Ousted HealthSouth chief launches local TV talk show in Alabama

Critics question the former CEO's motive as his trial approaches.

By Katherine Vogt, AMNews staff. March 22/29, 2004.

Richard Scrushy has been called everything from a health care visionary to a corporate scofflaw. Now his friends and foes can add another title to the list: television talk show host.

The flamboyant former HealthSouth leader has launched his own talk show on a local television station in Birmingham, Ala. It's designed to be "a forum in which leaders and visionaries of our community and nation can convey their ideas, dreams and goals," according to the show's Web site.

But some critics questioned whether Scrushy's foray into television was designed to influence community sentiment in advance of his August trial on fraud charges.

Attorney Doug Jones, who is representing HealthSouth stockholders in a civil lawsuit against the embattled company, told Reuters that launching the show "seems fairly transparent in terms of trying to sway a jury."

U.S. Attorney Alice Martin said federal prosecutors would be watching, according to published reports.

Scrushy's spokesman, Charlie Russell, says the ousted leader "absolutely will not" discuss the case on his show. However, Russell said the show would be used to "address a number of untruths and negative inferences in news stories that have been appearing for the last year about him personally."

Scrushy has been accused by federal prosecutors of masterminding the multibillion dollar accounting fraud at HealthSouth that was first revealed a year ago. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2003 on 85 counts related to fraud. Since then he has steadfastly maintained his innocence, using a Web site to tell his side of the story.