery.

U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesman Chris Burke says the 66-year-old turned himself in at the federal prison at Oakdale, La. shortly before 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Siegelman previously served nine months at Oakdale before being released while his conviction on bribery and other charges was being appealed.

The former Democratic governor has continued to say he is innocent. He released a lengthy statement Tuesday shortly before arriving at the prison in which he blamed his conviction on Republican operatives trying to block him from serving a second term as governor.

Siegelman said in the statement that efforts to get President Barack Obama to commute the 78-month sentence would continue.